Lake Emerald
Orange County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Emerald. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Limited data
Lake Emerald in Orange County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 62.5 µg/L.
Lake Emerald is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Orange County, Florida. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 319 other monitored lakes in Orange County, Lake Emerald ranks #311 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2022-11-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lake Emerald on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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, Lake Emerald never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 14 samples across 4 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 Lake Emerald 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 Emerald
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Lake Emerald, 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 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 62.5 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 62.5µg/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. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Emerald
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Emerald typically sits around 80°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 88°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 88°F) and coldest in Feb (about 65°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (65°F) to its warmest (88°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 45 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Emerald water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Emerald
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Emerald in Orange 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 Lake Emerald are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Emerald
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
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Fishing Lake Emerald
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.51 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Orange County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Emerald
Where is Lake Emerald?
- Lake Emerald is a lake in Orange 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 Emerald?
- Lake Emerald in Orange County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 62.5 µg/L.
Is Lake Emerald safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Lake Emerald never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 14 samples across 4 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 Lake Emerald 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 Lake Emerald?
- Lake Emerald typically sits around 80°F at the surface in October, from 45 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
19 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples12 samples · 2021
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples7 samples · 2021–2022
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.