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LakeQuality

Lake Okeechobee

D
Grade D — Nutrient-rich
Nutrient-rich · #15 of 21 lakes in the county · 1 ft clear · Hypereutrophic · from F
Hypereutrophic

Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 160 µg/L.

Clarity
1 ft
Type
Hypereutrophic
Trend
Improving
Public access
Yes

Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Lake Okeechobee

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Lake Okeechobee is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Palm Beach County, Florida. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Palm Beach County, Lake Okeechobee ranks #15 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-06-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Elevated nutrients

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum

Get alerts for Lake Okeechobee

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 160 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 77.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)1 ftNot graded
Phosphorus160 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)77Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Where to stay near Lake Okeechobee

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Lake Okeechobee are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Lake Okeechobee

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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Okeechobee · more Florida lake trips

Recreation & Access

1
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Canal Point Public Boat RampPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fishing Lake Okeechobee

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Stable-0.001 m/yr5
Phosphorus Improving-17.91 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Okeechobee is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

MercuryMetals (other than mercury)Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)Turbidity

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL3212G · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #15 of 21 lakes in Palm Beach County

Nearby Lakes in Palm Beach County

Frequently asked questions about Lake Okeechobee

Where is Lake Okeechobee?

Lake Okeechobee is a lake in Palm Beach County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Lake Okeechobee?

Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 160 µg/L.

Is Lake Okeechobee safe to swim in?

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Lake Okeechobee has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Okeechobee?

Lake Okeechobee has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Canal Point Public Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.

Where this data comes from

40 measurements from 7 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Submitting organization not recorded for these samples40 samples · 2021–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (7)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated 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