LIMESTONE DRIFT KENTUCKY WATER, TOLD STRAIGHT
FIELD CARD Pool & Access · No. 09-4
Corps lake · KY 778 corridor · north-west from Cadiz · KY 276 · KY 274 · Trigg County

Lake Barkley

The east-shore embayments between Eddyville and the Canton bridge, reached from Cadiz on the KY 778 and KY 276 backroads rather than US 68. Three launches: Hurricane Creek, a Corps campground with a free ramp; Prizer Point, a resort marina with a fee; Rockcastle, a free day-use ramp with a year-round picnic ground.

KY 778 · HURRICANE CREEK TO ROCKCASTLE Launches at KDFWR coordinates · schematic
KY 274 · east shoreKY 778 / KY 276 · from CadizUS 68 / KY 80 · Cadiz–Golden PondCampsiteHurricane CreekNo fee · Corps campgroundMarinaPrizer PointFee · marina · campingBoat rampRockcastleNo fee · picnicN02 miSchematic · launches at KDFWR coordinates · hollow discs are other corridors · a dot with a leader is the published position
Three numbers to get right
What you hearWhat 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
All three are paved single-lane ramps with a courtesy dock. Hurricane Creek's ramp and shoreline are seasonal on its KDFWR record — the campground runs 28 April to 30 October in 2026 (Corps) — so Rockcastle, year-round with a dock, is the launch here after the campground shuts. KDFWR's 2026 forecast on crappie: "Crappie move to secondary channels, drops, and flats near creek channels during the fall and winter."
Two towns, one road. KDFWR routes every launch here "KY 778 NW of Cadiz" while the Corps gives Hurricane Creek's address as 25 Hurricane Creek Campground Road, Eddyville. Either works; KDFWR's is the one printed. Hurricane Creek: 51 sites, 45 RV electric, 6 walk-to, 270-522-8821 (Recreation.gov 232609). Prizer Point is private — fee, marina, seasonal camping.
LIMESTONE DRIFT
LAKE BARKLEY · KY 778 Access and limits
Three launches, north to south
LaunchFeeKDFWR record, in the agency's words
Hurricane CreekNoKY 778 NW of Cadiz; left on KY 276. Light boats, paved single lane, dock, seasonal restrooms, Corps camping (51 sites) and picnic, retail. Ramp seasonal.
Prizer PointYesKY 778; left on KY 276; right on KY 274. Any trailerable, paved single lane, 26–50 parking, dock, seasonal restrooms, camping and marina, accessible restrooms and parking. Year-round.
RockcastleNoKY 778; left on KY 276; left on KY 274. Light boats, paved single lane, 26–50 parking, dock, seasonal restrooms, picnic year-round, retail. Year-round.
Limits — four of them differ from statewide
SpeciesSizeDaily creel
Largemouth bass15 in minimumstatewide
Smallmouth bass15 in minimumstatewide
Crappie, black and white10 in minimum20 combined
Sauger14 in minimum6
Everything else is statewide — redear, striped bass, white bass, catfish, sunfish, black bass creel. Camping on this road: Hurricane Creek (Corps, 51 sites, 28 Apr–30 Oct 2026), Prizer Point (seasonal, private). Marina: Prizer Point — hours, slips and fuel status pending. 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.
QR code: https://limestonedrift.com/waterways/lake-barkley/#ld-alertslimestonedrift.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