Willisburg Lake
Washington County, Kentucky126 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 · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 27 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Willisburg Lake in Washington County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 25.6 µg/L. Surface area: 126.1 acres.
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Area
- 126 acres
- Phosphorus
- 25.6 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Willisburg Lake’s letter
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Why Willisburg 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 Willisburg 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.
Willisburg Lake is a 126-acre lake in Washington County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2014-10-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Willisburg Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Willisburg Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Willisburg Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 25.6 µg/L. TSI 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 25.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 126 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 Willisburg 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
- Willisburg LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Willisburg Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Willisburg Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Willisburg Lake Dam (completed 1968), built primarily for water supply on the Lick Creek; earth-type dam, 77 ft tall and 820 ft long.
- Surface area
- 126.1 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,351.5 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00103 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Willisburg 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-2028 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Willisburg Lake
Willisburg Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Willisburg Lake
Where is Willisburg Lake?
- Willisburg Lake is a lake in Washington 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 Willisburg Lake?
- Willisburg Lake in Washington County, Kentucky is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 25.6 µg/L. Surface area: 126.1 acres.
Is Willisburg Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Willisburg 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 Willisburg Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Willisburg Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 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 126.1 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Willisburg Lake?
- Willisburg Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Willisburg Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Willisburg Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX6 samples · 2014
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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