Discover the Deepest Lake in Kentucky

Kentucky’s landscape is varied with the Appalachian Mountains on the east and the Ohio River on the north. The Mississippi River flows along the western border and the massive Kentucky Lake is on the southern border crossing into Tennessee.

Other pristine lakes, both good-sized and smaller, dot the bluegrass state creating habitats for wildlife and recreation areas for people. When it comes to the deepest lakes, the biggest lakes are often the deepest, but not always. Kentucky Lake, Lake Cumberland, and Lake Barkley are the three biggest lakes in Kentucky but are they the deepest? Let’s find out all about the deepest lake in Kentucky!

What Is the Deepest Lake in Kentucky?

The deepest lake in Kentucky is Herrington Lake. That may surprise you since the namesake Kentucky Lake is the biggest, but Kentucky Lake is only 74 feet at the deepest point. Herrington Lake is 249 feet deep at its deepest point! The lake is located about 70 miles southeast of Louisville, KY, and is not one of the biggest lakes at all. Herrington Lake is only 3.68 square miles; compare that to the 250.5 square miles of Kentucky Lake!

Where Is Herrington Lake Located on a Map?

Herrington Lake is around 25 miles or about 30 minutes drive south of Lexington. It is in Boyle, Garrard, and Mercer counties. It has several cities along its shore including Harrodsburg, Bryantsville, Wilmore, Nicholasville, and Burgin.

Why Is Herrington Lake So Deep?

Glaciers create some lakes. Others are created by filling in old volcano craters. There are naturally made lakes and artificial lakes built by damming prominent rivers. Herrington Lake is the latter. It is an artificial reservoir that was created when the Dix Dam was built on the Dix River. This river is a tributary of the Kentucky River. The project is in use to create hydroelectric power. Built in 1925, it has cutting-edge engineering to create what was, at that time, the biggest earth-filled dam in the world. The deepest point on Herrington Lake is near the dam.

Is Herrington Lake a Recreational Lake?

Yes! There are resorts, marinas, restaurants, and campgrounds all along the shores of Herrington. While you may think of a “lake” as a large oval collection of water, Herrington follows the twists and turns of the Dix River. The lake is great for boating, jet skiing, paddle boarding, and of course, fishing.

How Is the Fishing on Herrington Lake?

The fishing on Herrington Lake is excellent and well-stocked. You will find a variety of fish from smaller bluegills up to trophy-sized catfish. It is common to catch crappie, largemouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, and hybrid striped bass.

Are There Any State Fishing Records from Herrington Lake?

Yes! There’s a tie. The biggest white bass ever caught in Kentucky is from Herrington Lake. The five-pounder ties the record previously set way back on July 11, 1943, at Kentucky Lake. The “new” record is not that new, set on June 3, 1957.

Are There Any Other State Fishing Records From Kentucky Lake?

Yes! Think about the sheer number of anglers that target Kentucky Lake. That alone should produce a few trophy-sized catches. Besides the white bass, there have been a few state record breakers and even one world record holder! The biggest smallmouth bass in the world is on record in Dale Hollow Lake on July 9, 1955. The 11-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth has held the record for more than 67 years.

Another smallmouth record is for the biggest smallmouth buffalo, which weighed in at 55 pounds, caught on Kentucky Lake on March 23, 2000. The largest spotted gar was caught on July 20, 2014, with the new record being 4 pounds 7 ounces. The yellow perch record is also from Kentucky Lake with a 1 pound 7 ounce perch being caught on March 12, 2010. The fishing is good on Kentucky Lake!

How Deep Is Lake Cumberland?

The creation of the artificial Lake Cumberland is for flood control and hydroelectric power. It is located in south-central Kentucky on the Cumberland River.

Lake Cumberland is around 200 feet deep. Similar to Herrington Lake, it is deepest near the dam.

It is the self-proclaimed “Houseboat Capital of the World.” You will need to reimagine your concept of a “houseboat” after viewing some of the luxury houseboats available for rent. One of the rentals has 8 private bedrooms, and 3 ½ baths, with a two-story tube slide and a 12-person hot tub! Now that is house boating in style!

Are There Any Fishing Records From Lake Cumberland?

Yes! The biggest sturgeon ever caught in Kentucky was a 36-pound 8-ounce sturgeon. This record dates back to October 3, 1954. Even bigger is a striped bass (or a rockfish) weighing in at 58 pounds and 4 ounces! The striped bass record was set on December 11, 1985. If you have ever had a parmesan-crusted walleye, you understand why walleye is a highly sought-after fish. The biggest walleye ever caught in Kentucky was a 21-pound 8-ounce walleye caught on Lake Cumberland back in October of 1958. Dinner is served!

How Deep Is Lake Barkley?

Lake Barkley is 68 feet deep at the deepest point. At 58,000 acres, it is understandably the third-largest lake in Kentucky. It crosses over into Tennessee and spans 134 miles. As an artificial lake, it was created by damming the Cumberland River with the Barkley Dam.

How Is the Fishing on Lake Barkley?

The fishing is pretty good on Lake Barkley with nice-sized crappie, bass, and catfish. When it comes to record-breaking fish, you have to take this next one with a grain of salt. There is a state record holder pulled from Lake Barkley, but its weight is less than a pound… that’s right, it weighed less than a bag of M&M’s. The “biggest” logperch ever caught in Kentucky was a .08-pounder caught on November 4, 2013. Not sure if that was a catch-and-release or one you would mount above your fireplace! The record is legit and has been unbroken for nine years and counting.

How Does the Deepest Lake in Kentucky Compare to the Deepest Lake in the U.S.?

Herrington Lake is 249 feet deep, but the deepest lake in the U.S., Crater Lake in Oregon, is 1,943 feet deep — quite a bit deeper than the deepest lake in Kentucky. Crater Lake is not an artificial lake created by a dam; it is a natural lake formed in the crater of an old volcano from thousands of years ago. All of the water that is in Crater Lake is either from rain or snow melt, so you can imagine how crisp and clear the lake is.

There are not any houseboats on Crater Lake, and there are only two kinds of fish that thrive in the lake. That’s so very different from the lakes in Kentucky. You can swim in Crater Lake, but expect it to be a brief swim due to the cool temps. At Herrington Lake in the summer, a dip in the lake would be a welcome relief from the heat.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © TcHampel/Shutterstock.com