The lake provides a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities for millions of visitors each year. The lake covers 57,900 acres at summer pool, elevation 359 mean sea level, and is surrounded by 1,004 miles of shoreline. Natural conditions at Lake Barkley make it possible for the public to participate in activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, picnicking, and boating. In addition,
there is a Civil War Monument, historic relics, commercial marinas, public parks and wildlife refuges. The many species of wildlife here, including golden and bald eagles, make bird watching and nature photography exciting pastimes. Lake Barkley is a shallow water lake impounding 118.1 miles of the Cumberland River from River Mile 30.6 above its confluence with the Ohio River to Cheatham Dam (River Mile 148.7). It is the lowermost mainstream project for the Cumberland River System. Barkley Dam was authorized in the River and Harbor Act of 1954. Lake Barkley is located in an area that varies from gentle to moderately rolling hills, typical of scenic southwestern Kentucky and north central Tennessee. It is a beautiful area interspersed with open fields, old growth timber and picturesque bluffs. The lake, in its upper reaches, passes through the site of the famous Civil War battlefield now preserved as the Fort Donelson National Battlefield located in Dover, Tennessee.
