Taylorsville Lake
Spencer County, Kentucky3,050 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 63 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Taylorsville Lake in Spencer County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 15.3 µg/L. Surface area: 3050 acres.
- Max depth
- ~63 ft est.
- Area
- 3,050 acres
- Phosphorus
- 15.3 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Taylorsville Lake’s letter
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Why Taylorsville Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Taylorsville Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded phosphorus, but not water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by KY DOW and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Taylorsville Lake is a 3,050-acre lake in Spencer County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 63 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2014-10-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Taylorsville Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water3,050 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Water 78°F now
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Taylorsville Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Taylorsville Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 15.3 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 15.3 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 03295597 (TAYLORSVILLE LAKE NEAR TAYLORSVILLE, KY). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Taylorsville Lake water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~63 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 3,050 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 Taylorsville 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
- Chowning LanePublic
- Possum RidgePublic
- Settlers TracePublic
- Taylorsville Lake TailwaterPublic
- Van BurenPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Taylorsville Lake
- Taylorsville Lake State Park Campground4.5 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Taylorsville Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Taylorsville Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Taylorsville Dam (completed 1983), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Salt River; rockfill-type dam, 162 ft tall and 1,280 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,050 ac
- Normal storage
- 86,440 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 291,670 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 353 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Louisville District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY03051 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Taylorsville Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KY-51 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Taylorsville Lake
Taylorsville Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Spencer County
Frequently asked questions about Taylorsville Lake
Where is Taylorsville Lake?
- Taylorsville Lake is a lake in Spencer County, Kentucky. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Taylorsville Lake?
- Taylorsville Lake in Spencer County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 15.3 µg/L. Surface area: 3050 acres.
Is Taylorsville Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Taylorsville Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Taylorsville Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Taylorsville Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 63 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 3050 acres.
What is the water level at Taylorsville Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Taylorsville Lake is 546.76 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 03295597. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Taylorsville Lake?
- Taylorsville Lake has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Chowning Lane, Possum Ridge, Settlers Trace, Taylorsville Lake Tailwater, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Taylorsville Lake?
- Taylorsville Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Taylorsville Lake State Park Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Taylorsville Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Kentucky's top lakes, each with its grade
Kentucky's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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Where this data comes from
32 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2014. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX32 samples · 2014
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles