Lake Apthorpe
Highlands County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Apthorpe. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
Lake Apthorpe in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L.
Lake Apthorpe is a mesotrophic lake in Highlands County, Florida. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 72 other monitored lakes in Highlands County, Lake Apthorpe ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-12-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Apthorpe is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Lake Apthorpe is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Apthorpe 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 Lake Apthorpe
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Lake Apthorpe, 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 4.3 ft. Phosphorus 11.5 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 11.5µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Apthorpe
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Apthorpe Public Boat RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Apthorpe
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Apthorpe in Highlands 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 Lake Apthorpe
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Fishing Lake Apthorpe
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.2 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Apthorpe is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1932G · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Apthorpe
Where is Lake Apthorpe?
- Lake Apthorpe is a lake in Highlands County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Apthorpe?
- Lake Apthorpe in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.5 µg/L.
Is Lake Apthorpe safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Apthorpe is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Apthorpe?
- Lake Apthorpe has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Apthorpe Public Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Apthorpe?
- Lake Apthorpe has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Florida's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Apthorpe across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples38 samples · 2020–2024
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples18 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory