Cedar Creek Lake
Lincoln County, Kentucky784 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 2 in the county
- Public access
- Limited data
Cedar Creek Lake in Lincoln County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L. Surface area: 784.4 acres.
- Area
- 784 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 12.7 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Cedar Creek Lake’s letter
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Cedar Creek Lake is a 784-acre mesotrophic lake in Lincoln County, Kentucky. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Lincoln County, Cedar Creek Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2018-10-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Cedar Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Cedar Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 12.7 µg/L. TSI 41. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 12.7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 784 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Cedar Creek Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Cedar Creek Lake MiddlePublic
- Cedar Creek Lake UpperPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Cedar Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.82 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cedar Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cedar Creek Dam (completed 1999), built primarily for recreation on the Trib Dix River; earth-type dam, 86 ft tall and 2,110 ft long.
- Surface area
- 784.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 17,697 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 47,344 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 21.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY01167 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Cedar Creek 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-59 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Lincoln County
Nearby Lakes in Lincoln County
Frequently asked questions about Cedar Creek Lake
Where is Cedar Creek Lake?
- Cedar Creek Lake is a lake in Lincoln County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Cedar Creek Lake?
- Cedar Creek Lake in Lincoln County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 12.7 µg/L. Surface area: 784.4 acres.
Is Cedar Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Cedar Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Cedar Creek Lake?
- Cedar Creek Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cedar Creek Lake Middle, Cedar Creek Lake Upper. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Cedar Creek Lake across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Kentucky
Mesotrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
31 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2013–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX31 samples · 2013–2018
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory