Lake Washburn
Ohio County, Kentucky26 acresView mapDirections
Kentucky DOW publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Washburn. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Washburn in Ohio County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 25.8 acres.
Lake Washburn is a 26-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ohio County, Kentucky. 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 Ohio County, Lake Washburn ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2019-09-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Washburn is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Washburn 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.
Whether Lake Washburn is safe to swim in today is a call for the Kentucky Division of Water and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Washburn
These are the measurements Kentucky DOW publishes for Lake Washburn, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Washburn
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
26 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Kentucky DOW
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Washburn, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Washburn LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Washburn
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Washburn in Ohio 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Washburn
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Follow Lake Washburn’s readings
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Fishing Lake Washburn
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2016–2019). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+8.37 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Washburn is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Washburn (completed 1950), built primarily for recreation on the Rough River; earth-type dam, 26 ft tall and 840 ft long.
- Surface area
- 25.8 ac
- Normal storage
- 276.2 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 328.5 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.85 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00288 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Washburn is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KY-2691 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Ohio County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Washburn
Where is Lake Washburn?
- Lake Washburn is a lake in Ohio County, Kentucky. Its water-quality measurements are published by Kentucky DOW and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Washburn?
- Lake Washburn in Ohio County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 25.8 acres.
Is Lake Washburn safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Washburn 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.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Washburn?
- Lake Washburn has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Washburn Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Washburn?
- Lake Washburn has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Kentucky's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Washburn across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2016–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX12 samples · 2016–2019
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory