Shanty Hollow Lake
Warren County, Kentucky135 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 32 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Shanty Hollow Lake in Warren County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 18.1 µg/L. Surface area: 135 acres.
- Max depth
- ~32 ft est.
- Area
- 135 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 18.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Shanty Hollow Lake’s letter
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Shanty Hollow Lake is a 135-acre mesotrophic lake in Warren County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Water quality is graded B 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 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2019-09-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Shanty Hollow Lake 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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Shanty Hollow 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: B (Good)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 18.1 µg/L. TSI 46. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 18.1 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 135 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 Shanty Hollow 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
- Shanty Hollow LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Shanty Hollow Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.63 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Shanty Hollow Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Shanty Hollow Lake Dam (completed 1950), built primarily for recreation on the Green River; earth-type dam, 33 ft tall and 670 ft long.
- Surface area
- 135 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,607.5 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,140 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00162 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Shanty Hollow 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-1697 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Warren County
Nearby Lakes in Warren County
Frequently asked questions about Shanty Hollow Lake
Where is Shanty Hollow Lake?
- Shanty Hollow Lake is a lake in Warren County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Shanty Hollow Lake?
- Shanty Hollow Lake in Warren County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of B (Good). Phosphorus: 18.1 µg/L. Surface area: 135 acres.
Is Shanty Hollow Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Shanty Hollow 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 Shanty Hollow Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Shanty Hollow Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 32 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 135 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Shanty Hollow Lake?
- Shanty Hollow Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Shanty Hollow Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Shanty Hollow Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Mammoth Cave?
Shanty Hollow Lake is about 14 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 Grade B Lakes in Kentucky
Mesotrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 3 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 (3)
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