Monkey Lake
Monkey Lake in Leon County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36.5 µg/L. Surface area: 6 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.9 ft
- Typical in July
- 87°F
- Max depth
- ~36 ft est.
- Area
- 6 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Next lake in Leon County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Why Monkey Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Monkey Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and phosphorus, but not algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by FDEP and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Monkey Lake is a 6-acre lake in Leon County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 36 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-10-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Monkey Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Monkey Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 1.9 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 36.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 62.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 36.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Monkey Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Monkey Lake in Leon 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 Monkey Lake
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 whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Monkey Lake typically sits around 87°F at the surface in July. Summer average is about 87°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 87°F) and coldest in Dec (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 44 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Monkey Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~36 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 6 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Monkey 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.
Fishing Monkey Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.449 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.61 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Monkey Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Monkey Business Pond Dam (completed 1958), built primarily for recreation on the Tr-Lake Iamonia; earth-type dam, 15 ft tall and 466 ft long.
- Surface area
- 6 ac
- Normal storage
- 131 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 183 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- KILLEARN LAKES PLANTATION HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION
All listed purposes: Recreation;Irrigation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL00114 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.29 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Monkey Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL546C · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.14 km)
Graded lakes near Monkey Lake
Monkey Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Leon County
Frequently asked questions about Monkey Lake
Where is Monkey Lake?
- Monkey Lake is a lake in Leon County, Florida. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Monkey Lake?
- Monkey Lake in Leon County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 36.5 µg/L. Surface area: 6 acres.
Is Monkey Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Monkey Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Monkey Lake?
- Monkey Lake typically sits around 87°F at the surface in July, from 44 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Monkey Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Monkey Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 36 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 6 acres.
Explore Monkey Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Florida
Gadsden County · Not rated
Gadsden County · Not rated
Gadsden County · 1.6 ft
Jefferson County · Not rated
Jefferson County · 2.5 ft
Gadsden County · Not rated
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples11 samples · 2023–2024
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)