Venice Gardens Lake
Venice Gardens Lake in Sarasota County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 177 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Typical in August
- 86°F
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Venice Gardens Lake →
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Venice Gardens Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Sarasota County, Florida. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 29 other monitored lakes in Sarasota County, Venice Gardens Lake ranks #29 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-07-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria D
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Venice Gardens Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 21.1% of 247 samples across 8 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Florida’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 177 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 78.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 177 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 78 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Venice Gardens Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Venice Gardens 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 Venice Gardens Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Venice Gardens Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Venice Gardens Lake typically sits around 86°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 86°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 87°F) and coldest in Jan (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 282 field readings (2015–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Venice Gardens Lake water temperature breakdown →
Fishing Venice Gardens Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | 0 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +22.93 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Venice Gardens Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL2030A · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.13 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #29 of 30 lakes in Sarasota County
Nearby Lakes in Sarasota County
Frequently asked questions about Venice Gardens Lake
Where is Venice Gardens Lake?
- Venice Gardens 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 Venice Gardens Lake?
- Venice Gardens Lake in Sarasota County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 177 µg/L.
Is Venice Gardens Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Venice Gardens Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 21.1% of 247 samples across 8 seasons. That works out to a bacteria swim-safety grade of D — a historical summary of past testing, not a current reading. Venice Gardens Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so always check Florida's current beach and health-department advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Venice Gardens Lake?
- Venice Gardens Lake typically sits around 86°F at the surface in August, from 282 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2015–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Venice Gardens Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Grade D Lakes in Florida
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
173 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples169 samples · 2020–2025
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples4 samples · 2023–2024
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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