Kincaid Lake
Pendleton County, Kentucky179 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↑ up from F at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
Kincaid Lake in Pendleton County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 179 acres.
- Max depth
- ~29 ft est.
- Area
- 179 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Kincaid Lake is a 179-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pendleton County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 29 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2022-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Kincaid Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
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. Kincaid Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). 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 | ~29 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~17 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 179 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 Kincaid 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
- Kincaid Lake DamPublic
- Kincaid Lake State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Kincaid Lake
- Kincaid Lake State Park Campground0.2 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 Kincaid Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.55 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Kincaid Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Kincaid Creek Dam (completed 1961), built primarily for recreation on the Kincaid Creek; earth-type dam, 66 ft tall and 435 ft long.
- Surface area
- 179 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 12,364 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 30.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00036 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Kincaid 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-44 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Pendleton County
Nearby Lakes in Pendleton County
Frequently asked questions about Kincaid Lake
Where is Kincaid Lake?
- Kincaid Lake is a lake in Pendleton County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Kincaid Lake?
- Kincaid Lake in Pendleton County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 179 acres.
Is Kincaid Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Kincaid Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Kincaid Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Kincaid Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 29 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 179 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Kincaid Lake?
- Kincaid Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kincaid Lake Dam, Kincaid Lake State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Kincaid Lake?
- Kincaid Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Kincaid 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 Kincaid Lake across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2014–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX28 samples · 2014–2022
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
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