Lake Howell
Seminole County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Howell. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
Lake Howell in Seminole County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L.
Lake Howell is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Seminole County, Florida. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 121 other monitored lakes in Seminole County, Lake Howell ranks #107 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-05-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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 Howell is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5A) for impaired biota (cause unknown). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Howell 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 Howell
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Lake Howell, 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 44 µg/L. TSI 61.
| 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 | 44µg/L | Fair 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. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Howell
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Howell typically sits around 80°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 88°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 90°F) and coldest in Jan (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (90°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 28 field readings (2021–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Howell water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Howell
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Howell in Seminole 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 Howell
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
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Fishing Lake Howell
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+5.31 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Howell is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL2997B · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Seminole County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Howell
Where is Lake Howell?
- Lake Howell is a lake in Seminole 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 Howell?
- Lake Howell in Seminole County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L.
Is Lake Howell safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Howell is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5A) for impaired biota (cause unknown). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Howell?
- Lake Howell typically sits around 80°F at the surface in October, from 28 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Lake Howell across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Canaveral?
Lake Howell is about 35 miles from Canaveral National Seashore. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Canaveral →More lakes in Florida
Other Lakes in Florida
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
119 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples60 samples · 2021–2025
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples59 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
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