Spa Lake
Logan County, Kentucky244 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 31 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Spa Lake in Logan County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Surface area: 244 acres.
- Max depth
- ~31 ft est.
- Area
- 244 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 38 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Spa Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Spa Lake in Logan 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 Spa Lake are listed below.
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Watch Spa Lake’s letter
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Spa Lake is a 244-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Logan County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 31 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 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Logan County, Spa Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2019-09-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Spa 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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Spa 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 38 µg/L. TSI 57. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 38 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 57 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~31 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 244 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 Spa 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
- Spa LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Spa Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Spa Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mud River Mps 6a (completed 1973), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Mud River; earth-type dam, 69 ft tall and 970 ft long.
- Surface area
- 244 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,218 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 18,115 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 16.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- CITY OF RUSSELLVILLE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00345 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Spa 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-55 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Logan County
Nearby Lakes in Logan County
Frequently asked questions about Spa Lake
Where is Spa Lake?
- Spa Lake is a lake in Logan County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Spa Lake?
- Spa Lake in Logan County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Surface area: 244 acres.
Is Spa Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Spa 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 Spa Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Spa Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 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 244 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Spa Lake?
- Spa Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Spa Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Spa Lake across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic 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