Loading page content…
Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
In Kentucky, Lake Barkley is a reservoir used for time on and around the water. The water surface spans about 57,920 acres, making it a very large body of water. Sitting at around 359 feet of elevation, it drops to a maximum depth near 68 feet. Fish documented in the area include Green Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, and Channel Catfish. LakeRadar pulls readings from a mapped water gauge, so current water data is shown when the station reports. Nearby alternatives include Kentucky Lake. Coverage here includes an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Forecasts for Lake Barkley come from the National Weather Service and refresh several times a day.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 10, 10:55 PM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (84/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (86/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 94/100 across these hours. Wind 2 mph from the south-southwest. Dawn hours (06:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 60° | 60° | 60° | 60° | 60° | 59° | 59° | 59° | 57° | 58° | 60° | 62° | 65° | 68° | 71° | 74° | 76° | 77° | 79° | 77° | 74° | 70° | 65° | 63° |
| Wind (kts) | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Direction | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | N | N | N | N | N | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | NW | W | W | SW | SW |
| Gusts (kts) | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Precip % | 38% | 24% | 11% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 13% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 8% | 6% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 10 PM CDT | 60°F | 8 mph NNE (23°) | 15 mph | 38% | 84% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 11 PM CDT | 60°F | 7 mph NNE (23°) | 13 mph | 24% | 85% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 12 AM CDT | 60°F | 6 mph NNE (23°) | 10 mph | 11% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 1 AM CDT | 60°F | 5 mph NNE (23°) | 8 mph | 7% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 2 AM CDT | 60°F | 3 mph NNE (23°) | 8 mph | 6% | 84% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 3 AM CDT | 59°F | 3 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 7% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 4 AM CDT | 59°F | 3 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 13% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Sun, 5 AM CDT | 59°F | 5 mph NNW (338°) | 8 mph | 10% | 88% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 6 AM CDT | 57°F | 5 mph NNW (338°) | 9 mph | 10% | 79% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 7 AM CDT | 58°F | 5 mph NNW (338°) | 9 mph | 10% | 72% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 8 AM CDT | 60°F | 5 mph NW (315°) | 9 mph | 8% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sun, 9 AM CDT | 62°F | 6 mph NW (315°) | 10 mph | 6% | 60% | Partly Sunny |
| Sun, 10 AM CDT | 65°F | 6 mph NW (315°) | 12 mph | 5% | 57% | Partly Sunny |
| Sun, 11 AM CDT | 68°F | 6 mph NW (315°) | 12 mph | 2% | 43% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 12 PM CDT | 71°F | 7 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 2% | 43% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 1 PM CDT | 74°F | 7 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 2% | 38% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 2 PM CDT | 76°F | 7 mph NW (315°) | 14 mph | 2% | 20% | Sunny |
| Sun, 3 PM CDT | 77°F | 7 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Sun, 4 PM CDT | 79°F | 6 mph WNW (293°) | 12 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Sun, 5 PM CDT | 77°F | 5 mph WNW (293°) | 10 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Sun, 6 PM CDT | 74°F | 2 mph W (270°) | 6 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sun, 7 PM CDT | 70°F | 1 mph WSW (248°) | 4 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sun, 8 PM CDT | 65°F | 1 mph SW (225°) | 4 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sun, 9 PM CDT | 63°F | 1 mph SSW (203°) | 4 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sun, 10 PM CDT | 63°F | 1 mph SSW (203°) | 4 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Tonight October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 | Saturday October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 56° | 79° | 59° | 89° | 64° | 90° | 68° | 88° | 66° | 84° | 60° | 75° | 48° | 66° |
| Wind | N 3 to 8 mph | NW 7 mph | SW 2 mph | SW 2 to 7 mph | SSW 6 mph | SW 5 to 8 mph | SSW 6 mph | WSW 6 mph | E 5 mph | S 5 to 8 mph | SW 6 mph | WNW 6 to 10 mph | NNW 6 to 9 mph | N 7 to 10 mph |
| Gusts | 15 mph | 14 mph | 6 mph | 14 mph | 12 mph | 15 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph | 10 mph | 14 mph | 13 mph | 16 mph | 16 mph | 15 mph |
| Precip % | 38% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 35% | 38% | 38% | 35% | 21% | 11% | 5% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Lake Barkley. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (81/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the north-northeast. Overnight hours (22:00 local). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (85/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the north-northeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (86/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the NNE is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (85/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the north-northeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
Loading interactive map…
Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of KY Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Providing high-quality outdoor access in KY & TN, Lake Barkley accommodates powerboats, fishing craft, and paddleboards across its open waters. The lake is an essential community resource for water recreation and ecological conservation. Observe all posted navigation aids and safe boating distances while on the water.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Green Sunfish, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Lake Barkley is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 10, 10:55 PM CDT