Highlands-Pioneer Lake
Highlands County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Highlands-Pioneer Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
Highlands-Pioneer Lake in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L.
Highlands-Pioneer Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. 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-Pioneer Lake ranks #35 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-12-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Highlands-Pioneer Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Highlands-Pioneer 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-Pioneer Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Highlands-Pioneer Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Highlands-Pioneer Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Highlands-Pioneer Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Feb (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 17 field readings (2014–2015) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Highlands-Pioneer Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~42 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Florida DEP
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-Pioneer Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
72 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
95 ft
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
- Pioneer Lake 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-Pioneer Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highlands-Pioneer 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-Pioneer Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Highlands-Pioneer Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.3 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Pioneer Lake
Where is Highlands-Pioneer Lake?
- Highlands-Pioneer 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-Pioneer Lake?
- Highlands-Pioneer Lake in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L.
Is Highlands-Pioneer Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Highlands-Pioneer Lake?
- Highlands-Pioneer Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in October, from 17 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2014–2015). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Highlands-Pioneer Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Highlands-Pioneer Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 42 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-Pioneer Lake?
- Highlands-Pioneer Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Pioneer Lake Public Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Highlands-Pioneer Lake?
- Highlands-Pioneer 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.
Explore Highlands-Pioneer Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
144 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_WQX144 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory