Putnam-Ross Lake
Putnam County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Putnam-Ross Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Metals (other than mercury)
Putnam-Ross Lake in Putnam County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 69 µg/L.
Putnam-Ross Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Putnam County, Florida. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Putnam County, Putnam-Ross Lake ranks #22 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-03-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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. Putnam-Ross Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Putnam-Ross 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-Ross Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Putnam-Ross 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 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 69 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 69µg/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. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Stays via Stay22
Stays near Putnam-Ross Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Putnam-Ross Lake in Putnam 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 Putnam-Ross Lake are listed below.
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Fishing Putnam-Ross Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.1 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Putnam-Ross 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, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL2543F · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Putnam County
Frequently asked questions about Putnam-Ross Lake
Where is Putnam-Ross Lake?
- Putnam-Ross 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-Ross Lake?
- Putnam-Ross Lake in Putnam County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 69 µg/L.
Is Putnam-Ross Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Putnam-Ross Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
359 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_WQX359 samples · 2020–2025
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database