Largest lakes & reservoirs in Kentucky by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 17 articles we have published for Kentucky lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US South Region > Kentucky > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Kentucky, only the 17 Kentucky lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Lake, KY/TN (Kentucky, Tennessee, US South Region, USA, West Tennessee, Western Waterlands Region, KY) |
2,380 mi | Kentucky Lake is the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi when measured by surface acres at “full pond,” the normal water level: 184 miles lo… |
| Lake Cumberland, KY (Kentucky, Southern Lakes Region, KY, US South Region, USA) |
1,255 mi | Lake Cumberland boasts an impressive 50,250 acres and 1,255 miles of winding shoreline at its normal full pool level of 723 feet above sea level. The… |
| Lake Barkley, KY/TN (Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, US South Region, USA, Western Waterlands Region, KY) |
1,004 mi | Lake Barkley is one of the premier recreational destinations in Western Kentucky. The reservoir was created by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1966 for… |
| Dale Hollow Lake, KY/TN (Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Southern Lakes Region, KY, Tennessee, US South Region, USA) |
620 mi | Also known as Dale Hollow Reservoir Dale Hollow Lake, straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border, is an artificial lake that was formed by damming the Obey and Cumberland Rivers. As with m… |
| Herrington Lake, KY (Bluegrass Region, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
325 mi | Meandering 32 miles across the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky is Herrington Lake. The first large impoundment in Kentucky, Herrington Lake was created i… |
| Rough River Lake, KY (Kentucky, Kentucky Derby Region, KY, US South Region, USA) |
220 mi | Straddling the Grayson, Breckinridge, and Hardin County lines in south central Kentucky, Rough River Lake is a 5,100 acre reservoir completed in 1951… |
| Laurel River Lake, KY (Daniel Boone Country, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
192 mi | Laurel River Lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1974 to provide flood control and hydroelectric power to its neighboring areas, b… |
| Nolin River Lake, KY (Caves, Lakes & Corvettes Region, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
172 mi | Tucked into the hills of south central Kentucky, 5,795 acre Nolin River Lake shares residence among Edmonson, Grayson, and Hart counties. Created by t… |
| Cave Run Lake, KY (Appalachians Region, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
166 mi | Cave Run Lake, located in the Eastern Highlands Region of Kentucky, is an 8,270-acre manmade reservoir. Originally built by the U.S. Army Corps of Eng… |
| Green River Lake, KY (Kentucky, Southern Lakes Region, KY, US South Region, USA) |
147 mi | The children scrambled after each other, racing up the steps to the slide. Then they were off – sliding and squealing landing with a splash in the wat… |
| Barren River Lake, KY (Caves, Lakes & Corvettes Region, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
141 mi | Barren River Lake, located in south-central Kentucky, is one of the state’s hidden jewels, covering over 10,100 acres. The lake was created by the Lou… |
| Yatesville Lake (Appalachians Region, KY, Kentucky, US South Region, USA) |
94 mi | Also known as Yatesville Lake State Park The newest star in the Kentucky Appalachians region is Yatesville Lake. Very young as lakes go, Yatesville Lake was created in 1991 when the US Army C… |