May 15, 2026

Water Conditions Tracker

Lake Okeechobee Levels & Caloosahatchee Flow Impacts

On 5/13/26 Lake Okeechobee was at 11.41 feet, decreasing by 0.13 feet in the past week. The weekly average flow at S-79 was 152 cfs (cubic feet per second) while flow from the Lake at S-77 was an average of 712 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-77 was 674 cfs. The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 318 cfs and has been below the optimum flow envelope (<750 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 21 consecutive days and for 178 of the past 193 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): 0.58" Ortona (S-78): 0.08" Julian Keen Jr. (S-77): 0.20"

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 5/11/26 at 2:46 PM on a falling tide (1.4 ft). The 14-day average flow at S-79 was 349 cfs.

Red Tide

On 5/8/26, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed at background concentrations in three samples from Northwest Florida and one sample from Southwest Florida, from Sarasota County. 

Wildlife Impacts

In the past week, the CROW wildlife hospital on Sanibel admitted 0 patients for suspected red tide/toxicosis.

Blue-Green Algae

On 5/12/26, sampling for cyanobacteria by the Lee County Environmental Lab reported abundant concentrations of Microcystis at the Alva Boat Ramp, appearing as streaks with accumulation. Abundant concentrations of Microcystis and Aphanizomenon were reported upstream of the Franklin Locks, appearing as streaks with accumulation.

Lake Okeechobee Cyanobacteria

On 5/10/26 satellite imagery of Lake Okeechobee showed the presence of an algal bloom covering about 100 square miles or 21% 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 (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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