Herb Smith Lake
Harlan County, Kentucky219 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↑ up from D at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 92 ft max depth
- Public access
Herb Smith Lake in Harlan County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 219 acres.
- Max depth
- ~92 ft est.
- Area
- 219 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Herb Smith Lake is a 219-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Harlan County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 92 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.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2023-09-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 | ~92 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~26 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 219 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 Herb Smith 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.
Fishing Herb Smith Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Herb Smith Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cranks Creek Lake Dam (completed 1963), built primarily for recreation on the Martins Fork; earth-type dam, 120 ft tall and 635 ft long.
- Surface area
- 219 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 18,200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 24.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- HARLAN COUNTY FISCAL COURT
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00046 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Harlan County
Nearby Lakes in Harlan County
Frequently asked questions about Herb Smith Lake
Where is Herb Smith Lake?
- Herb Smith Lake is a lake in Harlan County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Herb Smith Lake?
- Herb Smith Lake in Harlan County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 219 acres.
Is Herb Smith Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Herb Smith Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Herb Smith Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 92 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 219 acres.
Explore Herb Smith 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 3 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 (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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)