Tennessee Valley Authority
Kentucky Reservoir
Kentucky Dam is 22 miles upstream from the confluence of the Tennessee River with the Ohio. The dam is the longest in the TVA system, and the reservoir, which stretches for 184 miles across the states of Kentucky and Tennessee, is the largest in the eastern U.S.
Kentucky Reservoir is home to many varieties of fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, bluegill, sauger, and crappie. Numerous boat docks and launching ramps dot the coves of Kentucky’s shoreline.
Located on Kentucky’s shores are the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, four state parks, the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, 48 public access areas, and two state wildlife management areas. There are resorts and campsites, areas for swimming and picnicking, and a back-country area for off-road vehicles.
Water skiing, sailing, and windsurfing are popular, as well as bicycling, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing.
Kentucky Dam is a major producer of hydroelectric power, with a generating capacity of 184,000 kilowatts. TVA utilizes the reservoir’s strategic location and vast storage capacity to help reduce flood crests on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
The filling of Kentucky Reservoir in 1945 opened the Tennessee River to year-round navigation and linked the Tennessee Valley with the nation’s inland waterway system.
The Kentucky Dam Visitor Center is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday except for major holidays. It will be closed when the homeland security alert level is high (orange) or higher.