Lake Manatee
Manatee County, Florida2,200 acresView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Manatee. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Manatee in Manatee County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 330 µg/L. Surface area: 2200 acres.
Lake Manatee is a 2,200-acre lake in Manatee 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 2023-07-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Manatee is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water2,200 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Manatee 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 Manatee
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Lake Manatee, 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 3.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 330 µg/L. TSI 74.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 330µg/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. | 74 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lake Manatee
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
2,200 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Florida DEP
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Manatee, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Manatee State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Lake Manatee
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Fishing Lake Manatee
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-12.17 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Manatee is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Manatee Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for water supply on the Manatee River; earth-type dam, 55 ft tall and 4,900 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,200 ac
- Normal storage
- 18,300 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 39,200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MANATEE COUNTY
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL00280 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Manatee County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Manatee
Where is Lake Manatee?
- Lake Manatee is a lake in Manatee 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 Manatee?
- Lake Manatee in Manatee County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 330 µg/L. Surface area: 2200 acres.
Is Lake Manatee safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Manatee?
- Lake Manatee has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Manatee State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Manatee?
- Lake Manatee 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 Manatee across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples2 samples · 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory