Kentucky Lake

Location & fast facts

Good for & watch for

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Kentucky Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Open interactive map

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID {5CA26D8D-F489-4210-8136-3A59B7CCFDF1}, plus 2 more mapped parts), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: TWRA boating and fishing access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Campgrounds near Kentucky Lake

We found 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Kentucky Lake, 7 of them within 5 miles. 3 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

• Piney Campground
  CampgroundNational forest

  On the shore · Stewart County

  RVs welcome · Tent sites

  WebsiteGet directions
• Paris Landing State Park Campground
  CampgroundState park

  On the shore · Henry County

  Electric hookups · RVs welcome · Tent sites

  WebsiteGet directions
• Pickwick Dam - TVA
  Campground

  On the shore · Hardin County · Run by Tennessee Valley Authority

  Electric hookups · Showers

  Get directions
• Paris Landing / Kentucky Lake KOA
  CampgroundKOA

  0.3 mi from the shore · Henry County

  Electric hookups · RVs welcome · Tent sites · Cabins or yurts

  WebsiteGet directions
• Camp Isengard
  Campground

  0.6 mi from the shore · Humphreys County · Run by Benshufin

  Get directions
• Pickwick Landing SP - Trail Camps
  Backcountry campsite

  1.3 mi from the shore · Hardin County

  Tent sites

  Get directions

All campgrounds & RV parks in Tennessee

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Nearest airports

The closest airport with scheduled passenger flights to Kentucky Lake, plus larger airports within about 150 miles:

• McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport (MKL), Jackson, TN: about 60 miles (straight line)
• Nashville International Airport (BNA), Nashville, TN (major airport): about 74 miles (straight line) · Rent a car at BNA
• Huntsville International Airport (HSV), Huntsville, AL: about 119 miles (straight line) · Rent a car at HSV
• Frederick W. Smith International Airport (MEM), Memphis, TN: about 131 miles (straight line) · Rent a car at MEM

Compare car rentals near this lake

Car rental links go to our partner Discover Cars; LakeRipple may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.

Airports with scheduled airline service from OurAirports (large and medium airports); larger airports are FAA large, medium and small hubs by FAA CY2025 enplanements ("major airport" = FAA large hub). Distances are straight-line from the lake's center, not driving distance; road routes are longer.

Conditions right now

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (36.0410, -88.0019). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Kentucky Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

Boat launches & access sites

108 public access sites listed, 108 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

TWRA boating and fishing access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

Non-native/invasive species

Reported on or near Kentucky Lake

• Alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides): 13 USGS records, first reported 1976, latest 2025 · status: established (fact sheet).
• Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum): 4 USGS records, first reported 1982, latest 2002 · status: established (fact sheet).
• Curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus): 2 USGS records, first reported 1982, latest 2002 · status: established (fact sheet).
• Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha): 9 USGS records, first reported 1992, latest 2018 · status: established (fact sheet).
• Brittle waternymph (Najas minor): 1 USGS record, first reported 2002 · status: established (fact sheet).
• Whorled hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata): 4 USGS records, first reported 2006, latest 2008 · status: established (fact sheet).
• Wandering hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata): 1 USGS record, first reported 2007 · status: established (fact sheet).

USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

Contact & official info

• Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA): fishing rules, licenses and stocking.

Questions about Kentucky Lake

Share a tip or fishing report

Know Kentucky Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

Lakes & ponds nearby

• Maple Creek Lake · Clarksburg · 87 acres · 18.5 mi
• Cub Creek Lake · Parker's Crossroads · 53 acres · 22.6 mi
• Dogwood Lake · Parsons · 398 acres · 26.5 mi
• Browns Creek Lake · Lexington · 175 acres · 26.8 mi
• Middle Fork Obion Lake Number Seven · Henry · 78 acres · 26.9 mi
• Carroll Lake · McKenzie · 91 acres · 27.2 mi

Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Tennessee lakes & ponds · All waters in New Johnsonville