Lake Reba
Madison County, Kentucky76 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Reba in Madison County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 62.2 µg/L. Surface area: 76.4 acres.
- Max depth
- ~30 ft est.
- Area
- 76 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 62.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Reba
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Reba in Madison 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 Reba are listed below.
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Watch Lake Reba’s letter
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Lake Reba is a 76-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Madison County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Madison County, Lake Reba ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2018-10-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Reba is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 Reba is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 62.2 µg/L. TSI 64. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 62.2 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 64 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~30 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 76 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 Reba.
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
- Lake Reba Sports ComplexPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Reba
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +15.99 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Reba is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Reba Dam (completed 1935), built primarily for recreation on the Otter Creek; earth-type dam, 25 ft tall and 735 ft long.
- Surface area
- 76.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 840 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,703 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Richmond
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00066 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Reba 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-1558 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Madison County
Nearby Lakes in Madison County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Reba
Where is Lake Reba?
- Lake Reba is a lake in Madison 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 Reba?
- Lake Reba in Madison County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 62.2 µg/L. Surface area: 76.4 acres.
Is Lake Reba safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Reba is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Reba?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Reba, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 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 76.4 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Reba?
- Lake Reba has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Reba Sports Complex. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Reba across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
13 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX13 samples · 2013–2018
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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