Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake
Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake in Sarasota County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 275 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 2.2 ft
- Max depth
- ~21 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake →
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Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Sarasota County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 21 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Sarasota County, Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake ranks #28 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-12-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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 2.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 275 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 75.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 275 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 75 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake in Sarasota 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 Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Sarasota-Lower Myakka 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.
Fishing Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | 0 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -383 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Sarasota-Lower Myakka 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 FL1981 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.32 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #28 of 30 lakes in Sarasota County
Nearby Lakes in Sarasota County
Frequently asked questions about Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake
Where is Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake?
- Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake is a lake in Sarasota County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake?
- Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake in Sarasota County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 275 µg/L.
Is Sarasota-Lower Myakka 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. Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 21 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Sarasota-Lower Myakka Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Florida
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX32 samples · 2023–2024
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)