A red sun low over Slim Lake through wildfire haze, its reflection a column of orange on the water

Reservoirs in Florida

93 of 3,122 measured Florida lakes (3%) are man-made reservoirs in the USACE National Inventory of Dams. 59 carry a High or Significant hazard rating.

Reading the Florida reservoir landscape

93 reservoirs in Florida appear in the USACE National Inventory of Dams. That's a meaningful share — reservoir lakes carry their own ecology and access patterns distinct from natural lakes, including managed water levels, drawdowns timed to the dam's purpose, and shoreline mix dominated by structures built post-impoundment.

Recreation is the headline purpose for the largest share of Florida's reservoirs — lakes where the dam exists explicitly to create surface water for fishing, boating, and adjacent shoreline development. Pool levels are typically maintained more stably than at flood-control or hydro reservoirs, which supports fixed-dock access, consistent boat ramps, and the kind of shoreline economy that natural-lake counterparts in the state share.

The USACE National Inventory of Dams (NID) catalogs every dam in the United States above a size threshold — typically 25 feet in height or 50 acre-feet in maximum storage, plus all dams classified as high-hazard regardless of size. The reservoir records below pull NID fields (year built, hazard class, maximum storage, surface area at normal pool, dam length, primary purpose) and pair them with water-quality data where the impoundment also appears in EPA's lake-monitoring inventory.

Why these Florida reservoirs were built

Recreation

Flood Risk Reduction

Water Supply

Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond

Navigation

Irrigation

Total reservoirs

571,374

Total surface acres

5,531,188

Normal storage (ac-ft)

High or Significant hazard

All 93 Florida reservoirs (by surface area)

Reservoir	County	Surface area	Year built	Purpose	Hazard
Lake Okee Rim Canal	Glades	467,200 ac	1965	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Lake Seminole	Jackson	37,500 ac	1954	Navigation	High
Rod Res Dam East Lake	Putnam	7,807 ac	1968	Navigation	High
Deerpoint Lake	Bay	4,700 ac	1963	Water Supply	Low
Polk-Lulu Lake	Polk	4,640 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Lake Hancock	Polk	4,541 ac	1965	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Hancock Outflow Lake	Polk	4,541 ac	1965	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Hancock P Lake	Polk	4,541 ac	1965	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Lake Rousseau	Citrus	4,060 ac	1968	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Highlands-Francis Lake	Highlands	3,662 ac	1962	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Lake Francis	Highlands	3,662 ac	1962	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Dead Lake	Gulf	2,985 ac	1962	Recreation	Low
Lake Tarpon Canal	Pinellas	2,529 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Low
Plrvvillacity Lake	Lake	2,442 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Lake Manatee	Manatee	2,200 ac	1967	Water Supply	High
Lake Smart	Polk	1,820 ac	1965	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Lake Henry	Polk	861 ac	1964	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Polk-Whistler Lake	Polk	764 ac	1965	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Whistlercn Lake	Polk	764 ac	1965	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Lake Whistler @ Dock	Polk	764 ac	1965	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Lake Gibson	Polk	474 ac	1969	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Hillsborough-Island Ford Lake	Hillsborough	431 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Keystone Lake	Hillsborough	431 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Cherry @Structure Lake	Lake	400 ac	1956	Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond	Significant
Lake Maggiore	Pinellas	384 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Low
Hernando-Hunter Lake	Hernando	349 ac	—	Water Supply	Low
Allignorth Lake	Columbia	322 ac	—	Recreation	Undetermined
Lake Seminole	Pinellas	320 ac	1949	Recreation	Low
Lake Seminole	Pinellas	320 ac	1949	Recreation	Low
Lake Seminole	Pinellas	320 ac	1949	Recreation	Low
Scott Lake West	Polk	292 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Hillsborough-Pretty Lake	Hillsborough	284 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Hillsborough-Josephine Lake	Hillsborough	284 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Munson Lake	Leon	253 ac	—	—	Undetermined
Leon-Munson Lake	Leon	253 ac	—	—	Undetermined
Kings Lake South Lobe	Walton	229 ac	—	—	Undetermined
Lake Istokpoga	Highlands	216 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Lkconine Lake	Polk	211 ac	1959	Recreation	Significant
Tallavana Lake	Gadsden	206 ac	1971	Recreation	High
Lake Tallavana Dock	Gadsden	206 ac	1971	Recreation	High
Lake Glenada	Highlands	176 ac	—	Recreation	Significant
Highlands-Lelia Lake	Highlands	176 ac	—	Recreation	Significant
Highlands-Glenada Lake	Highlands	176 ac	—	Recreation	Significant
Lake Lelia	Highlands	176 ac	—	Recreation	Significant
Highlands-August Lake	Highlands	150 ac	—	Recreation	Significant
Hillsborough-Grady Lake	Hillsborough	120 ac	1969	Recreation	High
Lakegrady	Hillsborough	120 ac	1969	Recreation	High
Lake Grady	Hillsborough	120 ac	1969	Recreation	High
Alligator Lake	Columbia	116 ac	—	Recreation	Undetermined
Clay-Asbury North Lake	Clay	110 ac	1965	Recreation	High
Sumter-Big Gant Lake	Sumter	93 ac	1965	Water Supply	Significant
Mckay Creek Lake	Pinellas	85 ac	—	Recreation	High
Smith Pond Center	Washington	81 ac	1967	Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond	Significant
Alligator Lake	Pinellas	79 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Bonnet-Col Lake	Polk	79 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	High
Pinellas-Alligator Lake	Pinellas	79 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Whitetrout Lake	Hillsborough	75 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Hillsborough-White Trout Lake	Hillsborough	75 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Walton-Spring Lake	Walton	67 ac	1960	Recreation	Significant
Lake Piney-Z	Leon	63 ac	1970	Recreation	Low
M of Lower Dianne Lake	Leon	63 ac	1973	Recreation	Low
Clay-Asbury South Lake	Clay	61 ac	1967	Recreation	High
Hernando-Spring Lake	Hernando	54 ac	—	Recreation	High
Spring Lake	Hernando	54 ac	—	Recreation	High
North Lake	Hillsborough	54 ac	—	Recreation	Significant
Leon-Blue Heron Lake	Leon	47 ac	1958	Recreation	Low
Up Dianne Lake	Leon	47 ac	1958	Recreation	Low
Dogwood Lakes Ne Lobe	Holmes	43 ac	1962	Recreation	Significant
Lake Vedra	St. Johns	42 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Slverlk Lake	Leon	35 ac	—	—	Undetermined
Pine Hill Lake	Leon	35 ac	1958	Recreation	Low
Moore Lake North	Leon	35 ac	—	—	Undetermined
Hillsborough-Armistead Lake	Hillsborough	33.12 ac	1972	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Lake Kanturk	Leon	33 ac	—	—	Undetermined
Hillsborough-Keene Lake	Hillsborough	32 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Leon-Petty Gulf Lake	Leon	25 ac	1972	Recreation	Low
Pine Lake	Leon	25 ac	1972	Recreation	Low
Petty Gulf Lake	Leon	25 ac	1972	Recreation	Low
M of Petty Gulf Lake	Leon	25 ac	1972	Recreation	Low
Hillsborough-Simmons Lake	Hillsborough	25 ac	—	Recreation	Significant
Okaloosa-Roberts Lake	Okaloosa	22 ac	1966	Recreation	Low
Robert'S Lake	Okaloosa	22 ac	1966	Recreation	Low
Ward Lake	Manatee	20 ac	1973	Water Supply	Low
Lake Idyl @ Dock	Polk	19 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Low
Lake Buckeye @ Ramp	Polk	19 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Low
Lkidyl Lake	Polk	19 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Low
Hurricane Creek Downstream From the Nursery Where Hav-A-Tampa Drive Lake	Gadsden	14 ac	1960	Irrigation	Low
Hurricane Creek Downstream From the Nursery Lake	Gadsden	14 ac	1960	Irrigation	Low
Doctor'S Lake	Clay	12 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Doctor'S Lake	Clay	12 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Doctors Lake	Clay	12 ac	—	Flood Risk Reduction	Significant
Clay-Ryan Lake	Clay	6 ac	1969	Recreation	High
Monkey Lake	Leon	6 ac	1958	Recreation	Low

Frequently Asked Questions

How many reservoirs are in Florida?

93 of 3,122 measured Florida lakes (3%) are man-made reservoirs in the USACE National Inventory of Dams. 59 are rated High or Significant hazard, meaning failure would put downstream lives or property at substantial risk. The oldest matched dam dates to 1949.

What's the largest reservoir in Florida?

The largest matched reservoir in Florida is Lake Okee Rim Canal in Glades County at 467,200 acres of normal surface area, impounded by the Herbert Hoover Dike - Ciz B (completed 1965).

What's the difference between a reservoir and a natural lake?

A reservoir is a body of water impounded by a man-made dam — typically built for flood control, hydroelectric power, water supply, irrigation, or recreation. A natural lake formed without human intervention, usually from glacial scouring, volcanic activity, or river meandering. Reservoirs typically have shoreline that fluctuates with seasonal water level management, while natural lakes have more stable shorelines. The USACE National Inventory of Dams classifies every regulated dam in the United States, which is how we identify which LakeQuality lakes are actually reservoirs.

What does the hazard class mean?

USACE assigns each dam a hazard potential classification based on what would happen downstream if the dam failed — NOT how likely the dam is to fail. "Low" hazard means dam failure would cause no probable loss of life and only low economic loss. "Significant" means probable loss of life is unlikely but appreciable economic damage would occur. "High" means probable loss of life and significant economic damage. The classification is about consequence, not condition. Many High-hazard dams are perfectly safe; they're rated High because populated areas have grown downstream over time.

Where does this reservoir data come from?

Every reservoir record on this page is matched to the USACE National Inventory of Dams (NID), the federal database of all dams ≥25 ft tall or impounding ≥50 acre-feet, plus any dam that poses a Significant or High hazard regardless of size. The NID is published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and updated annually. Surface area, storage capacity, dam height, and hazard classification come directly from NID records.

Where to stay near Florida reservoirs

Compare cabins, lodges, and vacation rentals near the largest reservoirs in Florida — live availability and prices for boating, fishing, and lake trips.

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More on reservoirs and water quality

Are Reservoirs Cleaner Than Natural Lakes?

Dam-built reservoirs and natural lakes compared side by side on the same nutrient and algae measurements — the gap, the reasons behind it, and the exceptions.

Do Deeper Lakes Have Better Water Quality?

Surveyed maximum depth against nutrient and algae readings: the pattern, the shallow lakes that still read clean, and why land use beats bathymetry.

Lake Water Quality Explained: What the Readings Mean

How nutrient and algae readings are read against EPA ecoregion condition classes, what each class means in the water, and why a clean reading is not a clearance.

Why Lakes Turn Green: Phosphorus and Nutrient Pollution

How phosphorus and nutrient runoff drive algae growth and turn lakes green, where the nutrients come from, and what it means for a lake’s readings.

Data source

Reservoir data from the USACE National Inventory of Dams (NID), the federal database of all regulated dams. Dam attributes (height, year completed, storage capacity, hazard class) are matched to LakeQuality lakes by proximity and dam-name similarity. Some lakes may be reservoirs that aren't matched if the dam record uses a name substantially different from our lake name.