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LakeQuality
Pink and orange afterglow over the treeline on Slim Lake after sunset

Mesotrophic Lakes in Kentucky

15 mesotrophic lakes in Kentucky. Moderate nutrients, good water quality.

Most well-managed working lakes register as mesotrophic — the band that balances productivity with clarity. 15 lakes in Kentucky sit in the mesotrophic band. About 0% are deep (50+ ft); the rest are shallower basins where watershed management keeps nutrients from pushing the system into eutrophy.

Mesotrophic lakes sit in the middle of the phosphorus and chlorophyll-a range: productive but still clear, with readings that rarely reach the EPA's poorest condition class.

#LakeCountyClarityDepthTSI
1Grayson LakeCarter--46
2Cedar Creek LakeLincoln--41
3Stanford ReservoirLincoln--44
4Lake MaloneLogan--50
5Loch Mary ReservoirHopkins--49
6Shanty Hollow LakeWarren--46
7Grapevine LakeHopkins--45
8Island LakeOhio--50
9Luzerne LakeMuhlenberg--48
10South LakeOhio--46
11Goose LakeMuhlenberg--45
12Rough River LakeBreckinridge6.4 ft-48
13Paintsville LakeJohnson--47
14Dewey LakeFloyd--48
15Lake BlytheChristian--49
All mesotrophic lakes →Minnesota version →Wisconsin version →Illinois version →Michigan version →Iowa version →Ohio version →Pennsylvania version →New York version →Missouri version →Indiana version →North Dakota version →South Dakota version →Florida version →Colorado version →North Carolina version →Vermont version →Texas version →Oregon version →Arkansas version →Oklahoma version →Kansas version →Nebraska version →Nevada version →Arizona version →Idaho version →Montana version →New Mexico version →Tennessee version →Alabama version →Virginia version →Utah version →Washington version →Wyoming version →Georgia version →Massachusetts version →Ontario version →Québec version →Nova Scotia version →British Columbia version →Newfoundland and Labrador version →All Kentucky lakes →

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.