Chenoa Lake
Bell County, Kentucky34 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
Chenoa Lake in Bell County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 33.5 acres.
- Max depth
- ~36 ft est.
- Area
- 34 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Chenoa Lake’s letter
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Chenoa Lake is a 34-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Bell County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 36 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2023. 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, Chenoa Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2023-09-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Chenoa Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. TSI 53. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 53 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~36 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 34 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 Chenoa 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
- Chenoa LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Chenoa Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Chenoa Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Chenoa Lake Dam (completed 1953), built primarily for recreation on the Clear Creek; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 980 ft long.
- Surface area
- 33.5 ac
- Normal storage
- 447.5 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,300 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00083 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Bell County
Nearby Lakes in Bell County
Frequently asked questions about Chenoa Lake
Where is Chenoa Lake?
- Chenoa Lake is a lake in Bell County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Chenoa Lake?
- Chenoa Lake in Bell County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 33.5 acres.
Is Chenoa Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Chenoa Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Chenoa Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 36 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 33.5 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Chenoa Lake?
- Chenoa Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Chenoa Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Chenoa Lake across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2015–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX24 samples · 2015–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory