December 5, 2025

Water Conditions Tracker

Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts

On 12/3/25 Lake Okeechobee was at 13.67 feet, decreasing by 0.11 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 433 cfs (cubic feet per second) while flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 200 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-77 was 329 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 372 cfs and has been below the optimum flow envelope (<750 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 39 days.

For more information on Lake Okeechobee and estuary conditions go to the latest Caloosahatchee Conditions Report.

Water Surface Temperature

Weekly Rainfall Totals

WP Franklin (S-79): 0.00" Ortona (S-78): 0.02" Julian Keen Jr. (S-77): 0.19"

Red Tide

On 11/25/25, the FWC reported that the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed in 19 samples from Florida’s Gulf Coast. Bloom concentrations ranging from very low to medium were observed in 5 samples from Northwest Florida (Bay and Gulf counties).

Wildlife Impacts

In the past week, the CROW wildlife hospital on Sanibel admitted 10 patients for suspected red tide/toxicosis: 1 adult American white pelican (deceased), 2 adult sandwich terns (1 deceased, 1 still in care), 1 juvenile laughing gull (deceased), 1 adult laughing gull (still in care), 2 juvenile double-crested cormorants (1 deceased, 1 still in care), 1 adult white ibis (still in care), 1 adult brown pelican (deceased) and 1 juvenile brown pelican (deceased).

Blue-Green Algae

On 12/1/25, sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported Microcystis and Dolichospermum as present upstream of the Franklin Locks, appearing as thin streaks along the lock/shore with light accumulation.

On 12/3/25 satellite imagery of Lake Okeechobee showed the presence of an algal bloom but cloud cover and wind prevented an area from being determined. The previous area of the bloom measured on 11/25/25 covered about 140 square miles, or 30% of the lake.

Become a Citizen Scientist and Get the Algae Reporting App Today!

SCCF wants to know when and where all types of algae sightings occur to monitor conditions around the islands and to investigate algae bloom occurrence with patterns in seasonal weather changes and Lake Okeechobee water management practices.

Click on and bookmark this link to report an algal bloom sighting.

To learn more about our current water conditions, click on the following links:

Water Quality Dashboard

Water Quality FAQ

Find answers to some of our most commonly asked questions regarding water quality and more.

Water Conditions Update Archive

Caloosahatchee Conditions Report

A collaborative, weekly analysis, including recommendations for water managers regarding Lake Okeechobee flows.

RECON

SCCF's River, Estuary, and Coastal Observing Network is a network of eight optical water quality sensors deployed throughout the Caloosahatchee and the Pine Island Sound estuary to provide real-time water quality data.

Caloosahatchee River Virtual Tour



Red Tide Resources

NOAA HAB Monitoring System - Lake Okeechobee

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