Why does Florida have so many lakes?

Florida has more naturally formed lakes than other southeastern States, where many lakes are created by building dams across streams. The abundance of lakes on the Florida peninsula is a result of the geology and geologic history of the State. An estimated 7,800 lakes in Florida are greater than 1 acre in surface area.



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Many lakes in Florida were formed by sinkhole activity and thus are called sinkhole lakes. Environmental scientists may classify lakes according to the state of water quality (this classification system is described in the section on water quality).

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The main purpose of the retention ponds is to hold onto the storm runoff or any kind of runoff in general and release the water at various flow rates. The water is naturally processed without additional equipment when in a retention pond, and also improves the water quality.

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The dark color occurs when high concentrations of phytoplankton (microscopic algae) or colored dissolved organic matter in the water absorb the blue light.

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All natural Florida lakes contain alligators and snakes. In addition, the majority of natural Florida lakes have dark or stained water limiting visibility. Alligators and snakes depend upon the ability to ambush prey to survive.

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Top 10 States with the Most Lakes
  • #1: Alaska Lakes (3,000,000) ...
  • #2: Wisconsin Lakes (15,000) ...
  • #3: Minnesota Lakes (11,842) ...
  • #4: Michigan Lakes (11,000) ...
  • #5: Washington Lakes (8,000) ...
  • #6: New York Lakes (7,600) ...
  • #7: Florida Lakes (7,500) ...
  • #8: Texas Lakes (6,700)


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