Overview
Kentucky Lake is the largest reservoir east of the Mississippi River by surface area, a roughly 160,300-acre impoundment of the Tennessee River spanning western Kentucky and Tennessee. It was created when the Tennessee Valley Authority completed Kentucky Dam near Gilbertsville, Kentucky, forming the lowermost and largest of TVA's mainstem reservoirs.
With more than 2,000 miles of shoreline, Kentucky Lake stretches about 184 miles upstream and is operated jointly with neighboring Lake Barkley through the canal at New Johnsonville / Grand Rivers. Broad open water, long embayments, and fertile shallows create one of the South's great fishing and boating lakes.
The lake is famous for crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, striped bass, sauger, and catfish, with fisheries managed by Kentucky and Tennessee wildlife agencies. State parks, national recreation areas, marinas, and countless public ramps serve both states.
Water levels on Kentucky Lake are managed by TVA around a summer full pool of 359 feet above mean sea level and a winter pool near 354 feet. Because it is operated with Lake Barkley as a twin-lake system, monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, fishing, and dock access throughout the year.
Current Conditions
Kentucky Lake is currently 2.48 feet below full pool and has risen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.06 ft
- 30-day changeDown 1.45 ft
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Kentucky Lake is a 160,300-acre reservoir on the Tennessee River managed by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
