Putnam-Riley Lake
Putnam County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Putnam-Riley Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Limited data
Putnam-Riley Lake in Putnam County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L.
Putnam-Riley Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Putnam County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Putnam County, Putnam-Riley Lake ranks #21 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-04-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Putnam-Riley 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 Putnam-Riley Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Putnam-Riley 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 4.3 ft. Phosphorus 22.5 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22.5µg/L | Good 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. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Fishing Putnam-Riley Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.3 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Putnam County
Frequently asked questions about Putnam-Riley Lake
Where is Putnam-Riley Lake?
- Putnam-Riley Lake is a lake in Putnam County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Putnam-Riley Lake?
- Putnam-Riley Lake in Putnam County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L.
Is Putnam-Riley Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
29 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2024–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX29 samples · 2024–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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.