Lake Elmer Davis
Owen County, Kentucky149 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 51 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Elmer Davis in Owen County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 44.6 µg/L. Surface area: 148.8 acres.
- Max depth
- ~51 ft est.
- Area
- 149 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 44.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Elmer Davis
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Elmer Davis in Owen 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Lake Elmer Davis are listed below.
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Watch Lake Elmer Davis’s letter
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Lake Elmer Davis is a 149-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Owen County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 51 feet. Water quality is graded D 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 2022-09-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Elmer Davis is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Elmer Davis 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: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 44.6 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 44.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~51 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 149 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 Lake Elmer Davis.
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
- DamPublic
- Elmer DavisPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Elmer Davis
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.74 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Elmer Davis is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Elmer Davis Lake Dam (completed 1958), built primarily for recreation on the Severn Creek; earth-type dam, 68 ft tall and 520 ft long.
- Surface area
- 148.8 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,151.2 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,650 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00059 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Elmer Davis 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-48 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Owen County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Lake Elmer Davis holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Owen County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Elmer Davis
Where is Lake Elmer Davis?
- Lake Elmer Davis is a lake in Owen County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Elmer Davis?
- Lake Elmer Davis in Owen County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 44.6 µg/L. Surface area: 148.8 acres.
Is Lake Elmer Davis safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Elmer Davis 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 Lake Elmer Davis?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Elmer Davis, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 51 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 148.8 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Elmer Davis?
- Lake Elmer Davis has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Dam, Elmer Davis. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Elmer Davis across LakeQuality
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Other Grade D Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2013–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX28 samples · 2013–2022
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