Fishtrap Lake
Pike County, Kentucky1,131 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · PCBs
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 64 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Fishtrap Lake in Pike County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Surface area: 1131 acres.
- Max depth
- ~64 ft est.
- Area
- 1,131 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Fishtrap Lake is a 1,131-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Pike County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 64 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2017. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2017-10-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Fishtrap Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water1,131 acres
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. Fishtrap Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. TSI 37. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~64 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,131 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 Fishtrap 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
- GrapevinePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Fishtrap Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fishtrap Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fishtrap Dam (completed 1969), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Levisa Fork of Big Sandy River; rockfill-type dam, 195 ft tall and 1,100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,131 ac
- Normal storage
- 37,720 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 164,360 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 392 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Huntington District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY03028 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Fishtrap 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-755 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Pike County
Nearby Lakes in Pike County
Frequently asked questions about Fishtrap Lake
Where is Fishtrap Lake?
- Fishtrap Lake is a lake in Pike County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Fishtrap Lake?
- Fishtrap Lake in Pike County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Surface area: 1131 acres.
Is Fishtrap Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Fishtrap Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Fishtrap Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fishtrap Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 64 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 1131 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Fishtrap Lake?
- Fishtrap Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Grapevine. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Fishtrap Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Kentucky's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2012–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX20 samples · 2012–2017
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory