Highlands-Lelia Lake
Highlands-Lelia Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Surface area: 176 acres.
- Clarity
- 4 ft
- Area
- 176 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Highlands-Lelia Lake is a 176-acre mesotrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 72 other monitored lakes in Highlands County, Highlands-Lelia Lake ranks #8 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-09-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. Phosphorus level: 13 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 49.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 13 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Highlands-Lelia Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highlands-Lelia 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-Lelia Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 176 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Highlands-Lelia Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Highlands-Lelia Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.02 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.95 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Highlands-Lelia Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Glenda Dam, built primarily for recreation on the Lake Lelia; earth-type dam, 9 ft tall and 80 ft long.
- Surface area
- 176 ac
- Normal storage
- 352 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 975 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL25500 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.81 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Highlands-Lelia 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 FL1813L · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.1 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #8 of 73 lakes in Highlands County
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Lelia Lake
Where is Highlands-Lelia Lake?
- Highlands-Lelia Lake is a lake in Highlands County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Highlands-Lelia Lake?
- Highlands-Lelia Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Surface area: 176 acres.
Is Highlands-Lelia Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Highlands-Lelia Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
Explore Highlands-Lelia Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Florida
Mesotrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
132 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX132 samples · 2020–2024
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