Lake Vedra
St. Johns County, Florida42 acresView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Vedra. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Lake Vedra in St. Johns County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 360 µg/L. Surface area: 42 acres.
Lake Vedra is a 42-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in St. Johns County, Florida. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in St. Johns County, Lake Vedra ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-11-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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 Vedra is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Vedra 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 Vedra
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Lake Vedra, 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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 360 µg/L. TSI 77.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 360µg/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. | 77 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lake Vedra
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Vedra typically sits around 81°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 86°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 89°F) and coldest in Jan (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (89°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 19 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Vedra water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
42 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Vedra, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Vedra
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Vedra in St. Johns 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 Vedra are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Vedra
Prices for Oct 16–18, 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 Vedra
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Vedra is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Vedra Dam, built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Guana River; earth-type dam, 12 ft tall and 268 ft long.
- Surface area
- 42 ac
- Normal storage
- 84 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 282 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.36 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- PONTE VEDRA CORP
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL70004 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Vedra is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL2320B1 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake Vedra under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 2 classified by the EPA as major dischargers. 3 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Jacksonville Beach WwtfJacksonville Beach · 3.7 mi away · NPDES FL0020231MajorRecent violation
- Jacksonville Beach, City Of - MS4Jacksonville Beach · 4.4 mi away · NPDES FLS000013Major
- Ponte Vedra WrfPonte Vedra Beach · 1.1 mi away · NPDES FL0117951Recent violation
- Marsh Landing WwtfPonte Vedra Beach · 1.6 mi away · NPDES FL0044253Recent violation
- Innlet Beach WwtfPonte Vedra Beach · 1 mi away · NPDES FL0044237
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 St. Johns County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Vedra
Where is Lake Vedra?
- Lake Vedra is a lake in St. Johns 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 Vedra?
- Lake Vedra in St. Johns County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 360 µg/L. Surface area: 42 acres.
Is Lake Vedra safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Vedra is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Vedra?
- Lake Vedra typically sits around 81°F at the surface in September, from 19 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Lake Vedra across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Castillo de San Marcos?
Lake Vedra is about 23 miles from Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. 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 Castillo de San Marcos →More lakes in Florida
Other Lakes in Florida
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FL Dept. of Environmental Protection, Northeast District
21FLA_WQX12 samples · 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)