Highlands-Francis Lake
Highlands-Francis Lake in Highlands County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 3662 acres.
- Area
- 3,662 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Why Highlands-Francis Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Highlands-Francis Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by FDEP and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Highlands-Francis Lake is a 3,662-acre lake in Highlands County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2021-04-26. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Highlands-Francis Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Where to stay near Highlands-Francis Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highlands-Francis Lake in Highlands County, Florida — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Highlands-Francis Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 3,662 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Highlands-Francis Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Highlands-Francis Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.1 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.4 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Highlands-Francis Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the G-90 (completed 1962), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Jack Creek; concrete-type dam, 15 ft tall and 21.67 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,662 ac
- Normal storage
- 33,324 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 44,676 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 44 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- SWFWMD
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL00440 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.4 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Highlands-Francis Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1938G · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.2 km)
Graded lakes near Highlands-Francis Lake
Highlands-Francis Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Francis Lake
Where is Highlands-Francis Lake?
- Highlands-Francis Lake is a lake in Highlands County, Florida. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Highlands-Francis Lake?
- Highlands-Francis Lake in Highlands County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 3662 acres.
Is Highlands-Francis Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Highlands-Francis Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
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Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX18 samples · 2020–2021
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database