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LakeQuality

Polk-Little Bass Lake

D
Grade D — Nutrient-rich
Nutrient-rich · #120 of 177 lakes in the county · 1.3 ft clear · Hypereutrophic · from F
Hypereutrophic

Polk-Little Bass Lake in Polk County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 411 µg/L.

Clarity
1.3 ft
Type
Hypereutrophic
Trend
Declining

Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Polk-Little Bass Lake

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Polk-Little Bass Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Polk County, Florida. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 176 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Polk-Little Bass Lake ranks #120 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-04-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Elevated nutrients

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.

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum

Get alerts for Polk-Little Bass Lake

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 411 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 82.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)1.3 ftNot graded
Phosphorus411 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)82Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Where to stay near Polk-Little Bass Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Polk-Little Bass Lake in Polk 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Polk-Little Bass Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Polk-Little Bass Lake

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Fishing Polk-Little Bass Lake

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.04 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+14.65 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Polk-Little Bass Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Algal growth

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1623X · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.18 km)

County Ranking

Ranked #120 of 177 lakes in Polk County

Nearby Lakes in Polk County

Frequently asked questions about Polk-Little Bass Lake

Where is Polk-Little Bass Lake?

Polk-Little Bass Lake is a lake in Polk County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Polk-Little Bass Lake?

Polk-Little Bass Lake in Polk County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 411 µg/L.

Is Polk-Little Bass Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Polk-Little Bass Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Where this data comes from

291 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • FLORIDA LAKEWATCH21FLKWAT_WQX291 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

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database