Polk-Whistler Lake
Polk-Whistler Lake in Polk County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Surface area: 764 acres.
- Clarity
- 5 ft
- Area
- 764 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
Next lake in Polk County
Swipe left or right on this bar to open the next or previous lake.
Polk-Whistler Lake is a 764-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Polk County, Florida. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 176 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Polk-Whistler Lake ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-03-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Polk-Whistler Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
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)
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus level: 19 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 50.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 19 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 50 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Polk-Whistler Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Polk-Whistler 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Polk-Whistler 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 →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 764 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Polk-Whistler Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Polk-Whistler Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.623 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.5 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Polk-Whistler Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Structure P-3 (completed 1965), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the P-3 Canal; concrete-type dam, 18 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 764 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,112 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 11,460 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- SWFWMD
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL12011 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.34 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Polk-Whistler Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1501B · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.54 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #16 of 177 lakes in Polk County
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Polk-Whistler Lake
Where is Polk-Whistler Lake?
- Polk-Whistler Lake is a lake in Polk County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Polk-Whistler Lake?
- Polk-Whistler Lake in Polk County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Surface area: 764 acres.
Is Polk-Whistler Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Polk-Whistler Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
Explore Polk-Whistler Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Florida
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
348 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_WQX348 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