Mill Creek Lake
Monroe County, Kentucky109 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Mill Creek Lake in Monroe County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 45 µg/L. Surface area: 109.1 acres.
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Area
- 109 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 45 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Mill Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mill Creek Lake in Monroe 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 Mill Creek Lake are listed below.
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Watch Mill Creek Lake’s letter
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Mill Creek Lake is a 109-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Monroe County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 27 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 with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2019-09-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Mill Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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. Mill Creek Lake 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 45 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 45 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 | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 109 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 Mill Creek 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
- Mill Creek LakePublic
- Mill Creek Lake #2Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Mill Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +12.7 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Mill Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mill Creek Mps 4 (completed 1972), built primarily for recreation on the Barren River; earth-type dam, 63 ft tall and 1,330 ft long.
- Surface area
- 109.1 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,705 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,504 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.26 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF TOMPKINSVILLE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00298 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.43 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Mill Creek 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-1306 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Monroe County
Nearby Lakes in Monroe County
Frequently asked questions about Mill Creek Lake
Where is Mill Creek Lake?
- Mill Creek Lake is a lake in Monroe County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Mill Creek Lake?
- Mill Creek Lake in Monroe County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 45 µg/L. Surface area: 109.1 acres.
Is Mill Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Mill Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Mill Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Mill Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 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 109.1 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Mill Creek Lake?
- Mill Creek Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Mill Creek Lake, Mill Creek Lake #2. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Mill Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
15 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_WQX15 samples · 2016–2019
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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