Barren River Lake

The west bank of the upper arm from Scottsville, and the farthest-up public ramp on the lake. Walnut Creek, by KY 1855 at 2.5 miles: free, multi-lane, no dock, seasonal. Browns Ford, nine miles out KY 98: bare, no restrooms, no dock, seasonal, and the fee flag the two agencies disagree on.

KY 98 EAST OF SCOTTSVILLE · KY 1855 KDFWR coordinates · arm and roads schematic

Three numbers to get right

What you hear	What the primary sources actually say
"The drawdown is one drop."	Two stages, 24 feet. 552.0 to 551.0 from 15 Sep to 14 Oct, then 551.0 to 528.0 from 15 Oct to 1 Dec. Refill 15 Mar to 13 Apr (USACE Fill and Drawdown).
"Just read the gauge."	Read the right parameter. USGS 03312900 offers 62614 (lake elevation, NGVD29 — compares to 552/528) and 00065 (gage height, local datum — does not). Corps line (270) 646-2122, 7 a.m. Central: the lake runs on Central time.
"Crappie and bass are statewide."	Not here. KDFWR: crappie "Must be 10 inches or over"; largemouth and smallmouth "Must be 15 inches or over - Limit 6 per angler"; channel and blue catfish 15 combined, one over 25 in; walleye 18–26 in slot, limit 2.

What coming down actually changes on this road

Both ramps are flagged "Seasonal - 24 Hours". Neither carries a winter note from either agency; the pool figures and the flags are all that is printed. Reasoning, labelled: both sit on the upper arm, so this road dries out first when 23 feet come out between 15 October and 1 December. KDFWR 2026: white bass "Best opportunity is during the spawning run in late March to mid-April".

The fee box, and what no Corps page names

Browns Ford: KDFWR flags "Ramp Fee: Yes"; the Corps' own sentence lists it free. Look for the fee box. No restrooms. Walnut Creek: KDFWR flags a marina and the Gateway lists campsites — no Corps page names either; status pending. Nearest confirmed camping: Baileys Point or Tailwater, off KY 252.

LIMESTONE DRIFT

BARREN RIVER LAKE · KY 98 Access and limits

Trailered ramp

Carry-down launch

Marina launch

Other corridor · tailwater

Two sites, nine miles of KY 98

Launch	Lanes	Fee	Season	KDFWR directions (verbatim) and flags
Walnut Creek Ramp asid 11	Multi · no dock	No	Seasonal 24 h	"KY 98 E of Scottsville; left on Hwy 1855 (2.5 miles)". Any light trailerable, paved parking 26–50, restrooms and picnic year-round, marina "Seasonal - Limited Hours" (unnamed by the Corps — status pending), accessible restrooms. Shoreline year-round. Free on the Corps' own list.
Browns Ford Ramp asid 8	Multi · no dock	KDFWR yes · Corps no	Seasonal 24 h	"KY 98 E of Scottsville (9 miles)". Any light trailerable, paved parking ≤25, no restrooms, picnic or camping, retail limited hours. Shoreline year-round. The farthest-up public ramp on the lake.

Limits — four special rules, then statewide

Species	Size	Daily creel
White and black crappie	10 in minimum	statewide creel
Largemouth and smallmouth	15 in minimum	6 per angler
Channel and blue catfish	no more than 1 over 25 in	15 combined
Walleye	18–26 in slot — release all between	2 per angler

Everything else is statewide — hybrid, white and yellow bass, spotted bass, redear. The walleye slot is a native-strain restoration rule covering the whole Barren River (301 KAR 1:201 §4). KDFWR 2026: summer oxygen "too low to support fish below 15 feet". Attractors: KDFWR GPX and map, no count stated. Camping and marinas on this road: none confirmed (Gateway flags campsites at Walnut Creek — status pending). The Corps' fee sentence, verbatim: "The Corps of Engineers charges a day use fee to launch boats, except for Austin, Browns Ford, Walnut Creek, Tailwater, and the State Park boat ramps." Amounts change; none printed.

Live level: USGS 03312900, parameter 62614 (NGVD29) · Corps line (270) 646-2122, 7 a.m. Central daily · pools 552.0 / 528.0, spillway 590, record 583.6 ft on 7 Apr 2025, "still rising" (final crest per the Corps) · Corps office (270) 646-2055, hours in Central time · WMA (270) 646-5167.

Sources: USACE LRD project and recreation pages, Louisville District Fill and Drawdown, DVIDS 494660 / 494755, Corps Lakes Gateway; KDFWR records 77, 78, 79, fifteen access-site records, 2026 Fishing Forecast, WMA 129; USGS 03312900, 03313000; Recreation.gov 233420, 233650, 233698; Ky State Parks reservation system.
Conditions change. Verify pool, access and regulations before you travel. Revised October 2026.

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