Sheel Lake
Clay County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Sheel Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · pH / acidity
Sheel Lake in Clay County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L.
Sheel Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Clay County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 16 other monitored lakes in Clay County, Sheel Lake ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-02-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Sheel Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.2 ft of visibility
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. Sheel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sheel 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 Sheel Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Sheel Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 17.2 ft down. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/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. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Sheel Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Sheel Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 84°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 87°F) and coldest in Jan (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (87°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 66 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sheel Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Sheel Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sheel Lake in Clay 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Sheel Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
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Fishing Sheel Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.5 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Sheel Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4C).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL2528B · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Clay County
Frequently asked questions about Sheel Lake
Where is Sheel Lake?
- Sheel Lake is a lake in Clay County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sheel Lake?
- Sheel Lake in Clay County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L.
Is Sheel Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Sheel Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sheel Lake?
- Sheel Lake typically sits around 79°F at the surface in October, from 66 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Sheel Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Castillo de San Marcos?
Sheel Lake is about 39 miles from Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Castillo de San Marcos →More lakes in Florida
Other Lakes in Florida
Oligotrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
80 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- St. Johns River Water Management District
21FLSJWM_WQX80 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database