February 6, 2026

Water Conditions Tracker

Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts

On 2/4/26 Lake Okeechobee was at 12.66 feet, decreasing by 0.39 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 368 cfs (cubic feet per second) while flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 608 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-77 was 560 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 391 cfs and has been below the optimum flow envelope (<750 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 102 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): 0.10" Ortona (S-78): 0.02" Julian Keen Jr. (S-77): 0.01"

Virtual Water Quality Tour from Lighthouse Beach Park

Click here or on the image above to take a virtual tour from above Lighthouse Beach Park to see how the water looked this week. Photo was taken on 2/3/26 at 1:55 PM on a slack tide (1.5 ft). The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 401 cfs.

Red Tide

On 1/30/26, the FWC reported that the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed in 12 samples from Florida. In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample collected offshore of Hillsborough County, and background and very low concentrations in two samples collected offshore of Lee County.

Wildlife Impacts

In the past week, the CROW wildlife hospital on Sanibel admitted 1 patient for suspected red tide/toxicosis: 1 adult cattle egret (deceased).

Blue-Green Algae

On 2/2/26, sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported Microcystis, Dolichospermum and cyano filaments as moderately abundant at the Alva Boat ramp appearing as streaks and abundant upstream of the Franklin Locks and at the Davis Boat Ramp, appearing as streaks with accumulation.

On 2/3/26 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 1/25 covered about 70 square miles, or 15% 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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