Highlands-Josephine Center Lake
Highlands-Josephine Center Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~23 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Highlands-Josephine Center Lake →
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Highlands-Josephine Center Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 23 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving 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-Josephine Center Lake ranks #63 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-04-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 61.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 66.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 61.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 66 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Highlands-Josephine Center Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highlands-Josephine Center 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Highlands-Josephine Center Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Highlands-Josephine Center Lake
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Highlands-Josephine Center Lake → · more Florida lake trips
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~23 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Highlands-Josephine Center Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Josephine Public Boat Ramp (Sentinel Point Park)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Highlands-Josephine Center Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.09 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -3.6 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Highlands-Josephine Center Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1860B · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.56 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #63 of 73 lakes in Highlands County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Highlands-Josephine Center Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Josephine Center Lake
Where is Highlands-Josephine Center Lake?
- Highlands-Josephine Center Lake is a lake in Highlands County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Highlands-Josephine Center Lake?
- Highlands-Josephine Center Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 61.5 µg/L.
Is Highlands-Josephine Center Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Highlands-Josephine Center Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Highlands-Josephine Center Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Highlands-Josephine Center Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 23 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Highlands-Josephine Center Lake?
- Highlands-Josephine Center Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Josephine Public Boat Ramp (Sentinel Point Park). Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Highlands-Josephine Center Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Florida
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
309 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX309 samples · 2020–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory