KentuckyReservoir

Lake Barkley

Lake Barkley is a reservoir of some 57,920 acres on the catchment =, in Kentucky. Management is in the hands of USACE Nashville District / KY State Parks. This guide maps 1 named swimming spot around its shoreline.

Photo: George Green, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates37.0208, -88.2228

Surface area57,920 acres

Rivercatchment =

Managed byUSACE Nashville District / KY State Parks

Swimming beaches on Lake Barkley

1 named swimming spot and shoreline access points, from USGS GNIS, Recreation.gov and the Forest Service. None is staffed by a lifeguard unless the operating agency posts one.

Lake Barkley

Barkley Lake

0.2 mi from the lake center.

Recreation.gov (RIDB)

Lake Barkley on the map

Lake center, swimming spots and access points.

Get directions

Weather and water temperature

Air temperature and wind from Open-Meteo. Water temperature only when the lake has a public sensor.

Weather data by Open-Meteo

A closer look at Lake Barkley

Its coordinates are 37.0208, -88.2228. It lies at roughly 358 feet of elevation. Outflow feeds the catchment =.

We check the public feeds daily, so this page will fill in if one appears. No public gauge reports the water level at Lake Barkley, so this page shows no level chart. We would rather leave the figure out than publish an estimate that nobody measured.

The closest lakes in this guide are Kentucky Lake (Kentucky, 3 mi), Devils Kitchen Lake (Illinois, 64 mi) and Little Grassy Lake (Illinois, 66 mi). Kentucky has 18 lakes on this site in total.

Water temperature is not measured at this lake by any public agency we read. Check the operating agency for advisories before any water contact, especially for blue-green algae in late summer. Most Kentucky day-use areas open for the summer season and close outside it.

Around Lake Barkley this guide maps 1 named swimming spot, 3 public recreation areas and 1 boat ramp. Launch points include Boyds Landing.. These come from Recreation.gov (RIDB). Barkley Lake are on the list. Recreation areas nearby include Canal Campground, Eureka and Poplar Creek. Fees and opening dates are set by each park, not by the agency that runs the water.

Recreation areas on Lake Barkley

3 public recreation areas mapped around the lake by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Facilities vary by area; check the managing office for opening dates and fees.

Canal Campground Eureka Poplar Creek

Source: USACE Recreation Areas

Boat ramps and access points

Public launch points recorded around the lake. Low water can close shallow ramps, so check the level before hauling a trailer.

Name	Operated by	Distance	Source
Boyds Landing	Corps Of Engineers	3.5 mi	source

Ramp data: USACE Recreation Areas

Questions about Lake Barkley

Can you swim in Lake Barkley?

Yes. This guide maps 1 named swimming spot around the lake, including Barkley Lake. None is staffed by a lifeguard unless the operating agency posts one.

How big is Lake Barkley?

About 57,920 acres.

What other lakes are near Lake Barkley?

The closest in this guide is Kentucky Lake, about 3 miles away in Kentucky.