South Lake
Ohio County, KentuckyView mapDirections
Kentucky DOW publishes the water-quality measurements for South Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 37 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
South Lake in Ohio County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L.
South Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Ohio County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Ohio County, South Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2019-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What South Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether South 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 South Lake
These are the measurements Kentucky DOW publishes for South 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 18.5 µg/L. TSI 46.
| 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 | 18.5µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about South Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~37 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Kentucky DOW
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kentucky has not published bathymetry for South Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
126 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
4 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
404 ft
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
- South Lake - 1Public
- South Lake - 2Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near South Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near South Lake 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 South Lake
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Fishing South Lake
Nearby Lakes in Ohio County
Frequently asked questions about South Lake
Where is South Lake?
- South Lake 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 South Lake?
- South Lake in Ohio County, Kentucky has water-quality measurements published by Kentucky DOW, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 18.5 µg/L.
Is South Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is South Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers South Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on South Lake?
- South Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include South Lake - 1, South Lake - 2. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at South Lake?
- South Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 South Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Lakes in Kentucky
Mesotrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX12 samples · 2019
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory