Most people think of Lake Barkley as that big water up in Kentucky next to Land Between the Lakes, which is fair, but if you live in Clarksville like I do you're on it too, since the Corps counts Lake Barkley all the way up the Cumberland to Cheatham Dam. So the river at the end of my road and the wide coves out near Cadiz are technically the same lake, and Lake Barkley is a big part of why I bought the boat I did, so I did a lot of reading on it.
The basics
Going off the Nashville District's Lake Barkley page and related Corps documents, the lake is made by Barkley Dam at Cumberland River mile 30.6 near Grand Rivers, Kentucky, and it backs up 118.1 river miles to Cheatham Dam at about mile 148.7 with roughly 1,004 miles of shoreline. The Corps lake page says 57,900 acres at summer pool, while a Corps environmental assessment I found uses 54,308, and I honestly don't know which number the Corps considers current. The Tennessee Encyclopedia dates Barkley Dam to 1966. So it's a long skinny lake in Tennessee that opens way up once it gets into Kentucky.
The Tennessee end
From Cheatham Dam down past Clarksville, Lake Barkley looks like a river because it pretty much is one, narrow with bluffs and current and barges, and Clarksville's ramps at Liberty Park and McGregor Park put in right here. Below Clarksville you pass Cumberland City and Dover, with Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge along that stretch and Fort Donelson up on the bluff at Dover, where Grant said "unconditional surrender," which is in Film 04.
The Kentucky end
Past the state line the lake widens out into big bays and coves with Land Between the Lakes along the west shore, and the Forest Service says LBL covers more than 170,000 acres between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.
Most of the marinas are up on that end too. The Corps' Lake Barkley marina list names eight of them, which are Bumpus Mills Marina in Bumpus Mills, TN, Eddy Creek Marina in Eddyville, KY, Kuttawa Harbor Marina in Kuttawa, KY, Moon River Marina, Buzzard Rock Marina, Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, KY, and both Lake Barkley State Park Marina and Prizer Point Marina in Cadiz, KY. I only put towns on the ones where I could confirm them.
The state park marina is inside Lake Barkley State Resort Park, and their site lists slips, fuel and rentals with hours that change by season, so I'd call first. Clarksville Marina at Liberty Park is on Lake Barkley water too, it's just not on that Corps list, and I wrote it up in Liberty Park and Clarksville Marina.
Barkley Lock and Dam
Barkley Lock sits at the dam, and the Corps lock page says it's 800 feet long and 110 feet wide with about a 57-foot lift at normal lake levels. That lift is the drop from Lake Barkley down to the free-flowing lower Cumberland, which heads on to Smithland and the Ohio. Barkley had a maintenance closure that ended September 30, 2026, so check notices before you plan on it, and if you've never locked through before my lock-through guide is a decent place to start.
The canal to Kentucky Lake
This is one of the coolest things about this area to me. A short canal cuts between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake near Grand Rivers, and the Corps water control manual describes it as about 1.75 miles long and uncontrolled, so there's no lock, since the two lakes sit at about the same level and you just drive through. That means from Clarksville you could in theory run down Lake Barkley, through the canal and out onto Kentucky Lake without hitting a single lock, though that's a long day and I'd plan fuel pretty carefully. I compared the two lakes in Lake Barkley vs Kentucky Lake.
The state line
Lake Barkley crosses from Tennessee into Kentucky and each state's boating rules apply on its own water. TWRA requires boater education for operators born after January 1, 1989 on boats over 8.5 hp with some exceptions, and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife requires it for operators ages 12 to 17 on boats over 10 hp, and Kentucky accepts NASBLA-approved cards like Tennessee's. Fishing licenses are a whole other thing, so check with both agencies if you plan to fish across the line, and there's more on all of it in Do You Need a Tennessee Boating License?
The upper end of this lake is river and the lower end is big water, and when I wrote down what I wanted before buying it was a boat that could take river chop and still feel like home. That's how I ended up with a welded aluminum Raider Coastal 230 after starting out on a smaller 21-foot Delta, and the whole decision is on the build page.
FAQ
Is Clarksville TN on Lake Barkley?
Yes. The Corps says Lake Barkley extends 118.1 river miles up the Cumberland to Cheatham Dam, and Clarksville is inside that stretch.
How many marinas are on Lake Barkley?
The Corps of Engineers lists eight: Bumpus Mills, Eddy Creek, Kuttawa Harbor, Moon River, Buzzard Rock, Green Turtle Bay, Lake Barkley State Park and Prizer Point.
Does Lake Barkley have a lock?
Yes. Barkley Lock at the dam near Grand Rivers, Kentucky, is 800 by 110 feet with about a 57-foot lift, per the Corps.
Can you boat from Lake Barkley to Kentucky Lake?
Yes. A canal of about 1.75 miles near Grand Rivers connects them, and it has no lock, according to the Corps water control manual.
