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LakeQuality
Pink and orange afterglow over the treeline on Slim Lake after sunset

Updated August 2026

The State of Florida's Lakes 2026

Of 2,012 lakes in Florida, 69.3% earn a water-quality grade of A or B and 23.4% score D or F (average grade C). Jacc Lake is the cleanest; 1,721 lakes (85.5%) are on an official impaired-waters list.

Data Report

2,012
Monitored lakes graded
C
Average grade
69.3%
Grade A or B
85.5%
On impaired list

Florida grade distribution

B
C
D
A: 1 (0.1%)B: 902 (69.2%)C: 95 (7.3%)D: 305 (23.4%)F: 0 (0.0%)

Cleanest lakes in Florida

Highest combined water-quality score, 2026.

  1. 1.AJacc Lake — Walton County9.3 ft clarity · 12 µg/L P · 5 µg/L chl-a
  2. 2.BBay-Deer Point Lake — Bay County4.0 ft clarity · 14 µg/L P
  3. 3.BLake Lancaster West — Orange County3.5 ft clarity · 28 µg/L P
  4. 4.BEastern Lake Outlet — Walton County4.2 ft clarity · 16 µg/L P
  5. 5.BHighlands-Sirena Lake — Highlands County16.0 ft clarity · 8 µg/L P
  6. 6.BSeminole-Secret Lake — Seminole County4.5 ft clarity · 22 µg/L P
  7. 7.BBrevard-Clear Lake — Brevard County9.8 ft clarity · 21 µg/L P
  8. 8.BPolk-Fannie Lake — Polk County3.5 ft clarity · 28 µg/L P
  9. 9.BVolusia-North Talmadge Lake — Volusia County4.5 ft clarity · 22 µg/L P
  10. 10.BSeminole-Spring Lake — Seminole County3.0 ft clarity · 24 µg/L P

Most-polluted lakes

Lowest combined water-quality score among monitored lakes.

  1. 1.DPolk-Little Bass Lake — Polk County1.3 ft clarity · 411 µg/L P
  2. 2.DLake Orlando East — Orange County2.0 ft clarity · 63 µg/L P
  3. 3.DPolk-Big Bass Lake — Polk County1.0 ft clarity · 394 µg/L P
  4. 4.DSarasota-Lake-G — Sarasota County3.8 ft clarity · 78 µg/L P
  5. 5.DAlachua-Wauberg Lake — Alachua County2.4 ft clarity · 124 µg/L P
  6. 6.DLake Roberta — Hillsborough County1.3 ft clarity · 116 µg/L P
  7. 7.DSarasota-Heron Lagoon Lake — Sarasota County3.5 ft clarity · 75 µg/L P
  8. 8.DLmac Lake — Volusia County2.1 ft clarity · 72 µg/L P
  9. 9.DHighlands-Josephine Center Lake — Highlands County1.8 ft clarity · 62 µg/L P
  10. 10.DHighlands-Josephine West Lake — Highlands County1.5 ft clarity · 92 µg/L P

Worst algae hotspots

Highest measured chlorophyll-a (algae) concentration.

No qualifying lakes with sufficient data.

Trending lakes

Improving

  1. 1.BBay-Deer Point Lake — Bay County
  2. 2.BEastern Lake Outlet — Walton County
  3. 3.BSeminole-Secret Lake — Seminole County
  4. 4.BVolusia-North Talmadge Lake — Volusia County
  5. 5.BMarion-Deerback Lake — Marion County
  6. 6.BPutnam-Suggs Lake — Putnam County
  7. 7.BAlachua-Elizabeth Lake — Alachua County
  8. 8.BCamp Creek Roadside Lake — Walton County

Declining

  1. 1.DPolk-Little Bass Lake — Polk County
  2. 2.DLake G — Orange County
  3. 3.DPolk-Big Bass Lake — Polk County
  4. 4.DLake Roberta — Hillsborough County
  5. 5.DDney Lake — Lake County
  6. 6.DAsh Lake — Volusia County
  7. 7.DPolk-Fauna Lake — Polk County
  8. 8.DFebin Lake — Glades County

Impaired waters in Florida

1,721 lakes appear on the EPA/state 303(d) impaired-waters list (1,078 formally listed, 904 with a cleanup plan/TMDL).

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) · 617Algal growth · 612Mercury · 571Impaired biota (cause unknown) · 410Oxygen depletion (low DO) · 353pH / acidity · 191Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) · 130Metals (other than mercury) · 77

Explore Florida lakes

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Florida Lake Trips

Where to stay at Florida's top lakes, each with its grade

Grades combine total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity from the EPA Water Quality Portal and state agencies. See the full methodology, the national State of America’s Lakes report, or all Florida lakes.

Cite this report: LakeQuality, “The State of Florida's Lakes 2026”.