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LakeQuality

Second Lake

Halifax, Nova Scotia90 haView mapDirections

NSECC publishes the water-quality measurements for Second Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
4.4 m
Clearer than most
Secchi · sampled 2007
Phosphorus
7.4 µg/L
Typical for Nova Scotia
Measured by NSECC
Chlorophyll-a
1.2 µg/L
Typical for Nova Scotia
Measured by NSECC
Max depth
14 m
Bathymetric survey
Area
90 ha
Surface area
  • 46 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Second Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia has water-quality measurements published by NSECC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.4 m visibility. Phosphorus: 7.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45.9 ft. Surface area: 223.1 acres.

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Second Lake is a 223-acre lake in Halifax County, Nova Scotia with a maximum depth of 46 feet (12-foot average).

Source: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change — not the EPA Water Quality Portal, last sampled 2007-11-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Second Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water14.4 ft of visibility
  • Deep water45.9 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Second Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Second Lake

These are the measurements NSECC publishes for Second Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Good clarity, visible to about 14.4 ft. Phosphorus 7.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.2 µg/L. TSI 35.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)4.4mMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus7.4µg/LMeasured, not scored

The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.

Chlorophyll-a (algae)1.2µg/LMeasured, not scored

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.35Oligotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.

Ask about Second Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

14 m

Average depth

3.7 m

Surface area

90 ha

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Fishing Second Lake

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Frequently asked questions about Second Lake

Where is Second Lake?

Second Lake is a lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Its water-quality measurements are published by NSECC and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Second Lake?

Second Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia has water-quality measurements published by NSECC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.4 m visibility. Phosphorus: 7.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 45.9 ft. Surface area: 223.1 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Second Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

How deep is Second Lake?

Second Lake has a maximum depth of 45.9 feet and an average depth of 12.2 feet. The lake covers 223.1 acres.

Oligotrophic Lakes in Nova Scotia

Where this data comes from

16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 1951–2007. Retrieved from Nova Scotia open data (not the EPA Water Quality Portal) on 2026-08-16.

Collected and reported by

  • Soil and Water Conservation Society of MetroSoil and Water Conservation Society of Metro4 samples · 1990
  • DOEDOE2 samples · 1951–1983
  • NSDFANSDFA1 sample · 2007
  • Submitting organization not recorded for these samples1 sample · 1971

Some records reached the portal without a submitting organization. Those samples are counted above but not attributed.

Monitoring station identifiers (1)
  • 168

Canadian lakes are published with the measurements their provincial programme reports. See where the data comes from and data sources.