Barren River Lake
Barren County, Kentucky10,000 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 82 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Barren River Lake in Barren County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 10000 acres.
- Max depth
- ~82 ft est.
- Area
- 10,000 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Barren River Lake’s letter
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Why Barren River Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Barren River Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by KY DOW and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Barren River Lake is a 10,000-acre lake in Barren County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 82 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 10 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2016-04-26. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Barren River Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch10 documented ramps
- Camping3 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water10,000 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Barren River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Barren River Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 03312900 (BARREN RIVER LAKE NEAR FINNEY, KY). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Barren River Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~82 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 10,000 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kentucky has not published bathymetry for Barren River Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- AustinPublic
- Baileys PointPublic
- Barren River SRP CampgroundPublic
- Beaver CreekPublic
- Browns FordPublic
- PeninsulaPublic
Showing 6 of 10 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Barren River Lake
- Bailey Point Campground2.4 km
- Barren River Lake State Resort Park2.8 km
- The Narrows Campground3.1 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Barren River Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Barren River Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Barren River Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Barren River; earth-type dam, 146 ft tall and 3,970 ft long.
- Surface area
- 10,000 ac
- Normal storage
- 190,320 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 815,150 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 940 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Louisville District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY03009 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Barren River Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KY-171 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Barren River Lake
Barren River Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Barren County
Frequently asked questions about Barren River Lake
Where is Barren River Lake?
- Barren River Lake is a lake in Barren County, Kentucky. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Barren River Lake?
- Barren River Lake in Barren County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 10000 acres.
Is Barren River Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Barren River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Barren River Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Barren River Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 82 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 10000 acres.
What is the water level at Barren River Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Barren River Lake is 552.45 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 03312900. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Barren River Lake?
- Barren River Lake has 10 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Austin, Baileys Point, Barren River SRP Campground, Beaver Creek, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Barren River Lake?
- Barren River Lake has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Bailey Point Campground, Barren River Lake State Resort Park, The Narrows Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Barren River Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Kentucky's top lakes, each with its grade
Kentucky's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
Planning a trip around Mammoth Cave?
Barren River Lake is about 22 miles from Mammoth Cave National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Mammoth Cave →More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX10 samples · 2016
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles