Lake Clay
Highlands County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Clay. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Clay in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L.
Lake Clay is a lake in Highlands County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-01-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Clay is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Clay is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Clay 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 Clay
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Lake Clay, 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 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 15 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 15µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| 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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Clay
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Clay Public Boat Ramp (West Side)Public
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 Clay
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Fishing Lake Clay
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.1 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Clay 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 FL1932B · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Highlands County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Clay
Where is Lake Clay?
- Lake Clay 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 Clay?
- Lake Clay in Highlands County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15 µg/L.
Is Lake Clay safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Clay 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 Clay?
- Lake Clay has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Clay Public Boat Ramp (West Side). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Clay?
- Lake Clay 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.
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples6 samples · 2022–2024
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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