Is Lake Tohopekaliga safe to swim?

As of July 20, 2026, Lake Tohopekaliga in Osceola County, Florida is clear to swim. Satellite imagery detected no blue-green algae bloom as of July 19, 2026. Rainfall over the past week totaled 0.5 in, which can wash bacteria and nutrients into the water.

How this read is built

Lake Tohopekaliga is a lake in Osceola County, Florida covering about 29.1 sq mi, the 6th-largest of the 230 lakes SwimZone monitors in Florida. Satellite imagery detected no blue-green algae bloom as of July 19, 2026. Larger, warmer waters like this can hold a bloom for weeks once nutrients and calm weather line up.

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms are most common from midsummer into early fall, when the water is warm, calm, and rich in nutrients from runoff. They can produce toxins that make people sick and can be rapidly fatal to dogs, so skip water that looks green, scummy, or like spilled paint, and keep children and pets out of it.

Over 7 summers of satellite monitoring since 2020, Lake Tohopekaliga has reached blue-green algae advisory levels in 4 of them, most recently in July 2023. Its highest recorded reading was 831,195 cells/mL in June 2020.

Is it safe to swim in Lake Tohopekaliga right now?

Lake Tohopekaliga is clear to swim today. Satellite imagery detected no blue-green algae bloom as of July 19, 2026. Conditions can change quickly with wind, heat, and rain, so check the posted signs and look at the water before you get in.

Does Lake Tohopekaliga have blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)?

No blue-green algae bloom is detectable at Lake Tohopekaliga as of July 19, 2026 (below the satellite's roughly 10,000 cells/mL detection limit). Cyanobacteria can still appear within hours in warm, calm, nutrient-rich water, so look before you swim.

Can dogs swim in Lake Tohopekaliga?

No bloom is detected at Lake Tohopekaliga today, but dogs are much more vulnerable to blue-green algae than people, and blooms can form within hours. Always keep dogs away from water that looks green, scummy, or discolored, and rinse them off after swimming.

How often does Lake Tohopekaliga have blue-green algae blooms?

Over 7 summers of satellite monitoring since 2020, Lake Tohopekaliga has reached blue-green algae advisory levels in 4 of them, most recently in July 2023. Its highest recorded reading was 831,195 cells/mL in June 2020.

How many Florida lakes and beaches are unsafe for swimming today?

Today, 97 Florida waters are above a safe-contact threshold and 350 more warrant caution, out of 779 monitored waters SwimZone tracks in the state.

How is Lake Tohopekaliga's water quality measured?

SwimZone builds this read from EPA CyAN satellite imagery for blue-green algae, official beach and fecal-bacteria advisories where a program monitors Lake Tohopekaliga, and a recent-rainfall overlay, all refreshed daily. It was last updated July 20, 2026.