This Week's Water Conditions Update

July 24, 2026

Water Conditions Tracker

Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts

On 7/22/26 Lake Okeechobee was at 10.93 feet, decreasing by 0.11 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 381 cfs (cubic feet per second) while flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 195 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-77 was 53 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 543 cfs and has been below the optimum flow envelope (<750 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 92 consecutive days and for 255 of the past 270 days.

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

Water Surface Temperature

This Week

Daily Average for July 22, 2026


Gulf of Mexico: 86.5°F

Caloosahatchee (Fort Myers): 87.2°F

Lake Okeechobee: 86.5°F

Last Week

Daily Average for July 15, 2026


Gulf of Mexico: 88.3°F

Caloosahatchee (Fort Myers): 89.0°F

Lake Okeechobee: 86.4°F

Weekly Rainfall Totals

WP Franklin (S-79): 1.96" Ortona (S-78): 0.88" Julian Keen Jr. (S-77): 0.42"

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 7/23/26 at 2:10 PM on a falling tide (0.6 ft). The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 520 cfs.

Red Tide

On 7/17/26, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed at background concentrations in one sample from Florida’s East Coast. In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed. 

Blue-Green Algae

On 7/20/26, sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported no visible cyanobacteria across all sites.

Lake Okeechobee Cyanobacteria

On 7/22/26 satellite imagery of Lake Okeechobee showed the presence of an algal bloom covering about 280 square miles or 60% of open water in the lake.

*Calculation based on apx 467 sq mi of open water area, while total area of lake spans apx 730 sq mi.

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.

Resources To Follow:

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 (RECON) is a network of water quality sensors deployed throughout the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary to provide real-time, water quality data to scientists, policy makers, and the general public.


Caloosahatchee River Virtual Tour



Red Tide Resources


NOAA HAB Monitoring System - Lake Okeechobee

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