Kentucky Lake is a major navigable reservoir along the Tennessee River in Kentucky and Tennessee. Created in 1944 by the Tennessee Valley Authority's impounding of the Tennessee River by Kentucky Dam, the 160,309-acre (649Â km2) lake is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the United States east of the Mississippi River, with 2,064 miles of shoreline, although the nearby Lake Cumberland is larger by volume. Kentucky Lake has a flood storage capacity of 4,008,000 acre-feet, more than 2.5 times of the next largest lake in the TVA system.
It provides a source for hydro-electric power and, as one of the lakes alluded to by the name of Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, is a recreational magnet in western Kentucky and Tennessee.
Recreation
The lake holds records for the largest of three species of fish ever taken in Kentucky: white bass (5Â lb.), Buffalo carp (55Â lb.), and yellow perch (1Â lb., 4 oz). It is also the major attraction for two Kentucky state parks: Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park to the north and Kenlake State Resort Park to the west.
See also
- Dams and reservoirs of the Tennessee River
- Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area
- Kenlake State Resort Park
- Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
- Eggner's Ferry Bridge
References
External links
- Visitor's guide by Marshall County, Kentucky Tourist Commission
- KentuckyLake.com Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkely & Land Between the Lakes Information
- KentuckyLake.TV Collection of informational videos on Kentucky Lake
- LBLGuide.com Informational site about Kentucky Lake and the Land Between the Lakes area
