Location: Land Between the Lakes, Lyon County, Kentucky, Road 138
GPS: N 36 54’ 39.42” W 88 01’ 23.72”
Directions to Access Point: Beginning at I-24, travel south on the Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway; turn left onto Road 135; turn left on Road 138.
Amenities: Boat ramp
Parking: 10 gravel spaces
Restrictions: No camping at the access point or in the Woodlands Nature Watch Area to the north and south; closes at dusk; water access closed November 1 – March 15 as the water area is part of a wildlife refuge.
Safety: Wear your life jacket.
Know your skills and limits.
Wind and weather can create dangerous conditions.
Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return.
Plan to “Pack it in; pack it out!”
South from Honker Bay
5.1 miles south by the water trail to the Taylor Bay access point.
Safety: Be aware of the wind and weather forecast.
Time Allotment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Trail Description: The trail to the south leads around Bobcat Point, along Empire Point and into Taylor Bay. The area from the Honker Bay boat ramp to the northernmost end of Bobcat Point is closed to water access from Nov 1 - Mar 15 as the area is part of a wildlife refuge. The area from the northernmost end of Bobcat Point to Empire Point is closed to water access from Nov 1 – Feb 15 as the area is part of a wildlife refuge.
Wildlife viewing: A variety of birds can be spotted especially during summer months
From April through late August, you can see numerous osprey, a.k.a. “fish-hawks,” which have several nests in this area. These birds nest from May through July, and often hunt for fish throughout the day to feed their young. In early fall, they migrate down to South America for the winter. Throught out the year, see large flocks of double-crested cormorants on the channel islands and electrical towers. In August and September, these channel islands are filled with wood ducks, and great and snowy egrets. Bald Eagles are common.
For more advanced birders, this water trail offers great opportunities to see many other smaller birds along its forested shoreline including green herons, prothonotary warblers, eastern kingbirds, northern parulas, tanagers and more.
Cultural Features: Empire Point once served as the headquarters for the Kentucky Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge founded in the 1930s. Later it transformed to an agricultural education center in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Empire Point’s open grasslands have been maintained by cooperative farmers who still gather hay for livestock, keeping trees from overtaking its views.
Natural Features: Several small channel islands dot the entrance to Taylor Bay and are a great spot for looking for wetland birds.
Fishing Information:
North from Honker Bay
8.9 miles north by the water trail to the Woodson Chapel access point.
Safety: Be aware of the wind and weather forecast.
Time Allotment: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Trail Description: The trail to the north leads around Honker Bay, Into Fulton Bay and then to the Woodson Chapel Access Point. Fulton Bay is a quiet, shallow bay with no road access which makes the bay attractive to wildlife. Fulton Bay also is the home of the remains of the Fulton Furnace, which is an interesting cultural feature and a great place to stop for lunch or a rest. Across the bay from the furnace was once the location for Fulton School, a one room school house that served the community until 1937.
Wildlife viewing: A variety of birds can be spotted especially during summer months
From April through late August, you can see numerous osprey, a.k.a. “fish-hawks,” which have several nests in this area. These birds nest from May through July, and often hunt for fish throughout the day to feed their young. In early fall, they migrate down to South America for the winter.
For more advanced birders, this water trail offers great opportunities to see many other smaller birds along its forested shoreline including green herons, prothonotary warblers, eastern kingbirds, northern parulas, tanagers and more.
Ducks, great blue herons and bald eagles also spend time fishing in the shallow waters of Fulton Bay.
Numerous wading birds such as snowy egrets, great e
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