Porterref Lake
Washington County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Porterref Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Porterref Lake in Washington County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L.
Porterref Lake is a lake in Washington County, Florida. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-08-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Porterref Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Porterref Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Porterref 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 Porterref Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Porterref Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 9 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| 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. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Porterref Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Tom Johns LandingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Porterref Lake
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Fishing Porterref Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.43 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Porterref Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL662 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Porterref Lake
Where is Porterref Lake?
- Porterref Lake is a lake in Washington County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Porterref Lake?
- Porterref Lake in Washington County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L.
Is Porterref Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Porterref Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Porterref Lake?
- Porterref Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Tom Johns Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Porterref Lake?
- Porterref 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
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FL Dept. of Environmental Protection, Northwest District
21FLPNS_WQX4 samples · 2021–2025
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