Carr Fork Lake
Knott County, KentuckyView 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
- 68 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Carr Fork Lake in Knott County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L.
- Max depth
- ~68 ft est.
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Carr Fork Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Carr Fork Lake in Knott 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 Carr Fork Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Carr Fork Lake → · more Kentucky lake trips
Watch Carr Fork Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Carr Fork 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 Carr Fork 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.
Carr Fork Lake is a lake in Knott County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 68 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2013-08-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Carr Fork Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Carr Fork Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Carr Fork Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. TSI 37.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM from gauge 03277446 (CARR CREEK LAKE NEAR SASSAFRAS, KY). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Carr Fork Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~68 ft est. |
| 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 Carr Fork 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
- Carr Creek MarinaPublic
- Little CarrPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Carr Fork Lake
- Carr Creek State Park Campground1.0 km
- Littcarr Campground3.8 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 Carr Fork Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Carr Fork 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-437 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Carr Fork Lake
Carr Fork Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Knott County
Frequently asked questions about Carr Fork Lake
Where is Carr Fork Lake?
- Carr Fork Lake is a lake in Knott 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 Carr Fork Lake?
- Carr Fork Lake in Knott County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L.
Is Carr Fork Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Carr Fork Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Carr Fork Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Carr Fork Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 68 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
What is the water level at Carr Fork Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Carr Fork Lake is 1028.21 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM at gauge 03277446. 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 Carr Fork Lake?
- Carr Fork Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Carr Creek Marina, Little Carr. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Carr Fork Lake?
- Carr Fork Lake has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Carr Creek State Park Campground, Littcarr 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 Carr Fork Lake across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Kentucky
Oligotrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2013. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX8 samples · 2013
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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