Lake Tarpon Canal
Pinellas County, Florida2,529 acresView mapDirections
This is the name Florida DEP records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole.
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Tarpon Canal. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Limited data
Lake Tarpon Canal in Pinellas County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 51 µg/L. Surface area: 2529 acres.
Lake Tarpon Canal is a 2,529-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pinellas County, Florida. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 33 other monitored lakes in Pinellas County, Lake Tarpon Canal ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-09-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Tarpon Canal covers about 2,500 acres in Pinellas County. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lake Tarpon Canal on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lake Tarpon Canal is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Big water2,529 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Tarpon Canal 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 Tarpon Canal
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Lake Tarpon Canal, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 51 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 51µg/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. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Tarpon Canal
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Tarpon Canal typically sits around 85°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 87°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 87°F) and coldest in Feb (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 (87°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 78 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Tarpon Canal water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
2,529 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Tarpon Canal, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Tarpon Canal
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Tarpon Canal in Pinellas 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 Tarpon Canal
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Fishing Lake Tarpon Canal
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.49 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Tarpon Canal is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Swfwmd Lake Tarpon Control Structure (S-551), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Lake Tarpon; earth-type dam, 16 ft tall and 255 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,529 ac
- Normal storage
- 7,756 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 24,447 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- SWFWMD
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL78006 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.04 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Tarpon Canal under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 3 classified by the EPA as major dischargers. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Clearwater City Of Northeast WrfSafety Harbor · 1.8 mi away · NPDES FL0128937MajorRecent violation
- Oldsmar City OfOldsmar · 3.7 mi away · NPDES FL0027651MajorRecent violation
- Oldsmar, City OfOldsmar · 3 mi away · NPDES FLS648299Major
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Pinellas County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Tarpon Canal
Where is Lake Tarpon Canal?
- Lake Tarpon Canal is in Pinellas County, Florida. This is the name Florida DEP records for this water. It can describe one sampling location rather than the water as a whole. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Tarpon Canal?
- Lake Tarpon Canal in Pinellas County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 51 µg/L. Surface area: 2529 acres.
Is Lake Tarpon Canal safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Tarpon Canal?
- Lake Tarpon Canal typically sits around 85°F at the surface in September, from 78 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Lake Tarpon Canal across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples17 samples · 2020–2024
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)