Kentucky Lake and TN River fishing

Planning a trip to Kentucky Lake and TN river the week of the 19th. Would be interested in ideas where to launch boat. Maybe some ideas on what depths to look for etc. Never have fished the lake looking forward to it.

Thanks

Which general area ...??

Ky. Lake extends all the way down into Tennessee ...

Rickie

We will be staying at the north end but can drive anywhere to launch. Small boat with 35 hp.

Sledd Creek or Big Bear. I would advise not to venture out on the main lake with your rig.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Thanks

Ky Dam Marina also has a good ramp at the north end ...

Rickie

We go down to Ky lake every fall for the last several years. We usually stay in the Big Bear area. Public ramp at end of Big Bear Hwy. You don't need to get out on the main lake in that area. For your smaller motor this would be a good area. Marinas, bait, gas,food. Everything you need at Moors, Big bear and a couple other resorts all within a mile or 2 by water. Crappie fishing in that area is good too.

I think the wind forecast is suppose to be pretty low next week.If the winds are 10 or below and the lake traffic will be low this time of year...you should be able to to move about pretty good.Even if you don't cross the lake you can run along parallel to the bank and fish along. I take my jon boat with a 10 hp sometimes and when conditions are right I have run around all over the place even ran through the canal and fished Barkley some. It's a whole different lake when the wind is low and the traffic is low. Watch the forecast and don't get caught on the opposite side of the lake then you launched if the wind comes up.The mid lake lake humps adjacent to the channels cause big swells to build mid lake in wind or large boat traffic.

I would concentrate on structure near the channels,main lake bank and points where the channel runs near them,and secondary points and structure near the creek arm channels. I would not be looking very far back in the creek arms. Moors Resort is not a bad place to launch,they have a dock store,restaurant,fish cleaning station, and the ramp is protected from all wave action and should be plenty of parking this time of year.They use to have pretty good pizza at the dock store .

There are good smallmouth in Kentucky lake. If you can't get the crappie action going catching some good smallmouth can pass the time.Most likely fish will be chasing around the shad schools sometime during the day.Get a Lake map and pay attention to the areas like points,small coves, rip rap areas and bank etc where the channel runs close. And places right along the channel with structure on the ledge or slopes or flat areas just out of the channel .

If your staying at the dam it is a pretty good drive down to Moors,and if weather is nice you could launch at Kentucky Dam and boat South if you want.But all things considered this time of year I would rather launch at Moors and fish some North of it and some South of it.If the Lake is calm I would cross if I needed to and fish some on the East side around Pisgah bay and some North and South of it.

Thanks for the info.

Lake lice are what beats it up bad ime. Very light winds when I was last over there and the lake was still too rough to really get out on due to all the criss-crossing wakes. Once I got out in the very middle away from the bank and the boaters it was fine.

I would be real careful crossing in a small boat powered by a 35hp. Doesn't take much wind to get uncomfortable, would much rather see some one in a small boat trailer to wherever they want to fish.

That's what my plan was. Thanks for the advise.

The first time I ever laid eyes on Lake Barkley was early May of 13'. We were staying at Buzzard Rock and the water was up pretty good. I think it was at 364 or 365. Piano size chunks of trees were literally everywhere in the main channel. It was a mine field everyday but I crossed anyway.

I had LUCKED into a nest of redear that required me to cross over from Poplar Creek to the LBL side. There was one problem, my old vee haul at the time only had a 20hp that wouldn't even plane out. I about got cut in half almost everyday by bass boats that were basically coming at me perpendicular at high speeds.

That was our first year pan fishing down here. We bought a place the next spring, 14', and now we are two weeks from being permanent residents here in Lyon County. That's my small motor/not having a clue/blind luck story rolled into one. Good luck!!