Sarasota-South Lake
Sarasota County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Sarasota-South Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
Sarasota-South Lake in Sarasota County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L.
Sarasota-South Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sarasota County, Florida. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Sarasota County, Sarasota-South Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-05-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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 Sarasota-South 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 Sarasota-South Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Sarasota-South 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 6.5 ft. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. TSI 50.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 25µg/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. | 50 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Fishing Sarasota-South Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2 µg/L/yr2 years
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Sarasota-South Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Venice Ranch Mhe Ro PlantVenice · 0.8 mi away · NPDES FL0189065Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Sarasota County
Frequently asked questions about Sarasota-South Lake
Where is Sarasota-South Lake?
- Sarasota-South Lake is a lake in Sarasota County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sarasota-South Lake?
- Sarasota-South Lake in Sarasota County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L.
Is Sarasota-South Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Sarasota-South Lake across LakeQuality
2 thermal springs within 9.7 mi, nearest Warm Mineral Springs (Big Salt Spr)
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
113 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX113 samples · 2022–2024
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)