Hillsborough-Byrd Lake
Hillsborough County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Hillsborough-Byrd Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Limited data
Hillsborough-Byrd Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L.
Hillsborough-Byrd Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hillsborough County, Florida. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 123 other monitored lakes in Hillsborough County, Hillsborough-Byrd Lake ranks #63 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2023-05-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Hillsborough-Byrd Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Hillsborough-Byrd 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 Hillsborough-Byrd Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Hillsborough-Byrd Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.5 ft. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25µg/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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Hillsborough-Byrd Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hillsborough-Byrd Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hillsborough-Byrd Lake in Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough-Byrd Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Follow Hillsborough-Byrd Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Hillsborough-Byrd Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.8 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Hillsborough-Byrd Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1516G · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hillsborough County
Frequently asked questions about Hillsborough-Byrd Lake
Where is Hillsborough-Byrd Lake?
- Hillsborough-Byrd Lake is a lake in Hillsborough County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Hillsborough-Byrd Lake?
- Hillsborough-Byrd Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L.
Is Hillsborough-Byrd Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Hillsborough-Byrd Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown). Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Hillsborough-Byrd Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Florida
Other Lakes in Florida
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
78 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX78 samples · 2022–2023
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