Quote Originally Posted by CatFan View Post
Time-wise, the last week of March and first two weeks of April is a good bet. No guarantees, but those are the best over the years.
Location and where to stay will take a little more info from you. Most newcomers don't realize how big the lake is. You need to decide what part of the lake you are going to, and give us some info about your boat (or if you plan to rent) to get the best recommendations. Lodging ranges from primitive cabins to fairly nice resorts.
Since you posted in the KY forum, I'll assume you are looking at the KY portion of the lake. Check out Marshall County Accommodations - Hotels and Motels and Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley Accommodations for starters.
When I used to go to Barkley ... it was always around the 21st of April. But, take into account that I was fishing around the dam area of Barkley Lake, and fishing the buck brush for bedding White Crappie
Now that the specie percentages have changed, and the Black Crappie are becoming more dominant in numbers ... earlier could be more productive (see the "Movement Study" link)

And, knowing "where" on KY Lake you're going to concentrate your efforts, would give us a better idea of what places you might want to look into staying at. Also, it would help to know exactly what type of lodging you're interested in.

... cp