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Laurel River Lake is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Kentucky. The water surface spans about 5,600 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Nearby alternatives include Lake Cumberland and Buckhorn Lake. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Laurel River Lake are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 10, 11:30 PM EDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Fair (55/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (59/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 93/100 across these hours. Wind 3 mph from the west. 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) | 61° | 61° | 61° | 61° | 61° | 60° | 60° | 60° | 60° | 60° | 62° | 63° | 65° | 66° | 66° | 65° | 66° | 66° | 66° | 66° | 66° | 65° | 65° | 64° |
| Wind (kts) | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Direction | E | E | E | E | E | E | SE | SE | E | SE | SE | S | SW | SW | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | NW | NW | W |
| Gusts (kts) | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| Precip % | 30% | 31% | 37% | 27% | 32% | 35% | 47% | 74% | 68% | 48% | 35% | 31% | 33% | 37% | 41% | 54% | 67% | 64% | 57% | 51% | 30% | 19% | 6% | 4% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 11 PM EDT | 61°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 22 mph | 30% | 20% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 12 AM EDT | 61°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 22 mph | 31% | 42% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 1 AM EDT | 61°F | 9 mph E (90°) | 20 mph | 37% | 50% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 2 AM EDT | 61°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 17 mph | 27% | 67% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 3 AM EDT | 61°F | 6 mph E (90°) | 15 mph | 32% | 48% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 4 AM EDT | 60°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 12 mph | 35% | 59% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 5 AM EDT | 60°F | 3 mph ESE (113°) | 9 mph | 47% | 82% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 6 AM EDT | 60°F | 3 mph ESE (113°) | 8 mph | 74% | 88% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 7 AM EDT | 60°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 7 mph | 68% | 83% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 8 AM EDT | 60°F | 2 mph SE (135°) | 7 mph | 48% | 62% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 9 AM EDT | 62°F | 3 mph SE (135°) | 8 mph | 35% | 64% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 10 AM EDT | 63°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 10 mph | 31% | 48% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 11 AM EDT | 65°F | 6 mph SSW (203°) | 13 mph | 33% | 67% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 12 PM EDT | 66°F | 6 mph SW (225°) | 13 mph | 37% | 87% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 1 PM EDT | 66°F | 7 mph WSW (248°) | 14 mph | 41% | 75% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 2 PM EDT | 65°F | 7 mph WSW (248°) | 15 mph | 54% | 84% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 3 PM EDT | 66°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 15 mph | 67% | 83% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sun, 4 PM EDT | 66°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 16 mph | 64% | 78% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sun, 5 PM EDT | 66°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 15 mph | 57% | 83% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sun, 6 PM EDT | 66°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 16 mph | 51% | 92% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 7 PM EDT | 66°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 15 mph | 30% | 88% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 8 PM EDT | 65°F | 7 mph WNW (293°) | 15 mph | 19% | 88% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 9 PM EDT | 65°F | 7 mph WNW (293°) | 14 mph | 6% | 87% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 10 PM EDT | 64°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 13 mph | 4% | 93% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 11 PM EDT | 64°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 12 mph | 6% | 91% | Patchy Fog |
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 | This Afternoon October 10, 2026 | Tonight October 10, 2026 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 66° | 60° | 60° | 66° | 58° | 80° | 57° | 84° | 62° | 84° | 62° | 81° | 60° | 75° |
| Wind | ENE 10 to 15 mph | E 3 to 14 mph | E 3 to 10 mph | SSW 2 to 7 mph | W 3 to 8 mph | W 3 mph | SSW 3 mph | SSW 3 to 8 mph | SW 6 mph | WSW 6 mph | NE 5 mph | SE 3 to 7 mph | SSW 7 mph | WSW 7 to 10 mph |
| Gusts | 31 mph | 29 mph | 22 mph | 16 mph | 16 mph | 9 mph | 7 mph | 15 mph | 13 mph | 12 mph | 9 mph | 14 mph | 14 mph | 18 mph |
| Precip % | 100% | 55% | 47% | 74% | 51% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 15% | 20% | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Laurel River Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Fair for fishing (56/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the east. Sky is partly cloudy (20% cloud cover). The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Poor for boating (53/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 10 mph from the east. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Fair for sailing (59/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the E is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Poor for kayaking (53/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 10 mph from the east. No active official alerts for this lake. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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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.
Laurel River Lake is a popular freshwater reservoir located in KY, providing great recreation for boaters, kayakers, and outdoor travelers. With public access points distributed along the water's edge, launching a boat or paddleboard is straightforward and convenient. Facilities and day-use grounds are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
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 Channel Catfish, Rock Bass, Spotted Bass, Bluegill. 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 Laurel River Lake 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, 11:53 PM EDT