Ruthlkecen Lake
Ruthlkecen Lake in Brevard County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 87.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.3 ft
- Typical in August
- 84°F
- Max depth
- ~30 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Ruthlkecen Lake →
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Ruthlkecen Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Brevard County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 10 other monitored lakes in Brevard County, Ruthlkecen Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2023-07-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 87.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 71.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 87.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 71 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Ruthlkecen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ruthlkecen Lake in Brevard 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 Ruthlkecen Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Ruthlkecen Lake
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Ruthlkecen Lake → · more Florida lake trips
Water Temperature
Ruthlkecen Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 87°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 89°F) and coldest in Mar (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 24 field readings (2019–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ruthlkecen Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~30 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~7 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Ruthlkecen Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Hatbill Park Sand RampPublic
- Hatbill Park Paved RampPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Ruthlkecen Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.029 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -4.36 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Ruthlkecen 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 FL2964C · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.19 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #9 of 11 lakes in Brevard County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Ruthlkecen Lake holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Brevard County
Frequently asked questions about Ruthlkecen Lake
Where is Ruthlkecen Lake?
- Ruthlkecen Lake is a lake in Brevard County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Ruthlkecen Lake?
- Ruthlkecen Lake in Brevard County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 87.5 µg/L.
Is Ruthlkecen 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. Ruthlkecen Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Ruthlkecen Lake?
- Ruthlkecen Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in August, from 24 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2019–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ruthlkecen Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ruthlkecen Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Ruthlkecen Lake?
- Ruthlkecen Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hatbill Park Sand Ramp, Hatbill Park Paved Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Ruthlkecen Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
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Where this data comes from
22 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples22 samples · 2020–2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory