Grayson Lake
Carter County, Kentucky1,510 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 63 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Grayson Lake in Carter County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Surface area: 1510 acres.
- Max depth
- ~63 ft est.
- Area
- 1,510 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 18 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Grayson Lake is a 1,510-acre mesotrophic lake in Carter County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 63 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 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Carter County, Grayson Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2017-10-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Grayson Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water1,510 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. Grayson 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 18 µg/L. TSI 46. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 18 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 03216300 (GRAYSON LAKE NEAR LEON, KY). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Grayson Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~63 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,510 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 Grayson 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
- Bruin CreekPublic
- Clifty CreekPublic
- DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Grayson Lake
- Grayson Lake State Park Campground3.4 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 Grayson Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.6 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Grayson Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Grayson Dam (completed 1968), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Little Sandy River; rockfill-type dam, 120 ft tall and 1,460 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,510 ac
- Normal storage
- 29,390 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 118,990 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 196 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 KY03030 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Grayson 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-830 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Carter County
Nearby Lakes in Carter County
Frequently asked questions about Grayson Lake
Where is Grayson Lake?
- Grayson Lake is a lake in Carter County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Grayson Lake?
- Grayson Lake in Carter County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 18 µg/L. Surface area: 1510 acres.
Is Grayson Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Grayson Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Grayson Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Grayson Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 63 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 1510 acres.
What is the water level at Grayson Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Grayson Lake is 44.48 ft of gage height, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 03216300. 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 Grayson Lake?
- Grayson Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bruin Creek, Clifty Creek, Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Grayson Lake?
- Grayson Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Grayson Lake State Park 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 Grayson Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Grade B Lakes in Kentucky
Mesotrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
30 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_WQX30 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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles