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LakeQuality
Two canoes crossing open water between forested points in the Boundary Waters

Updated August 2026

Biggest Lake in Kentucky: Lake Cumberland

Lake Cumberland is Kentucky's largest inland lake per the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources. Below: 50 Kentucky lakes ranked by surface area.

The largest lake in Kentucky is Lake Cumberland , in Wayne, Russell and Pulaski (also Clinton, McCreary and Laurel) County, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources. Kentucky Lake is larger at 117,874 acres (55,025 acres in Kentucky). Far larger, but this TVA Tennessee River reservoir is shared with Tennessee -- KDFWR credits only 55,025 of its acres to Kentucky. Lake Barkley (57,920 acres) is likewise a shared KY/TN reservoir.

Published figures for Lake Cumberland differ between sources — Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources gives 47,688 acres — so we name the lake but don't state a single acreage as settled.

See our Lake Cumberland water-quality report card NR

Source: Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources (2026-07-30). The table below ranks the Kentucky lakes in our own index by surface area.

50
Lakes with area data
10,000
Largest (acres)
243
Median of top 50
34/50
Reservoirs (vs natural)

Reading Kentucky's size profile

Kentucky's largest lake by surface area is Barren River Lake in Barren County, spanning 10,000 acres. Most of Kentucky's biggest waters are reservoirs — dammed river valleys built for water supply, flood control, and recreation, so their footprints shift with pool level.

Surface area is a poor proxy for water quality on its own — a large lake can hold a clean, deep core and a nutrient-loaded bay at the same time. Each lake below links to its full report card with grade, clarity, depth, and EPA impairment status. Area figures come from state DNR surveys and the USACE National Inventory of Dams; grades come from EPA and state monitoring data.

The 50 biggest lakes in Kentucky by surface area

#LakeCountySurface areaMax depthGrade
1Barren River LakeBarren10,000 acres-NR
2Green River LakeTaylor8,439 acres-NR
3Cave Run LakeRowan8,270 acres-NR
4Nolin LakeEdmonson5,790 acres-B
5Rough River LakeBreckinridge5,100 acres-C
6Taylorsville LakeSpencer3,050 acres-NR
7Brushy PondBallard1,903 acres-NR
8Grayson LakeCarter1,510 acres-B
9Buckhorn LakePerry1,230 acres-NR
10Paintsville LakeJohnson1,139 acres-NR
11Fishtrap LakePike1,131 acres-B
12Dewey LakeFloyd1,063 acres-NR
13Lake BeshearCaldwell835 acres-NR
14Lake MaloneLogan826 acres-B
15Lake BeshearChristian794 acres-B
16Cedar Creek LakeLincoln784 acres-B
17Wood Creek LakeLaurel672 acres-C
18Lake LinvilleRockcastle373 acres-NR
19Energy LakeTrigg370 acres-D
20Lake PeeweeHopkins360 acres-B
21Doe Valley LakeMeade360 acres-NR
22Williamstown LakeGrant339 acres-NR
23Guist Creek LakeShelby333 acres-D
24Martins Fork LakeHarlan316 acres-NR
25Spa LakeLogan244 acres-D
26Cannon Creek LakeBell243 acres-C
27Kincaid LakePendleton236 acres-NR
28Herb Smith LakeHarlan219 acres-C
29Campbell County LakeCampbell193 acres-C
30Greenbo LakeGreenup181 acres-C
31Greenbrier Creek ReservoirMontgomery175 acres-NR
32Lake MorrisChristian170 acres-D
33Taylor Fork LakeMadison169 acres-D
34Lake HerndonLogan161 acres-NR
35Freeman LakeHardin160 acres-B
36Beaver LakeAnderson158 acres-NR
37Owsley Fork ReservoirMadison152 acres-B
38Sympson LakeNelson151 acres-NR
39Bullock Pen LakeBoone150 acres-D
40Maple LakeCrittenden149 acres-NR
41Lake Elmer DavisOwen149 acres-D
42Loch Mary ReservoirHopkins148 acres-B
43Lake JerichoHenry137 acres-D
44Shanty Hollow LakeWarren135 acres-B
45Hematite LakeTrigg135 acres-NR
46Lake BoxleyChristian129 acres-NR
47Fagan Branch LakeMarion128 acres-NR
48Willisburg LakeWashington126 acres-NR
49Elmer Davis LakeOwen121 acres-NR
50Lake CannigoNicholas116 acres-NR

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest lake in Kentucky?

Lake Cumberland, in Wayne, Russell and Pulaski (also Clinton, McCreary and Laurel) County. Kentucky Lake is larger at 117,874 acres (55,025 acres in Kentucky). Far larger, but this TVA Tennessee River reservoir is shared with Tennessee -- KDFWR credits only 55,025 of its acres to Kentucky. Lake Barkley (57,920 acres) is likewise a shared KY/TN reservoir. Source: Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, 2026-07-30.

How is lake surface area measured?

Surface area comes from state DNR lake surveys and, for reservoirs, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) National Inventory of Dams records. Area is reported in acres at normal pool level. Reservoirs rise and fall with management and drought, so their listed area is the long-term normal rather than a single-day reading.

Are Kentucky's largest lakes natural or reservoirs?

Of the top 50 Kentucky lakes by area, 34 sit on a dammed river (reservoirs) and 16 are natural basins. Glacial states (MN, WI, MI, NY) skew natural; plains and southern states (MO, IA, ND, OH) skew toward reservoirs built for water supply, flood control, and recreation.

Do larger lakes have better water quality?

Not reliably. Quality varies more within a big lake than between lakes — a large lake can have a clean, deep main basin and a murky, algae-prone bay fed by a tributary, so one grade can mask wide swings. Depth, watershed land use, and how fast the lake flushes matter far more than raw surface area.

How big is the typical Kentucky lake in this ranking?

Across the top 50 Kentucky lakes by surface area, the median is 243 acres (Cannon Creek Lake). This list is biased toward the biggest waters; the typical Kentucky lake is far smaller.

Where to stay near Kentucky's largest lakes

Planning a trip? Jump to live cabin, resort, and hotel availability near Kentucky's biggest lakes.

Deepest lakes in Kentucky →Cleanest lakes in Kentucky →Largest lakes (all states) →All Kentucky lakes →