Wire-Col Lake
Polk County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Wire-Col Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Metals (other than mercury)
Wire-Col Lake in Polk County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32 µg/L.
Wire-Col Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Polk County, Florida. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 176 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Wire-Col Lake ranks #87 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-09-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Wire-Col Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.2 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. Wire-Col Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wire-Col 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 Wire-Col Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Wire-Col 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 11.2 ft. Phosphorus 32 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 32µg/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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Wire-Col Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Wire-Col Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 87°F) and coldest in Jan (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (66°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 Wire-Col Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Wire-Col Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wire-Col Lake in Polk 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 Wire-Col Lake
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Fishing Wire-Col Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.97 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Wire-Col Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1537 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Wire-Col Lake
Where is Wire-Col Lake?
- Wire-Col Lake is a lake in Polk County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wire-Col Lake?
- Wire-Col Lake in Polk County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32 µg/L.
Is Wire-Col Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wire-Col Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Wire-Col Lake?
- Wire-Col Lake typically sits around 80°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 Wire-Col Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
50 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples50 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