Location Kentucky / Tennessee Basin countries United States Surface elevation 109 m | Type reservoir Area 648.7 km² | |
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Fish Largemouth bass, Bluegill, Smallmouth bass, Channel catfish, Yellow perch, White bass, Blue catfish, Sauger, Quillback | ||
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 (649 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.
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Map of Kentucky Lake, United States
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 (5 lb.), Buffalo carp (55 lb.), and yellow perch (1 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.