Kentucky Lake: Geode Digging in Lyon County, Kentucky

Plan your visit

Generally open to casual rockhounding

County

Lyon County

State

Kentucky

Nearest road

Forest Service Road 111-A

Coordinates

36.93743, -88.16991

Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground in the RockHoundR app, where land overlays show which agency manages the area.

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual rockhounding

Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.

Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.

Best time to visit Kentucky Lake

Comfortable months (45 to 90°F highs)

Best months: September to June. Typical highs run 91°F in midsummer and 48°F in midwinter, with winter lows near 30°F.

Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, EDDYVILLE 5S station (9 mi away), adjusted for elevation.

Geology at Kentucky Lake

This spot sits on Tuscaloosa Formation, mapped as gravel that formed roughly 100 to 66 million years ago. Geodes weather out of their host rock and collect in gravels like these, where their round shape and light heft help them stand out.

Mapped unit

Tuscaloosa Formation

Age

100–66 Ma (Late Cretaceous)

Rock types

gravel

Elevation

350 ft

Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.

Sources & verification

Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.

• Kentucky Geological Survey
• Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum
• Daniel Boone National Forest
• Community submissions reviewed against published agency rules