Marion-Buck Lake
Marion-Buck Lake in Marion County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 8 ft
- Max depth
- ~51 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Marion-Buck Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Marion County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 51 feet. Water quality is graded B 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 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Marion County, Marion-Buck Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-01-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus level: 9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 9 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Marion-Buck Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Marion-Buck Lake in Marion 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 Marion-Buck Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~51 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Marion-Buck Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Fales Prairie Recreation Area Primitive Boat RampPublic
- Buck Lake Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Marion-Buck Lake
- Buck Lake0.3 km
- Farles Prairie Hunt Camp2.3 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Marion-Buck Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.493 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.86 µg/L/yr | 4 |
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 18 lakes in Marion County
Nearby Lakes in Marion County
Frequently asked questions about Marion-Buck Lake
Where is Marion-Buck Lake?
- Marion-Buck Lake is a lake in Marion County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Marion-Buck Lake?
- Marion-Buck Lake in Marion County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L.
Is Marion-Buck Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Marion-Buck Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Marion-Buck Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Marion-Buck Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 51 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Marion-Buck Lake?
- Marion-Buck Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fales Prairie Recreation Area Primitive Boat Ramp, Buck Lake Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Marion-Buck Lake?
- Marion-Buck Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Buck Lake, Farles Prairie Hunt Camp. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Marion-Buck Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Florida
Mesotrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
120 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX120 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles