Pennyrile Lake
Christian County, Kentucky47 acresView mapDirections
Kentucky DOW publishes the water-quality measurements for Pennyrile Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
Pennyrile Lake in Christian County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 47.1 acres.
Pennyrile Lake is a 47-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Christian County, Kentucky. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Christian County, Pennyrile Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2021-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Pennyrile Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Pennyrile Lake 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 Pennyrile Lake
These are the measurements Kentucky DOW publishes for Pennyrile Lake, 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 Pennyrile Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
47 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Pennyrile Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Pennyrile Lake
- Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Campground0.8 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Pennyrile Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pennyrile Lake 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Pennyrile Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Kentucky’s top lakes →
Follow Pennyrile Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Pennyrile Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2012–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.66 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pennyrile Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Pennyrile Lake (completed 1940), built primarily for recreation on the Clifty Creek; gravity-type dam, 30 ft tall and 200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 47.1 ac
- Normal storage
- 498.7 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 691 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.31 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00173 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Christian County
Frequently asked questions about Pennyrile Lake
Where is Pennyrile Lake?
- Pennyrile Lake is a lake in Christian County, Kentucky. Its water-quality measurements are published by Kentucky DOW and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Pennyrile Lake?
- Pennyrile Lake in Christian County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 47.1 acres.
Is Pennyrile Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Pennyrile Lake?
- Pennyrile Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Pennyrile Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Kentucky
Other Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2016–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX18 samples · 2016–2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles