Taylor Fork Lake
Madison County, Kentucky169 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #2 of 3 in the county
- 38 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Taylor Fork Lake in Madison County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 66 µg/L. Surface area: 168.8 acres.
- Max depth
- ~38 ft est.
- Area
- 169 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 66 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Taylor Fork Lake in Madison 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 Taylor Fork Lake are listed below.
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Taylor Fork Lake is a 169-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Madison County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Madison County, Taylor Fork Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2018-10-09. 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. Taylor Fork Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 66 µg/L. TSI 65. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 66 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 65 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~38 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 169 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 Taylor Fork 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.
Fishing Taylor Fork Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +8.82 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Taylor Fork Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Taylor Fork Lake Dam (completed 1966), built primarily for recreation on the Silver Creek; earth-type dam, 76 ft tall and 670 ft long.
- Surface area
- 168.8 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,571.9 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,319.8 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 14 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MADISON COUNTY FISCAL COURT
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00048 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Taylor Fork 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-1880 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.43 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 3 lakes in Madison County
Nearby Lakes in Madison County
Frequently asked questions about Taylor Fork Lake
Where is Taylor Fork Lake?
- Taylor Fork Lake is a lake in Madison County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Taylor Fork Lake?
- Taylor Fork Lake in Madison County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 66 µg/L. Surface area: 168.8 acres.
Is Taylor Fork Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Taylor Fork Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Taylor Fork Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Taylor Fork Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 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 168.8 acres.
Explore Taylor Fork Lake across LakeQuality
More Kentucky Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2013–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX23 samples · 2013–2018
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)