Land Between the Lakes (Photo from Kentucky Tourism)
Road trip!
Summer is a great time to hitch up the boat, pack up the camping gear and head to the lake.
A unique fishing destination is in western Kentucky at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL), surrounded by Lake Barkley to the east and Kentucky Lake to the west.
The 170,000-acre national recreation and demonstration area was authorized by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and extends into Tennessee to U.S. 79.
LBL was developed and managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority for 36 years, but in 1999 its management was transferred to the USDA Forest Service.
A 15-minute video, released in 2013, commemorates LBL’s 50th anniversary:
LBL is a feast for the outdoors enthusiast, with lots to do and see in addition to fishing. There are 444 miles of scenic backcountry roadways, abundant wildlife, hiking and mountain biking trails, a planetarium, five environmental education facilities and areas set aside for horseback riding and ORVs.
(Map courtesy of USDA Forest Service; click for larger image)
The 40 mile-long peninsula has 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline, 26 boat launching ramps and 14 lakeshore campgrounds. The boat launching ramps are located at campgrounds, camping areas and day use areas. Many of these ramps offer access to remote embayments of Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. They are in shallow, sheltered waters, making them ideal for small, carry down boats, such as fishing kayaks.
There’s no fee to launch at any ramp in LBL, although to launch at the ramp at Hillman Ferry Campground (in Kentucky) or Piney Campground (in Tennessee) requires a paid stay at that campground.
At the other campgrounds and camping areas throughout LBL, a fee is required to camp but boat launching is open and free to anyone, regardless if they are camping or not. Camping fees vary, based on facilities. The main access road is the Woodlands Trace, Ky. 453, which runs north/south through LBL. Roads off the “Trace” are numbered, in somewhat of an ascending order north to south.
The 100 numbered roads are managed to a level suitable for passenger car travel, but roads numbered 200 to 300 are less maintained. A 300 numbered road is suitable for high clearance vehicles only.
Boat launching ramps in the Kentucky portion of LBL on Lake Barkley:
(Photo from USDA Forest Service)
• The Eddyville Ferry boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 117
• The Demumbers Bay camping area boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 108.
• The Cravens Bay Campground boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 118.
• The Nickell Branch Campground boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 100.
• The Taylor Bay Campground boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 135.
• The Devil’s Elbow day use area boat ramp is off U.S. 68, just west of the Henry R. Lawrence Memorial Bridge.
• The Energy Dam day use area boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 134.
• The Honker Bay day use area boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 135.
Boat launching ramps in the Kentucky portion of LBL on Kentucky Lake:
• The Birmingham Ferry Campground boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 114.
• The Fenton Campground boat ramp is just off U.S. 68, east of Eggner’s Ferry Bridge.
• The Hillman Ferry Campground boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 110.
• The Pisgah Point camping area boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 111.
• The Smith Bay Campground boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 116.
• The Sugar Bay Campground boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 140.
• The Twin Lakes Campground boat ramp is off the Woodland Trace, just south of the North Welcome Station.
• The Redd Hollow Campground boat ramp is reached via Forest Service Road 171.
For complete details on LBL visit www.landbetweenthelakes.us
LBL is an amazing outdoor treasure, offering remote lakeshore camping and fishing on two of Kentucky’s top major reservoirs. Sit around the campfire with family and friends, and watch the sun go down after a day of fishing.
