Lake Barkley, KY: Fishing, Land Between the Lakes & Marinas

Lake Barkley at Kuttawa, Kentucky. Photo: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0.

Lake Barkley is Kentucky Lake’s quieter twin – a 58,000-acre reservoir on the Cumberland River, separated from its giant neighbor by only the narrow ribbon of Land Between the Lakes and joined to it by a canal near the two dams. A little wilder and a little less crowded than Kentucky Lake, Barkley offers the same outstanding crappie and bass fishing, a fine state resort park, and a back door into one of the great public playgrounds of the South.

This guide covers Lake Barkley: the fishing, the Land Between the Lakes, the state park and marinas, and how it fits with Kentucky Lake. It’s part of our growing Kentucky Lakes Database.

Table of Contents

Lake Barkley at a glance
The Cumberland’s reservoir, and the canal
Fishing Lake Barkley
Land Between the Lakes, the park and marinas
Getting there and what’s nearby
Know before you go
Frequently asked questions
How big is Lake Barkley?
What fish are in Lake Barkley?
How is Lake Barkley connected to Kentucky Lake?
Where can you stay at Lake Barkley?
Where is Lake Barkley?

Lake Barkley at a glance

Surface area: ~57,900 acres at summer pool; ~1,000 miles of shoreline
Location: Lyon, Trigg, Livingston & Caldwell counties, western Kentucky (extending into Tennessee)
Built: Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River, completed 1966 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Twin lake: joined to Kentucky Lake by a canal, with Land Between the Lakes between them
Top fish: crappie, largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill, sauger, white bass

The Cumberland’s reservoir, and the canal

Lake Barkley was created in 1966 when the Corps of Engineers completed Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River, named for Vice President Alben Barkley of Kentucky. Because the Cumberland and the Tennessee run nearly side by side here, the Corps cut a canal linking Barkley to Kentucky Lake just above their dams, letting barge traffic and boats pass between the two and leaving the long peninsula between them – the Land Between the Lakes – as one of the largest blocks of public land in the eastern U.S.

Fishing Lake Barkley

Sharing the same fertile watershed as Kentucky Lake, Barkley is an excellent fishery in its own right – and often a little less pressured:

Crappie – the star, fished on brush, stake beds and creek channels; Barkley’s bays and embayments are crappie factories.
Largemouth bass on the ledges, points and shoreline cover, with healthy numbers and good size.
Catfish – blue, channel and flathead in the river channel and current.
Bluegill, sauger and white bass round out the catch, with the spring runs a local tradition.

A Kentucky fishing license is required; Kentucky and Tennessee share much of the water reciprocally – check the current boundary rules. As on any big reservoir, a contour map and a current fishing report pay dividends.

Land Between the Lakes, the park and marinas

Barkley’s western shore is the eastern edge of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area – the bison and elk prairie, Woodlands Nature Station, planetarium, the Homeplace 1850s farm, and lakeside campgrounds are all minutes away. On the lake itself, Lake Barkley State Resort Park near Cadiz anchors the Kentucky side with a striking lodge, cottages, a marina, golf and a beach. Marinas and Corps campgrounds ring the shoreline, and the towns of Cadiz, Kuttawa and Eddyville serve visitors. The big open water suits powerboats and sailors, while the quiet embayments are perfect for paddlers and anglers.

Getting there and what’s nearby

Lake Barkley is in western Kentucky off Interstate 24, about 45 minutes east of Paducah and 2 hours from Nashville. Kentucky Lake and Land Between the Lakes are right next door, making it easy to combine all three; the Patti’s 1880’s Settlement in Grand Rivers and the river towns add local flavor.

Know before you go

Fishing license: a Kentucky license is required; KY and TN share much of the water – check the boundary rules.
Water level: a Corps flood-control reservoir held lower in winter – check the current level before launching.
Combine the trip: Barkley, Kentucky Lake and Land Between the Lakes are all together – plan accordingly.
Best seasons: spring for crappie and white bass, summer for boating, fall for bass and catfish.