Herrington Lake
Many anglers consider Herrington Lake to be a central Kentucky trophy bass lake. Herrington comes highly recommended, especially in the early season months of February and March. Built way back in 1926, this lake covers over 1,800 acres, and is Kentucky’s oldest major reservoir. Narrow and winding, with a maximum depth of nearly 250 feet, this is definitely one bass lake to place on your schedule for 2008.

“With a 12-inch size limit, Herrington Lake also has a large number of bass ready to recruit in the harvestable range (7 to 11 inches),” said Prather. “This lake also has a good number of 12- to 21-inch fish available.”

For anglers traveling to Herrington Lake for the first time, expect to find what many describe as a flooded river. Most of the fish are caught along the original channel, and anglers are advised that floating debris can sometimes be a problem.

There are also many submerged logs and stumps that can present problems to boaters who are not familiar with the water.

Herrington Lake covers parts of Mercer, Boyle and Garrard counties near Harrodsburg and Danville. From the Lexington area, follow U.S. Route 27 south; from the Frankfort area, take U.S. Route 127 south. Access ramps are widely available with ramps at Dix Dam, Cane Run, Sunset Marina, Pandora, Herrington Marina, Keys Landing, Kings Mill and Clifton’s Dock, as well as several others.

Good bass locations at Herrington include in front of the dam, the flooded channel of the first creek on the west side of the main channel, Swinn Island and along the shoreline of the flooded creek just east of the dam.

Prather notes that several other good bass lakes are to be found in this central Kentucky region. Lakes such as Guist Creek in Shelby County, Kincaid in Pendleton County, Bullock Pen in Grant and Boone Counties and Sympson Lake in Nelson County are all top-quality bass fishing waters. He also recommends the main stem of the Kentucky River, after extended drought conditions, as a top bass fishery.

WESTERN REGION
Barkley Lake
Barkley Lake is rated as one of the top lakes in Kentucky for largemouth bass fishing. And huge Barkley Lake covers approximately 58,000 acres at summer pool.

Built in 1966 by damming the Cumberland River, this huge southwestern Kentucky waterway takes in portions of Lyon and Trigg counties in Kentucky and Stewart County in Tennessee. With over 1,000 miles of shoreline and nearly 134 miles in length, Barkley provides anglers with an abundance of bass habitat. The lake’s maximum depths can reach 68 feet, but the average depth is only 12 feet. The shoreline is irregular, and fish cover comes not only from flooded trees and stumps common to impoundments, but also from brush-piles placed in the water by the state and private groups.

The 2008 outlook for Kentucky bass fishermen looks to be better than ever. Weather conditions will dictate fishing conditions, and no one knows for sure what Mother Nature has in store.

From the Louisville-Lexington areas, head west and access the Western Kentucky Parkway, which leads to the northern end of the lake. From the southern region of the state, U.S. Route 68 crosses Lake Barkley more toward its southern end. Numerous ramps provide good access at various points along the length of the lake.

Nearly 60 such ramps are available. These include Barkley Dam Tailwater Access Area, Nickell Branch Recreation Area, Boyds Landing, Poplar Creek, Eddyville Recreation Area, Cravens’ Bay, Rock Castle Point and numerous others.

Recommended locations for bass include near the mouth of Demumbers Creek, near McNabb Creek and around the stumps of Fulton Creek. A few other good bass locations include Terrapin Creek and near the mouth of Dry Creek. Kentucky Lake

Kentucky Lake’s surface area covers more than 160,000 acres in portions of five Kentucky counties and eight counties in Tennessee. The Bluegrass counties include Livingston, Marshall, Calloway, Lyon and Trigg.