Wood Creek Lake
Laurel County, Kentucky672 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 44 ft max depth
- Public access
Wood Creek Lake in Laurel County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 672 acres.
- Max depth
- ~44 ft est.
- Area
- 672 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Wood Creek Lake is a 672-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Laurel County, Kentucky with an estimated average depth of about 44 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2023. 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 1 other monitored lakes in Laurel County, Wood Creek Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KY DOW, last sampled 2023-09-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Wood Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. TSI 53. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 53 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~44 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 672 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 Wood Creek 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
- Wood Creek LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Wood Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wood Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wood Creek Lake Dam (completed 1969), built primarily for water supply on the Rockcastle River; rockfill-type dam, 172 ft tall and 800 ft long.
- Surface area
- 672 ac
- Normal storage
- 23,270 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 44,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 21.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KY00088 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Laurel County
Nearby Lakes in Laurel County
Frequently asked questions about Wood Creek Lake
Where is Wood Creek Lake?
- Wood Creek Lake is a lake in Laurel County, Kentucky. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Wood Creek Lake?
- Wood Creek Lake in Laurel County, Kentucky has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Surface area: 672 acres.
Is Wood Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Wood Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Wood Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 44 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 672 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Wood Creek Lake?
- Wood Creek Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Wood Creek Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Wood Creek Lake across LakeQuality
3 documented falls within 24.6 mi, nearest Vanhook Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Kentucky's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Kentucky's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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Other Grade C Lakes in Kentucky
Eutrophic Lakes in Kentucky
Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2015–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- KY WQX
21KY_WQX42 samples · 2015–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory