Corps lake · Eddy Creek corridor · KY 93 south of Eddyville · KY 293, KY 730, KY 818 · KY 274 · Lyon County
Lake Barkley
The big Eddy Creek embayment and the east-shore backroad south of it, every launch reached "KY 93 S of Eddyville": two marinas, two free county ramps at the head of the creek, and Dryden Creek. Four of the five are free.
EDDY CREEK · KY 93Launches at KDFWR coordinates · schematic
Three numbers to get right
What you hear
What the primary sources actually say
"Just read the USGS gauge."
There isn't one. USGS 03438210 served "0 data types" on 10 Sep 2026. The pool is the Corps' (Nashville District water management) and TVA's Barkley page; TVA's lake line is 800-238-2264, code 40. A link, never a level.
"Winter pool is way down."
Five feet. Corps Master Plan: 354 ft "from December 1st until April 1st", "increasing to 357 feet AMSL by April 15th, and climbing to 359 feet AMSL by May 1st". KDFWR, not the Corps, says the drawdown starts "around July 5th".
"A Kentucky licence covers the lake."
The Kentucky portion only. 301 KAR 3:160 and KDFWR's reciprocal page cover part of Kentucky Lake, Dale Hollow and Big South Fork — not Lake Barkley. Below the state line, a Tennessee licence.
What the pool does on this road
Eddy Creek is the embayment KDFWR files the most ramps on. Eddy Creek Ramp on KY 818 is the shallow end — unpaved parking, no dock, light boats; Coleman Bridge below it has a dock, restrooms "unknown". Eddy Creek Public Access — paved, dock, cleaning station, 26–50 spaces, free — is the dependable launch. KDFWR's 2026 forecast: "In fall and winter, bass move into the bays to feed on shad."
Where the marinas are. Every marina on the KDFWR and Corps lists is on this shore or the Cadiz side — there is none on the Land Between the Lakes shore across the water. Eddy Creek and Holiday Hills are the two here, both seasonal with limited hours on their records; fuel, slips and hours are not on any primary page and are status pending. KY 274 continues south past Dryden Creek to Prizer Point and Rockcastle — the KY 778 card.
LIMESTONEDRIFT
LAKE BARKLEY · EDDY CREEKAccess and limits
Five launches, KY 93 to Dryden Creek
Launch
Fee
KDFWR record, in the agency's words
Holiday Hills
Yes
KY 93 S (6 miles) to Holiday Hills Road. Light boats, paved single lane, unpaved parking, dock, seasonal restrooms, camping and marina, retail. Year-round.
Eddy Creek Public Access
No
KY 93 S (7 miles); follow signs. Any trailerable, paved single lane, 26–50 parking, dock, seasonal restrooms, camping and marina, cleaning station. Year-round.
Eddy Creek – Coleman Bridge
No
KY 93 S; left on KY 293; right on KY 730. Light boats, paved single lane, dock, restrooms "unknown". Year-round.
Eddy Creek Ramp
No
KY 93 S; left on KY 293; right on KY 818 to Eddy Creek Road. Light boats, paved single lane, unpaved parking, no dock, no facilities. Year-round.
Dryden Creek
No
KY 93 S; right on KY 274; follow signs. Light boats, paved single lane, 26–50 parking, dock, no facilities. Year-round.
Limits — four of them differ from statewide
Species
Size
Daily creel
Largemouth bass
15 in minimum
statewide
Smallmouth bass
15 in minimum
statewide
Crappie, black and white
10 in minimum
20 combined
Sauger
14 in minimum
6
Everything else is statewide — redear, striped bass, white bass, catfish, sunfish, black bass creel. Camping on this road: Holiday Hills and Eddy Creek (seasonal, private) per KDFWR; no Corps or Forest Service camping. Fish attractors: KDFWR publishes a GPX and a map; no count is stated.
Live pool: lrn-wc.usace.army.mil (Corps) · tva.com/environment/lake-levels/barkley · TVA lake line 800-238-2264, code 40 · no USGS series · Corps office, 200 Barkley Dam Overlook, Grand Rivers, (270) 362-4236.
Sources: USACE Nashville District Lake Barkley and Barkley Dam pages and the Lake Barkley Master Plan (October 2017) for elevations, dates and statistics; KDFWR waterbody records 66 and 331, the 39 access-site records, 2026 Fishing Forecast, WMA record and reciprocal-agreements page; 301 KAR 3:160; USFS Land Between the Lakes boating, rules and camping pages; Recreation.gov; USGS 03438210. Conditions change. Verify pool, access and regulations before you travel. Revised September 2026.
limestonedrift.comAlerts and the water page
Water alerts. We email when the pool, the ramps or the rules actually change. limestonedrift.com/alerts/?w=lake-barkley