Highlands-Pythias Lake
Highlands-Pythias Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 5.4 ft
- Typical in June
- 86°F
- Max depth
- ~38 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
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Highlands-Pythias Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Compared to the 72 other monitored lakes in Highlands County, Highlands-Pythias Lake ranks #36 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 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 5.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 19 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 50.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 19 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Highlands-Pythias Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highlands-Pythias 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-Pythias Lake
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Water Temperature
Highlands-Pythias Lake typically sits around 86°F at the surface in June. Summer average is about 86°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 86°F) and coldest in Feb (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 45 field readings (2010–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Highlands-Pythias Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~38 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~7 ft est. |
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-Pythias 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.
Fishing Highlands-Pythias Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | 0 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.05 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Highlands-Pythias Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1758E · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.75 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #36 of 73 lakes in Highlands County
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Pythias Lake
Where is Highlands-Pythias Lake?
- Highlands-Pythias 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-Pythias Lake?
- Highlands-Pythias Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L.
Is Highlands-Pythias Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Highlands-Pythias Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Highlands-Pythias Lake?
- Highlands-Pythias Lake typically sits around 86°F at the surface in June, from 45 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Highlands-Pythias Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Highlands-Pythias Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Highlands-Pythias Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Florida
Mesotrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
111 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_WQX111 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)