Hillsborough-Josephine Lake
Hillsborough-Josephine Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 284 acres.
- Typical in August
- 85°F
- Max depth
- ~29 ft est.
- Area
- 284 acres
- Trend
- → Stable
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Why Hillsborough-Josephine Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Hillsborough-Josephine Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by FDEP and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Hillsborough-Josephine Lake is a 284-acre lake in Hillsborough County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 29 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2022-03-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Hillsborough-Josephine Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Where to stay near Hillsborough-Josephine Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hillsborough-Josephine 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-Josephine Lake
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Water Temperature
Hillsborough-Josephine Lake typically sits around 85°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 86°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 86°F) and coldest in Feb (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 65 field readings (2015–2017) via the EPA Water Quality Portal.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~29 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~6 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 284 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Hillsborough-Josephine 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 Hillsborough-Josephine Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.343 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.09 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hillsborough-Josephine Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Pretty Water Conservation Structure, built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Lake Armistead/Rocky Creek; other-type dam, 5 ft tall and 32.83 ft long.
- Surface area
- 284 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,016 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,016 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- SWFWMD
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL12026 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.78 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Hillsborough-Josephine 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 FL1519C · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.99 km)
Graded lakes near Hillsborough-Josephine Lake
Hillsborough-Josephine Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Hillsborough County
Frequently asked questions about Hillsborough-Josephine Lake
Where is Hillsborough-Josephine Lake?
- Hillsborough-Josephine Lake is a lake in Hillsborough County, Florida. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Hillsborough-Josephine Lake?
- Hillsborough-Josephine Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 284 acres.
Is Hillsborough-Josephine Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Hillsborough-Josephine Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Hillsborough-Josephine Lake?
- Hillsborough-Josephine Lake typically sits around 85°F at the surface in August, from 65 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2017). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Hillsborough-Josephine Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hillsborough-Josephine Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 29 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 284 acres.
Explore Hillsborough-Josephine Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX6 samples · 2022
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)