Beaver Lake
Anderson County, Kentucky158 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 · Mercury
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Beaver Lake in Anderson County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 17.9 µg/L. Surface area: 158 acres.
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Area
- 158 acres
- Phosphorus
- 17.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Beaver Lake’s letter
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Why Beaver 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 Beaver Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded phosphorus, but not water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a).
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.
Beaver Lake is a 158-acre lake in Anderson County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2014-10-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Beaver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, noxious aquatic plants, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Beaver Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 17.9 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 17.9 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 158 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 Beaver 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
- BeaverPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Beaver Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -50.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Beaver Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Beaver Lake Dam (completed 1963), built primarily for recreation on the Beaver Creek; earth-type dam, 60 ft tall and 690 ft long.
- Surface area
- 158 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,641.3 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,550 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00052 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Beaver 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-206 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Anderson County
Frequently asked questions about Beaver Lake
Where is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake is a lake in Anderson 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 Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake in Anderson County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 17.9 µg/L. Surface area: 158 acres.
Is Beaver Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, noxious aquatic plants, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Beaver Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Beaver Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 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 158 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Beaver. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Beaver Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
19 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2013–2014. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX19 samples · 2013–2014
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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