Kentucky Lake in Spring

My buddy and I are looking to make a trip to Kentucky/Barkley Lake this spring and are wondering what part of the lake we should spend our time fishing. We are going to buy some detailed lake maps but the lake maps only cover small areas of the lake so we would like to narrow this large body of water down. Any recommendations on the time we should come down, the phase (prespawn/ spawn) the fish will be on, and any suggestions to any parts of the lake that we should start doing our research will greatly help us.

First of all -- GET AN [U][B]ATLANTIC[/B][/U] MAP. They are the best maps out there, and will show you many features like sunken ponds, among other things that your GPS won't.

Second, although I haven't as of yet, try to book a guided trip with Dave Stewart. He is the best on KY Lake, and can show you an arsenal of techniques and locations depending on the season.

Last, be sure to watch the weather. That is definitely one lake that will get dicey in the wind. There are many areas to fish, but look for the yellow flowers and the buckbrush in the backs of creeks. If the yellow flowers have bloomed, the big fish are more than likely on the beds. If you time it right, you can load up on some spawners (that I hope you will release back to their beds).

Hope this helps you.

Depends on which end of the lake you are going to fish..but last two weeks of April is prime time for late prespawn and spawn from Paris north. I don't have any dates available in that time frame unless someone cancels a trip but I do offer a map marking service with tips....if you are interested you can contact me: [EMAIL="[email protected]"][email protected][/EMAIL] .

[QUOTE=outdoorsman_33;397118]My buddy and I are looking to make a trip to Kentucky/Barkley Lake this spring and are wondering what part of the lake we should spend our time fishing. We are going to buy some detailed lake maps but the lake maps only cover small areas of the lake so we would like to narrow this large body of water down. Any recommendations on the time we should come down, the phase (prespawn/ spawn) the fish will be on, and any suggestions to any parts of the lake that we should start doing our research will greatly help us.[/QUOTE]

Here is the deal friend.....Go to the Barkley Lake State Marina!!!..This large area of Barkley Lake is called "Little River"...you can have the time of your lives right there; catch huge bass...and never even have to get out on the main lake (if the wind is bad / weather). The marina has all you want...it's a little Bass Pro Shops!!! They have camping...nice lodge...cabins...the lodge has a buffet that you and your buddy will love, at an ok price! The lodge has cool rooms to...that over look the lake.... The little town of Cadiz has a "by pass hwy" that is maybe 17 min. from the marina. There are motels there...and a Cracker Barrell...and others! BUT...be carefull about shallow water here and there....Little River isn't as bad as other areas of lake Barkely, with the extream shallow areas... be clipped and zipped when you are running your large motor please. See how far you can go back there in Little River...look for bass on the flats back there, fish it all.....it's all good

Thanks guys for all of your help. Dave I will send you a PM you about you mapping service. I have heard from multiple people that you are the go to guy around Kentucky Lake. We don't have a lot of money to spend with us both being newly married and going to college/grad school full time. I will have to look into the [B][U]ATLANTIC[/U][/B] MAP. I appriciate tid bits of information like this because it is amazing how much maps differ in detail. I noticed this when I fish Table Rock a lot. One thing that I have already noticed about Kentucky lake is that it is pretty shallow. How deep are the flats that Bass typically Spawn on? Is it the typical 1-6 feet or is the water clear enough to where they will spawn deeper? Thanks for all of the help

[QUOTE=outdoorsman_33;397194]Thanks guys for all of your help. Dave I will send you a PM you about you mapping service. I have heard from multiple people that you are the go to guy around Kentucky Lake. We don't have a lot of money to spend with us both being newly married and going to college/grad school full time. I will have to look into the [B][U]ATLANTIC[/U][/B] MAP. I appriciate tid bits of information like this because it is amazing how much maps differ in detail. I noticed this when I fish Table Rock a lot. One thing that I have already noticed about Kentucky lake is that it is pretty shallow. How deep are the flats that Bass typically Spawn on? Is it the typical 1-6 feet or is the water clear enough to where they will spawn deeper? Thanks for all of the help[/QUOTE]

....Im sure Dave could answer this better than I can;...but it seems to me that bass spawn on Barkley in very shallow water..just as shallow as I've seen anywhere really. Im sure there are places where they might be 5 feet or so...Like Dale Hallow;...but even there...they can be quite shallow as well. Go back into those bays back in little river...depending on the rain run off..weather...you will see them, use a "great" pair of glasses though, that is huge!! And if the sun is out and high... you will see males in the shallows CRUSING...you can bet that a nest is close by...with females ready to go! I like using a zoom frog with a No 5 off -set hook..30 pound braid..Wakem!!!....or a weightless trick worm to locate the aggressive males, fast action and big fun stuff there!!! Might even get a female "clearing the way" of all preditors around her nest; for her last meal...Find the crusers dude...and you will find the big fat females. My B-day is April the 29th...I lived in Hoptown for years (less than 25 min. from Barkley)...and around my B-day; was some of the best times to do some sight fishing on Barkley....I'd focus on South Barkley though...before KY. lake...for spawners that is...but that is just me. I've been a "Barkley kid" all my life. Also...the other bays...north and south of little river, off the main lake, on the same side of the lake as Little River... is all that as well!!! And if the wind isn't bad (usually is)...go right across the main lake from little river..the LBL side (watch out for the shallow water there, out on the main lake, it can fool you!!!!)...fish those bays..north and south on the LBL side as well!!! Another ramp to go out of...if you want to get away from the "crowds", ...is a place called Linton Ky....very small ramp there..way out in the country,...It's South Barkley Lake at it's best!! It's my fathers favorite place to bass fish in the world!!! ...Find Fords bay on your map, it's across the main lake a bit from Linton; LBL side.. My father caught a 9 pounder off the nest in Fords bay!!! And has caught 3 more there as well during differnet times of the year; of course in over 40 years of fishing there. Hey...after you and you buddy fish..post a report...I'LL BE LOOKING FOR IT!!!

[QUOTE=DaveStewart;397153]Depends on which end of the lake you are going to fish..but last two weeks of April is prime time for late prespawn and spawn from Paris north. I don't have any dates available in that time frame unless someone cancels a trip but I do offer a map marking service with tips....if you are interested you can contact me: [EMAIL="[email protected]"][email protected][/EMAIL] .[/QUOTE]
I highly reccomend the map marking service if you are new to the lakes or expierenced dave give us a little tip last year during april and applied the same thing to my lakes up home and we caught fish never in a million years I would have dreamed what he said would work anywhere I,m a believer now.

Hey thanks guys for all of the help. What do you guys think? Do you agree with demodan that we should focus on Barkley with this being our first trip? Are there any other maps that are good other than the Atlantic that you would recommend?

[QUOTE=outdoorsman_33;397377]Hey thanks guys for all of the help. What do you guys think? Do you agree with demodan that we should focus on Barkley with this being our first trip? Are there any other maps that are good other than the Atlantic that you would recommend?[/QUOTE]

Both lakes are good in the spring you can't go wrong fishing either one of them. I do think Kentucky recieves a little more pressure, some guys swear Ky is just better than Barkley but when it's on it's on. A buddy and I use to fish Barkley fairly often and have had some awesome days. Went out of Buzzard Rock a few times and came back with a bruise in my belly from setting the hook. We also use to fish out of Irvin Cobb on Blood river on Ky every year to and we have seen it be so good you had to hide behind a tree to tie a bait on and other times much slower. But we always went in late March after that one good fish and didn't care about numbers. Long story short, flip a coin or amke up your mind a week or two in advance pending weather and levels, both lakes are bass factories.

[QUOTE=outdoorsman_33;397377]Hey thanks guys for all of the help. What do you guys think? Do you agree with demodan that we should focus on Barkley with this being our first trip? Are there any other maps that are good other than the Atlantic that you would recommend?[/QUOTE]

You won't need any other paper map other than the Atlantic Map.
As far as which lake...and where on which lake...that depends on when in the spring you are going to be here...the fishing peaks on the late prespawn at different times in different areas. Ky was much better than Barkley overall last year...but had some really good days on Barkley last spring...it is all relative. My advice if you are just fun fishing is to not dock your boat...keep it on the trailer, that way you can pick areas to fish based upon latest information and wind/weather conditions. We have plenty of ramps down here so a lot of water is accessable by trailering...that way you can capitolize on your trip.