Highlands County Lake
Highlands County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Highlands County Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Highlands County Lake in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 39 µg/L.
Highlands County Lake is a lake in Highlands County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2022-08-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Highlands County Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Highlands County Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Highlands County Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Highlands County Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 39 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 39µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Highlands County Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Little Red Water Lake Public Boat RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Highlands County Lake
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Fishing Highlands County Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.1 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands County Lake
Where is Highlands County Lake?
- Highlands County Lake is a lake in Highlands County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Highlands County Lake?
- Highlands County Lake in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 39 µg/L.
Is Highlands County Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Highlands County Lake?
- Highlands County Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Red Water Lake Public Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Highlands County Lake?
- Highlands County Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Florida's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples2 samples · 2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory