Hillsborough-Osceola Lake
Hillsborough-Osceola Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 7 ft
- Max depth
- ~56 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Hillsborough-Osceola Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Hillsborough County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 56 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 123 other monitored lakes in Hillsborough County, Hillsborough-Osceola Lake ranks #67 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-03-29. 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)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus level: 16.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 47.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 16.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Hillsborough-Osceola Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hillsborough-Osceola 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.
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~56 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~6 ft est. |
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-Osceola 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-Osceola Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.02 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -6.1 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Hillsborough-Osceola 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 FL1464W · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.85 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #67 of 124 lakes in Hillsborough County
Nearby Lakes in Hillsborough County
Frequently asked questions about Hillsborough-Osceola Lake
Where is Hillsborough-Osceola Lake?
- Hillsborough-Osceola Lake is a lake in Hillsborough County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hillsborough-Osceola Lake?
- Hillsborough-Osceola Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.5 µg/L.
Is Hillsborough-Osceola Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Hillsborough-Osceola Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Hillsborough-Osceola Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hillsborough-Osceola Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 56 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Hillsborough-Osceola Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Florida
Mesotrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
186 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX186 samples · 2022–2025
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)