Polesout Lake
Glades County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Polesout Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
Polesout Lake in Glades County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 62 µg/L.
Polesout Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Glades County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Glades County, Polesout Lake ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-08-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Polesout Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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. Polesout Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Polesout Lake 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 Polesout Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Polesout Lake, 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 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 62 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 62µg/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. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Polesout Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Polesout Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 87°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 88°F) and coldest in Jan (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (68°F) to its warmest (88°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 168 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Polesout Lake water temperature breakdown →
Recreation & Access
- Indian Prairie Canal Public Boat RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Polesout Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Polesout Lake in Glades 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 Polesout Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Polesout Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 →
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Fishing Polesout Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.84 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Polesout Lake 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, Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL3212D · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Glades County
Frequently asked questions about Polesout Lake
Where is Polesout Lake?
- Polesout Lake is a lake in Glades County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Polesout Lake?
- Polesout Lake in Glades County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 62 µg/L.
Is Polesout Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Polesout Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Polesout Lake?
- Polesout Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in October, from 168 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Polesout Lake?
- Polesout Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Indian Prairie Canal Public Boat Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Polesout Lake?
- Polesout Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Florida's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
201 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 samples201 samples · 2020–2025
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory