Energy Lake
Trigg County, Kentucky370 acresView mapDirections
Kentucky DOW publishes the water-quality measurements for Energy Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
Energy Lake in Trigg County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 36 µg/L. Surface area: 370 acres.
Energy Lake is a 370-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Trigg County, Kentucky. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2021-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Energy Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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. Energy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Energy 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 Energy Lake
These are the measurements Kentucky DOW publishes for Energy 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 36 µg/L. TSI 56.
| 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 | 36µg/L | Poor 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. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Energy Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
370 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Kentucky DOW
No bathymetric survey has been published for Energy Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Taylor BayPublic
- Crooked CreekPublic
- Shaw BranchPublic
- Energy LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Energy Lake
- Energy Lake Campground0.8 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Energy Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Energy Lake in Trigg 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Energy Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Energy Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Energy Lake → · more Kentucky lake trips
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Fishing Energy Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2015–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.87 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Energy Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Crooked Creek Dam (completed 1965), built primarily for other on the Crooked Creek; earth-type dam, 20 ft tall and 1,460 ft long.
- Surface area
- 370 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,350 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 14.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- USDA FS
All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY05002 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Energy Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KY-733 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Trigg County
Frequently asked questions about Energy Lake
Where is Energy Lake?
- Energy Lake is a lake in Trigg County, Kentucky. Its water-quality measurements are published by Kentucky DOW and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Energy Lake?
- Energy Lake in Trigg County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 36 µg/L. Surface area: 370 acres.
Is Energy Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Energy Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Energy Lake?
- Energy Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Taylor Bay, Crooked Creek, Shaw Branch, Energy Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Energy Lake?
- Energy Lake has 4 documented boat landings 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.
Are there campgrounds on Energy Lake?
- Energy Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Energy Lake 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 Energy Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
24 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2015–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX24 samples · 2015–2021
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles