Taylorsville Lake - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District

Taylorsville Lake is located on the Salt River beginning at river mile 78 about 5 miles west of Glensboro and extends downstream to the dam at river mile 60. The Lake is 18 miles long and extends into portions of Spencer, Nelson and Anderson Counties of Kentucky. The dam is located about 20 miles from Exit 23 on the Gene Snyder in Louisville and about 50 miles from southwest Lexington.

The lake bears the name of nearby Taylorsville, founded in 1799 by Richard Taylor, landowner and proprietor of a local gristmill. The town occupies 60 acres of land donated by Taylor at the mouth of Brashears Creek. The Salt River was named for the numerous salt works that operated along its banks during the 1800s. Flooding occurred along the Salt River for decades, destroying crops, wrecking communities and threatening lives, which drove citizens to ask their elected representatives for help. Construction on the dam began in 1974 and was completed in 1983. The dam is over 4 football fields in length and 15 stories high. It is an earth and rock fill structure designed to hold an additional 45 feet of water over seasonal pool as flood storage. In addition to the primary purpose of flood control, the Taylorsville Lake project offers 3050 acres of water which provide outdoor recreation opportunities, fish and wildlife enhancement, and quality water storage.


Taylorsville Lake offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities. There is something for everyone - the camper, hiker, horseback rider, sportsman, boater and more. The project includes 12,093 acres of land and 3,050 acres of water. The Corps suggests that visitors begin their visit at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Visitor Center, Overlook and Dam Area. The Visitor Center offers a variety of displays and presentations covering a variety of topics including wildlife, archeology and construction of the lake. Visitor Center hours are normally 7:30-3:45 M-F, but may vary due to staff work duties. Behind the visitor center is an overlook with a great view of the dam and lake.

A picnic area located off the Visitor Center parking lot has several picnic tables and pedestal grills perfect for cookouts. The Tailwater provides excellent fishing opportunities downstream of the dam along with a shelter to make your next picnic enjoyable. You can admire the beautiful view from the picnic tables and have fishing access upstream of the dam from the Overlook Recreation area.

For the more energetic visitor there are approximately 2.5 miles of trails that begin at the Visitor Center picnic area. The three trails are color coded and range from light to moderate/heavy exertion levels.

There is also a short interpretative trail within the Historic Area near the Visitor Center. A guide to the interpretive trail is available at the Trailhead. The Historic area consists of the old Ashes Creek Schoolhouse and Yates Log Cabin, which were moved from areas now inundated by the lake.