Fun Facts About Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Running parallel for more than 50 miles along the Tennessee Valley are these twin lakes: Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. The former is older, while the latter is a younger and slightly smaller lake. They’re connected by a canal called Land Between the Lakes, one of the country’s greatest freshwater recreational complexes. No matter which lake you’re on, both offer the same fishing and boating experiences, complete with resorts, full-service marinas, and campgrounds. Not to mention, they’re also incredibly scenic. Interested in learning more? Check out these five fun facts about Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

The Eastern U.S.’s Largest Man-Made Lake

East of the Mississippi River, Kentucky Lake is the largest man-made lake in the country. Boasting 2,064 miles of shoreline and a total of 160,309 acres, it’s no wonder that the region attracts millions of visitors every year. It was originally created by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federal corporation founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt, to tackle issues relevant to the valley, such as flood prevention and electricity. As such, Kentucky Lake helps provide hydroelectric power to the region. Although Lake Barkley is smaller, combined with Kentucky Lake, the two amass an impressive total of 218,000 acres of water.

Much of the Original Town is Underwater

Many visitors to the region are unaware that the lakes’ original creation was controversial in the 1960s. If you’ve ever heard of Old Eddyville or Old Kuttawa, these residents were most impacted by the lake’s construction. When TVA and the Corps of Engineers created Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley by damming the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, they had to relocate residents of local towns that would soon be submerged. However, the Rose Hill Museum keeps track of these former river towns’ histories. Specifically, the “Between the Rivers” room is dedicated to those generations of families that settled in the land between the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers before those lakes were created.

Lake Barkley is Named After a Senator

While Kentucky Lake is clearly named after the state, most visitors don’t know the origins of Lake Barkley’s name. In fact, the lake’s namesake is an important historical figure. Born in a log cabin near Lowes, Kentucky, Alben W. Barkley was the 35th vice president and senator. He was a liberal Democrat who served under Harry Truman and supported Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom Policy. During the Roosevelt years, he was a powerful person in the Democratic Party and was instrumental in getting many components of the New Deal through Congress. To this day, he is the oldest man to take the office of vice president, at age 71. In his honor, Lake Barkley lives on.

The Region was a Historic Civil War Site

The Lake Barkley/Kentucky Lake region is located at a primary Civil War spot. Specifically, three forts were situated in this area: Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, and Fort Heiman. Each of these locations is marked as a primary battle site. For instance, Fort Donelson’s battle was a strategic victory for Union soldiers, and visitors to this region in Dover, Tennessee, can walk along the grounds where soldiers fought. If you visit, you can see the famous site of the South’s surrender at the Dover Hotel, as well as replicas of log huts where soldiers would have slept.

These Lakes Attract Millions of Anglers Each Year

So far, we’ve talked a lot about history. But fast forwarding to the present day, both Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are huge draws for fishermen. Specifically, the region attracts 17 million visits each year, largely due to the abundance of diverse freshwater fish, including bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill, and white bass. The most guaranteed spots to reel in a catch are around the resorts and lodges, but in truth, the entire area is an angler’s paradise. 

Whenever you visit the Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley regions, be sure to contact one of our local real estate agents! With both national and region-specific expertise, they can help you find your dream lake home in this historic, yet thriving region.