Swan Pond
Ballard County, KentuckyView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↑ up from F at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 32 ft max depth
- Limited data
Swan Pond in Ballard County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 145.5 µg/L.
- Max depth
- ~32 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 145.5 µg/L
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Stays near Swan Pond
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Swan Pond in Ballard 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 Swan Pond are listed below.
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Swan Pond is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Ballard County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2021. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Ballard County, Swan Pond ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2021-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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. Swan Pond 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 145.5 µg/L. TSI 76. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 145.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 76 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kentucky has not published bathymetry for Swan Pond.
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.
Fishing Swan Pond
EPA Impairment Status
Swan Pond 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-1870 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Ballard County
Nearby Lakes in Ballard County
Frequently asked questions about Swan Pond
Where is Swan Pond?
- Swan Pond is a lake in Ballard County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Swan Pond?
- Swan Pond in Ballard County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 145.5 µg/L.
Is Swan Pond safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Swan Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Swan Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Swan Pond, 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.
Explore Swan Pond across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Kentucky's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2015–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX20 samples · 2015–2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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)