Ward Lake
Ward Lake in Manatee County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 20 acres.
- Area
- 20 acres
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Why Ward Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Ward Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by FDEP and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Ward Lake is a 20-acre lake in Manatee County, Florida. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-05-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Watch Ward Lake water quality
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Ward Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Where to stay near Ward Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ward Lake in Manatee 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 Ward Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 20 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Ward Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Jiggs LandingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Ward Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.393 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +7.75 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ward Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ward Lake Dam (completed 1973), built primarily for water supply on the Braden River; earth-type dam, 12 ft tall and 850 ft long.
- Surface area
- 20 ac
- Normal storage
- 240 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 240 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- CITY OF BRADENTON
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL00281 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Ward 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 FL1876B · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.67 km)
Graded lakes near Ward Lake
Ward Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Manatee County
Frequently asked questions about Ward Lake
Where is Ward Lake?
- Ward Lake is a lake in Manatee County, Florida. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Ward Lake?
- Ward Lake in Manatee County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 20 acres.
Is Ward Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Ward Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Ward Lake?
- Ward Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Jiggs Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Ward Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples2 samples · 2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory