Lafayette Sinkhole Lake
Leon County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lafayette Sinkhole Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Lafayette Sinkhole Lake in Leon County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 120 µg/L.
Lafayette Sinkhole Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Leon County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 58 other monitored lakes in Leon County, Lafayette Sinkhole Lake ranks #58 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2023-06-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Lafayette Sinkhole Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 10.5% of 19 samples across 6 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Florida’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Lafayette Sinkhole 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 Lafayette Sinkhole Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Lafayette Sinkhole Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 120 µg/L. TSI 73.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 120µg/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. | 73 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lafayette Sinkhole Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lafayette Sinkhole Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 88°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 88°F) and coldest in Feb (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (88°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 50 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lafayette Sinkhole Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lafayette Sinkhole Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lafayette Sinkhole Lake in Leon 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 Lafayette Sinkhole Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lafayette Sinkhole Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Lafayette Sinkhole Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Improving-5.12 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lafayette Sinkhole 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, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL756F · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Leon County
Frequently asked questions about Lafayette Sinkhole Lake
Where is Lafayette Sinkhole Lake?
- Lafayette Sinkhole Lake is a lake in Leon County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lafayette Sinkhole Lake?
- Lafayette Sinkhole Lake in Leon County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 120 µg/L.
Is Lafayette Sinkhole Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Lafayette Sinkhole Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 10.5% of 19 samples across 6 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Lafayette Sinkhole Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Florida's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lafayette Sinkhole Lake?
- Lafayette Sinkhole Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in October, from 50 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples11 samples · 2020–2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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