Lake Morris
Christian County, Kentucky170 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #4 of 4 in the county
- 36 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Morris in Christian County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Surface area: 170 acres.
- Max depth
- ~36 ft est.
- Area
- 170 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 57 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Morris
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Morris in Christian 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 Morris are listed below.
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Watch Lake Morris’s letter
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Lake Morris is a 170-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Christian County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 36 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2019. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Christian County, Lake Morris ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2019-09-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Morris is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 57 µg/L. TSI 62. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 57 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~36 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 170 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 Morris.
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 Lake Morris
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +10.33 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Morris is a man-made reservoir impounded by the North Fork Little River Mps 4a (completed 1966), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the North Fork Little River; earth-type dam, 59 ft tall and 680 ft long.
- Surface area
- 170 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,740 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,830 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.51 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF HOPKINSVILLE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00004 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Morris 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-1330 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 4 lakes in Christian County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Lake Morris holds Grade D. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Christian County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Morris
Where is Lake Morris?
- Lake Morris is a lake in Christian 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 Morris?
- Lake Morris in Christian County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 57 µg/L. Surface area: 170 acres.
Is Lake Morris safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Morris is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Morris?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Morris, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 36 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 170 acres.
Explore Lake Morris across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2015–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX15 samples · 2015–2019
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)