Army Corps reservoir

Lake Barkley

Lyon, Trigg & Livingston Counties, Kentucky

A long Cumberland River impoundment in western Kentucky and Tennessee, joined by a canal to Kentucky Lake along Land Between the Lakes. It is known for slab crappie, trophy largemouth in spring, and plenty of bays and creek arms to fish.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Surface area57,900 acres

Max depth—

Shoreline1004 mi

Boat motorsUnlimited horsepower

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Crappie●●●●●

Fish over 12 inches are common in late winter and spring. Work fish attractors and brush, then shallow cover in March.

Largemouth Bass●●●●○

One of Kentucky's top trophy bass lakes. Heavy prespawn females on bay points in late winter and early spring.

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

Rocky points and bluff banks on the main lake, best in late winter and early spring.

White Bass●●●○○

Good early spring fishing in the upper reaches of the lake.

Blue Catfish●●●○○

Cut shad along river channel ledges.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Crappie
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
White Bass

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

8 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Lake Barkley State ParkPublic
Kentucky State Parks ramp near Cadiz, with marina nearbyDirections ↗
Hurricane CreekPublic
USACE campground ramp, Trigg CountyDirections ↗
Canal Campground RampFee
USACE campground ramp near the Barkley canal. FeeDirections ↗
Kuttawa Landing Ramp - LBLPublic
Land Between the Lakes ramp across from KuttawaDirections ↗
Linton Recreational AreaPublic
USACE ramp and swim area, Trigg CountyDirections ↗
Eddy Creek Public AccessPublic
KDFWR-listed ramp on the Eddy Creek armDirections ↗
Green Turtle Bay ResortMarina
Large marina at Grand Rivers. Ramp feeDirections ↗
Prizer PointMarina
Marina and resort near Cadiz. Ramp feeDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass Lake Barkley size limit	15 in	Statewide limit
Crappie Black and white combined	10 in	20 / day

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

No shops listed yet for this lake. Use the search link below.

Search more bait shops near Lake Barkley ↗

Local tips

The Corps draws Barkley down from summer pool to winter pool each fall, which shrinks the lake by about 12,000 acres and can leave some ramps short.
Crappie move shallow in early March, so start early. KDFWR publishes GPS points for fish attractors on the lake.
Long open stretches on the main lake get rough in south and north winds. Tuck into the bays when it blows.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Lake Barkley.

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