Salem Lake
Larue County, Kentucky99 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Salem Lake in Larue County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 11.6 µg/L. Surface area: 99.3 acres.
- Max depth
- ~25 ft est.
- Area
- 99 acres
- Phosphorus
- 11.6 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Salem Lake
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Watch Salem Lake’s letter
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Why Salem Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Salem Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded phosphorus, but not water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by KY DOW and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Salem Lake is a 99-acre lake in Larue County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 25 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2016-10-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Salem Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Salem Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Salem Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 11.6 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 11.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 40 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~25 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 99 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 Salem 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
- Salem LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Salem Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Salem Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the North Fork Nolin River Mps 3 (completed 1977), built primarily for water supply on the North Fork Nolin River; earth-type dam, 52 ft tall and 1,260 ft long.
- Surface area
- 99.3 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,185 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,712 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.13 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF HODGENVILLE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00772 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Salem 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-2689 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.8 km)
Graded lakes near Salem Lake
Salem Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Larue County
Frequently asked questions about Salem Lake
Where is Salem Lake?
- Salem Lake is a lake in Larue County, Kentucky. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Salem Lake?
- Salem Lake in Larue County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 11.6 µg/L. Surface area: 99.3 acres.
Is Salem Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Salem 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 Salem Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Salem Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 25 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 99.3 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Salem Lake?
- Salem Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Salem Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Salem Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Mammoth Cave?
Salem Lake is about 36 miles from Mammoth Cave National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Mammoth Cave →More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Kentucky
Oligotrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX6 samples · 2016
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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