Bullock Pen Lake
Boone County, Kentucky150 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
Bullock Pen Lake in Boone County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 38.7 µg/L. Surface area: 150 acres.
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Area
- 150 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 38.7 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Bullock Pen Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bullock Pen Lake in Boone County, Kentucky — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Bullock Pen Lake are listed below.
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Bullock Pen Lake is a 150-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Boone County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is declining 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 2022-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Bullock Pen Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Bullock Pen Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 38.7 µg/L. TSI 57. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 38.7 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 57 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 150 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 Bullock Pen 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
- Bullock Pen LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Bullock Pen Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.78 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bullock Pen Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bullock Pen Lake Dam (completed 1953), built primarily for water supply on the Bullock Pen Creek; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 670 ft long.
- Surface area
- 150 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,189 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,640 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00055 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Bullock Pen 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-372 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Boone County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Bullock Pen Lake holds Grade D. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Boone County
Frequently asked questions about Bullock Pen Lake
Where is Bullock Pen Lake?
- Bullock Pen Lake is a lake in Boone County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Bullock Pen Lake?
- Bullock Pen Lake in Boone County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 38.7 µg/L. Surface area: 150 acres.
Is Bullock Pen Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Bullock Pen Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bullock Pen Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Bullock Pen 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 150 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Bullock Pen Lake?
- Bullock Pen Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bullock Pen Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Bullock Pen Lake across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2013–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX42 samples · 2013–2022
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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