Cannon Creek Lake
Bell County, Kentucky243 acresView mapDirections
Kentucky DOW publishes the water-quality measurements for Cannon Creek Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Cannon Creek Lake in Bell County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 243 acres.
Cannon Creek Lake is a 243-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Bell County, Kentucky. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Bell County, Cannon Creek Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2023-09-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Cannon Creek Lake covers about 240 acres in Bell County. It has one public boat landing. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Cannon Creek Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Cannon Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cannon Creek Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Kentucky Division of Water and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Cannon Creek Lake
These are the measurements Kentucky DOW publishes for Cannon Creek Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Cannon Creek Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
243 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Kentucky DOW
No bathymetric survey has been published for Cannon Creek Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Cannon CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cannon Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cannon Creek Lake in Bell 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Cannon Creek Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Cannon Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2012–2023).
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.7 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.3 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cannon Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cannon Creek Dam (completed 1972), built primarily for water supply on the Yellow Creek; earth-type dam, 125 ft tall and 900 ft long.
- Surface area
- 243 ac
- Normal storage
- 11,300 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 16,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.62 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00275 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Bell County
Frequently asked questions about Cannon Creek Lake
Where is Cannon Creek Lake?
- Cannon Creek Lake is a lake in Bell County, Kentucky. Its water-quality measurements are published by Kentucky DOW and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cannon Creek Lake?
- Cannon Creek Lake in Bell County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 243 acres.
Is Cannon Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Cannon Creek Lake?
- Cannon Creek Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cannon Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Cannon Creek Lake?
- Cannon Creek Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Kentucky's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Cannon Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2015–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX30 samples · 2015–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory