Sarasota-Uplands Lake
Sarasota-Uplands Lake in Sarasota County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 330 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 0.8 ft
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Sarasota-Uplands Lake →
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Sarasota-Uplands Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Sarasota County, Florida. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Sarasota County, Sarasota-Uplands Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2023-02-24. 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 0.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 330 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 84.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 330 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 84 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Sarasota-Uplands Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sarasota-Uplands 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-Uplands Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Sarasota-Uplands Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Recreation & Access
- Sarasota Centennial ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Sarasota-Uplands Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.3 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -93 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Sarasota-Uplands 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 FL1931 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.72 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
4 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Sarasota-Uplands Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 2 classified by the EPA as major dischargers.
- Sarasota, City Of - R/O PlantSarasota · 3.2 mi away · NPDES FL0043621Major
- Longboat Key, Town OfLongboat Key · 4.2 mi away · NPDES FLS266159Major
- Honeywell International - SarasotaSarasota · 1.9 mi away · NPDES FL0552208
- Racetrac Project No. 1748Sarasota · 2.2 mi away · NPDES FL0A00094
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #18 of 30 lakes in Sarasota County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Sarasota-Uplands Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Sarasota County
Frequently asked questions about Sarasota-Uplands Lake
Where is Sarasota-Uplands Lake?
- Sarasota-Uplands 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-Uplands Lake?
- Sarasota-Uplands Lake in Sarasota County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 330 µg/L.
Is Sarasota-Uplands 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-Uplands Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Sarasota-Uplands Lake?
- Sarasota-Uplands Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Sarasota Centennial Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Sarasota-Uplands Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
118 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FLORIDA LAKEWATCH
21FLKWAT_WQX118 samples · 2020–2023
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory