Highlands-Red Beach Lake
Highlands-Red Beach Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 3.5 ft
- Typical in August
- 86°F
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Highlands-Red Beach Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida. Water quality is graded B 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-Red Beach Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-05-20. 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 3.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 15 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Highlands-Red Beach Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highlands-Red Beach 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-Red Beach Lake
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Water Temperature
Highlands-Red Beach Lake typically sits around 86°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 86°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 86°F) and coldest in Feb (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 17 field readings (2010–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Highlands-Red Beach Lake water temperature breakdown →
Recreation & Access
- Red Beach Lake Public Boat RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Highlands-Red Beach Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.23 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.55 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Highlands-Red Beach Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1891A · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.06 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #16 of 73 lakes in Highlands County
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Red Beach Lake
Where is Highlands-Red Beach Lake?
- Highlands-Red Beach 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-Red Beach Lake?
- Highlands-Red Beach Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L.
Is Highlands-Red Beach Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Highlands-Red Beach Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Highlands-Red Beach Lake?
- Highlands-Red Beach Lake typically sits around 86°F at the surface in August, from 17 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Highlands-Red Beach Lake?
- Highlands-Red Beach Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Red Beach Lake Public Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Highlands-Red Beach Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Florida
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
353 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_WQX353 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory