Lakeâ¯August is a roughly oval, manâÂÂmade freshwater lake in the unincorporated community of Placid Lakes, Florida, about west of the town of Lake Placid, Florida. Created between 1974 and 1978 by dredging a former wetland, the lake was named for local developer **August Tobler**.
Lakeâ¯August lies at an elevation of about above sea level.àIt has no major surface inflows; water enters primarily via direct rainfall, stormâÂÂwater runâÂÂoff, and groundwater seepage.àWhen water levels are high the lake drains eastâÂÂnortheast through a shallow, approximately canal into the much larger Lake June in Winter.àThe canal is not navigable because it is extremely shallow in places and passes through culverts beneath local roads.
Depth data are limited; Highlands County reports shoreline depths of and central depths of roughly during periods of high water, with parts of the lakebed exposed in drought years.
In late 2006 the submersed invasive plant hydrilla (<i>Hydrilla verticillata</i>) was documented along the shoreline; by earlyà2007 it covered about 60â¯% of the lake. The county treated the infestation chemically in 2007âÂÂ08 and stocked 50àtriploid grass carp in Decemberà2008, followed by a second release in 2009. Monitoring in 2009 indicated an estimated 75â¯% reduction in hydrilla, though the species remains a management concern.
WaterâÂÂquality data collected by the LAKEWATCH volunteer program show elevated total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and a mean SecchiâÂÂdisk transparency of about .
Residential development lines nearly the entire shoreline, giving the lake a largely private character. Highlands County opened a small public boat ramp and seawall fishing area at 1634ÃÂ WashingtonÃÂ BoulevardÃÂ NW, on the north shore, in JanuaryÃÂ 2014.ÃÂ There are no designated swimming beaches, and boating is limited to small craft because of shallow depths.