Highlands-Istokpoga Lake
Highlands County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Highlands-Istokpoga Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
Highlands-Istokpoga Lake in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90.5 µg/L.
Highlands-Istokpoga Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 72 other monitored lakes in Highlands County, Highlands-Istokpoga Lake ranks #72 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-03-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Highlands-Istokpoga Lake has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Highlands-Istokpoga Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Highlands-Istokpoga Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Highlands-Istokpoga Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Highlands-Istokpoga 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-Istokpoga Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Highlands-Istokpoga 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 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 90.5 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 90.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Highlands-Istokpoga Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Istokpoga (Boggy Branch) Public Boat RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Highlands-Istokpoga Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highlands-Istokpoga 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Highlands-Istokpoga Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Highlands-Istokpoga Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Highlands-Istokpoga Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-12 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Highlands-Istokpoga Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1856B · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Istokpoga Lake
Where is Highlands-Istokpoga Lake?
- Highlands-Istokpoga 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-Istokpoga Lake?
- Highlands-Istokpoga Lake in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90.5 µg/L.
Is Highlands-Istokpoga Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Highlands-Istokpoga Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Highlands-Istokpoga Lake?
- Highlands-Istokpoga Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Istokpoga (Boggy Branch) Public Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Highlands-Istokpoga Lake?
- Highlands-Istokpoga 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
51 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX51 samples · 2022–2024
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory