Thread: I bought three maps of Barkley and KY Lake....

You'll see some mention of the gills and redears in some of the fishing reports. LBL has a general report that will give you an idea if people are catching them or not. LBL | Fishing Report It's not the greatest or most specific.

Here's a page with a bunch of reports: Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley Fishing Reports Mostly bass and crappie, but they'll mention other species if they hear about them. Some folks are more current than others with their information.

The http://www.murraystate.edu/qacd/cos/hbs/WQ.cfm at Murray State University has very helpful information about the water.

I will add that you need to respect these lakes. It is much bigger water than most people in the area are used to, and it can act even bigger than it is when the wind and current combine just right. At winter pool, which is 5' below what is marked on your map, there are shallow areas far from shore on the main lake. I have been in 3ft waves in 5ft of water, and it is unnerving. It is sometimes better to put the boat on the trailer and haul to another bay than to try to run on the main lake. The smaller your boat, the more true that is. I'm not saying this to scare you, just to give you the opportunity to be prepared for it.

If you don't have a GPS, pay close attention to the shore as you leave your launch bay. Every bay looks the same (especially on the LBL side) if you don't pay close attention, and you can run a long way looking for your ramp.