Highlands-Persimmon Lake
Highlands County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Highlands-Persimmon Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
Highlands-Persimmon Lake in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L.
Highlands-Persimmon Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 72 other monitored lakes in Highlands County, Highlands-Persimmon Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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-Persimmon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Highlands-Persimmon 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-Persimmon Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Highlands-Persimmon 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 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 24 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 24µg/L | Good 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. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Highlands-Persimmon Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Highlands-Persimmon Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 85°F) and coldest in Feb (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (85°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 60 field readings (2010–2016) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Highlands-Persimmon Lake water temperature breakdown →
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Stays near Highlands-Persimmon Lake
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Fishing Highlands-Persimmon Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.5 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Highlands-Persimmon 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1938E · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Persimmon Lake
Where is Highlands-Persimmon Lake?
- Highlands-Persimmon 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-Persimmon Lake?
- Highlands-Persimmon Lake in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 24 µg/L.
Is Highlands-Persimmon Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Highlands-Persimmon Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Highlands-Persimmon Lake?
- Highlands-Persimmon Lake typically sits around 76°F at the surface in October, from 60 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2016). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
156 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_WQX156 samples · 2020–2024
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