Welcome to the Kentucky Lakes Database — a complete, independent guide to the lakes of the Bluegrass State. Kentucky has almost no natural lakes, and yet it holds some of the finest open water in the eastern United States: a chain of vast reservoirs built across the state’s rivers for flood control, power and water supply, now ringed by marinas, state parks and some of the best fishing in the country. From the inland seas of Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley to the deep, clear fingers of Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow, we’re writing a detailed visitor guide to every major lake in the state.
Whether you’re after a state-record smallmouth, a houseboat week on a thousand miles of shoreline, or a quiet cove to camp beside, start here.
Start here: Kentucky lake guides
- Best Lakes in Kentucky — the top lakes for fishing, houseboating, swimming and scenery
- Fishing in Kentucky — striped bass, smallmouth, crappie, muskie & the best lakes by species
- Land Between the Lakes — Kentucky Lake, Barkley & the bison prairie
- Lake Cumberland Houseboating — rent a houseboat in the houseboating capital of the world
How to use this guide
Kentucky’s lakes fall into two groups. The Largest Lakes of Kentucky are the major reservoirs — the giants that draw anglers and boaters from across the South. The Small Lakes of Kentucky covers the state-park lakes, the smaller flood-control reservoirs, and the local fishing lakes worth a detour. Within each, lakes are grouped by region — the Western Waterlands, the Lake Cumberland country of the south-central highlands, the Eastern Appalachian lakes, and the Bluegrass — so you can plan a trip around where you already are.
Largest Lakes of Kentucky
The crown jewels sit in the west, where the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers were dammed to create Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley — two of the largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi, joined at the hip by the Land Between the Lakes. To the south, Lake Cumberland sprawls across 1,200 miles of shoreline as the houseboating capital of the world, and Dale Hollow straddles the Tennessee line with water clear enough to see the bottom in 30 feet. Cave Run, Green River, Barren River, Nolin and Laurel River round out the big water. Browse them all on the Largest Lakes of Kentucky page.
Small Lakes of Kentucky
Beyond the giants, Kentucky is dotted with smaller lakes — the state-resort-park lakes like Greenbo and Buckhorn, dozens of Fish & Wildlife lakes managed for bass and bluegill, and historic waters like Herrington Lake, the state’s oldest and deepest reservoir. Most have public ramps, many have campgrounds, and nearly all fish better than their size suggests. See them all on the Small Lakes of Kentucky page.
The Kentucky Lakes Database is growing. Every guide is researched and written for people first — real fishing intel, honest access notes, and the stories behind each lake. Browse by Largest Lakes or Small Lakes, pick a region, and go find some water.