Kentucky Lake (on Tennessee River)

Water type: Artificial lake
Continent: North America
Climate: Temperate

Largest tributaries

Duck River (Tennessee)

Kentucky Lake is a major navigable reservoir along the Tennessee River in Kentucky and Tennessee. It was created in 1944 by the Tennessee Valley Authoritys impounding of the Tennessee River via Kentucky Dam for flood control and hydroelectric power.

The 160,309-acre (649 km2) lake is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the United States east of the Mississippi River, with 2,064 miles (3,322 km) of shoreline.

Kentucky Lake has a flood storage capacity of 4,008,000 acre⋅ft (4.944 km3), more than 2.5 times the next largest lake in the TVA system.

It provides a source for hydro-electric power. Also, as one of the lakes alluded to by the name of Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, it is a recreational destination of western Kentucky and Tennessee.

The lake is a desirable fishing area. Records for the largest of three species of fish ever taken in Kentucky have been set at this lake: white bass (5 lb [2.3 kg]), Buffalo (55 lb [25 kg]), and yellow perch (1 lb 4 oz [0.57 kg]).

It is also the major attraction for two Kentucky state parks: Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park to the north and Kenlake State Resort Park to the west.

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