Highlands-Wolf Lake
Highlands-Wolf Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 229.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Typical in August
- 87°F
- Max depth
- ~37 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Highlands-Wolf Lake →
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Highlands-Wolf Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2024. 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-Wolf Lake ranks #65 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-12-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 229.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 80.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 229.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 80 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Highlands-Wolf Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highlands-Wolf 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Highlands-Wolf Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Highlands-Wolf Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Highlands-Wolf Lake typically sits around 87°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 87°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 87°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 20 field readings (2010–2014) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Highlands-Wolf Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~37 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
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-Wolf 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.
Recreation & Access
- Wolf 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-Wolf Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.09 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.2 µg/L/yr | 4 |
EPA Impairment Status
Highlands-Wolf 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 FL1898 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.07 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #65 of 73 lakes in Highlands County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Highlands-Wolf Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Highlands-Wolf Lake
Where is Highlands-Wolf Lake?
- Highlands-Wolf Lake is a lake in Highlands County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Highlands-Wolf Lake?
- Highlands-Wolf Lake in Highlands County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 229.5 µg/L.
Is Highlands-Wolf Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Highlands-Wolf Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Highlands-Wolf Lake?
- Highlands-Wolf Lake typically sits around 87°F at the surface in August, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2014). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Highlands-Wolf Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Highlands-Wolf Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 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-Wolf Lake?
- Highlands-Wolf Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wolf Lake Public Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Highlands-Wolf Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Florida
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
135 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_WQX135 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory