Largest lakes & reservoirs in Kentucky by water volume
This is a comparison for lakes within USA > South > Kentucky > - Compared by Largest Lakes - Water Volume in acre-foot.For some lakes, "Largest Lakes - Water Volume" is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 17 articles we have published for Kentucky lakes.
Note: In the United States, an acre foot is a unit of volume used to refer to large-scale bodies of water. It is defined by the volume of water needed to cover 1 acre of surface area to a depth of 1 foot.
Search results: Sort lakes by water volume
Lake name ![]() |
Water vol. in ac-ft ![]() |
Lake description |
---|---|---|
Kentucky Lake (Kentucky, South, Tennessee, USA, West, Western Waterlands) |
4,008,000 ac-ft | 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 (Kentucky, South, Southern Lakes, USA) |
3,995,000 ac-ft | 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… |
Herrington Lake (Bluegrass Region, Kentucky, South, USA) |
537,000 ac-ft | Meandering 32 miles across the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky is Herrington Lake. The first large impoundment in Kentucky, Herrington Lake was created i… |
Laurel River Lake (Daniel Boone Country, Kentucky, South, USA) |
435,000 ac-ft | 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… |
Barren River Lake (Caves, Lakes & Corvettes Region, Kentucky, South, USA) |
190,320 ac-ft | 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… |
Nolin River Lake (Caves, Lakes & Corvettes Region, Kentucky, South, USA) |
170,140 ac-ft | 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… |
Taylorsville Lake (Kentucky, Kentucky Derby Region, South, USA) |
86,440 ac-ft | Located in central Kentucky just 25 miles southeast of Louisville is 3,050 acre Taylorsville Lake. Created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1983… |
Reelfoot Lake (Kentucky, South, Tennessee, USA, West, Western Waterlands) |
80,300 ac-ft | Reelfoot Lake makes its home in northwestern Tennessee and extends into southern Kentucky. The lake is young: popular history says that after the New… |
Yatesville Lake (Appalachians, Kentucky, South, USA) |
63,000 ac-ft | (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… |
Paintsville Lake (Appalachians, Kentucky, South, USA) |
40,700 ac-ft | Sharing acreage of both Johnson and Morgan counties in eastern Kentucky, Paintsville Lake has been a recreational staple since its creation in 1983. T… |