Mckay Creek Lake
Mckay Creek Lake in Pinellas County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Surface area: 85 acres.
- Typical in August
- 88°F
- Max depth
- ~51 ft est.
- Area
- 85 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Mckay Creek Lake is a 85-acre mesotrophic lake in Pinellas County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 51 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 33 other monitored lakes in Pinellas County, Mckay Creek Lake ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-01-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria A · advisory
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Mckay Creek Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 42 samples across 8 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Florida’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
No clarity data. Phosphorus level: 20 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 47.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Mckay Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mckay Creek Lake 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.
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Water Temperature
Mckay Creek Lake typically sits around 88°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 88°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 88°F) and coldest in Jan (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 88 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Mckay Creek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~51 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 85 acres |
| 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 Mckay Creek 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
- Belleair Causeway Public Boat RampPublic
- Walsingham Park Fish Management AreaPublic
- John S. Taylor ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Mckay Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Mckay Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Walsingham Reservoir, built primarily for recreation on the Mckay Creek; earth-type dam, 11 ft tall and 1,375 ft long.
- Surface area
- 85 ac
- Normal storage
- 170 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,760 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- PINELLAS COUNTY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL78003 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.04 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Mckay Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1633B · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Mckay Creek Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 2 classified by the EPA as major dischargers.
- Indian Rocks Beach, City OfIndian Rocks Beach · 2.6 mi away · NPDES FLS648248Major
- Belleair Beach, City OfBelleair Beach · 3.2 mi away · NPDES FLS648191Major
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #10 of 34 lakes in Pinellas County
Nearby Lakes in Pinellas County
Frequently asked questions about Mckay Creek Lake
Where is Mckay Creek Lake?
- Mckay Creek Lake is a lake in Pinellas County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Mckay Creek Lake?
- Mckay Creek Lake in Pinellas County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Surface area: 85 acres.
Is Mckay Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Mckay Creek Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 42 samples across 8 seasons. That works out to a bacteria swim-safety grade of A — a historical summary of past testing, not a current reading. Mckay Creek Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so always check Florida's current beach and health-department advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Mckay Creek Lake?
- Mckay Creek Lake typically sits around 88°F at the surface in August, from 88 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Mckay Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Mckay Creek 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. The lake covers 85 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Mckay Creek Lake?
- Mckay Creek Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Belleair Causeway Public Boat Ramp, Walsingham Park Fish Management Area, John S. Taylor Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Mckay Creek Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Florida
Hillsborough County · 6.2 ft
Hillsborough County · 4.3 ft
Hillsborough County · 7 ft
Hillsborough County · 9 ft
Hillsborough County · 4.3 ft
Hillsborough County · 9 ft
Mesotrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
31 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples31 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory