Hillsborough-Forest Lake
Hillsborough County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Hillsborough-Forest Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Limited data
Hillsborough-Forest Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 63 µg/L.
Hillsborough-Forest Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hillsborough County, Florida. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 123 other monitored lakes in Hillsborough County, Hillsborough-Forest Lake ranks #105 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-04-07. 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Hillsborough-Forest 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-Forest Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Hillsborough-Forest Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 63 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 63µg/L | Poor 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. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Hillsborough-Forest Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hillsborough-Forest Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hillsborough-Forest 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Hillsborough-Forest Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Hillsborough-Forest 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-Forest Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Hillsborough-Forest Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.4 µg/L/yr5 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Hillsborough-Forest Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 3 classified by the EPA as major dischargers. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Fdot District 7 - PascoTampa · 2.6 mi away · NPDES FLS267317Major
- Fdot District 7 - HillsboroughTampa · 2.6 mi away · NPDES FLS266221Major
- Temple Terrace - MS4Temple Terrace · 2.9 mi away · NPDES FLS000009Major
- University Of South FloridaTampa · 1.8 mi away · NPDES FL0702820Recent violation
- Busch Entertainment CorporatioTampa · 3.2 mi away · NPDES FL0186066
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Hillsborough County
Frequently asked questions about Hillsborough-Forest Lake
Where is Hillsborough-Forest Lake?
- Hillsborough-Forest 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-Forest Lake?
- Hillsborough-Forest Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 63 µg/L.
Is Hillsborough-Forest Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Hillsborough-Forest Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Florida
Other Lakes in Florida
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
27 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX27 samples · 2023–2024
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)