I'm heading to Kentucky Lake for the first time on 8/1. I plan to put the boat in at Kentucky Dam Marina and staying in Gilbertsville. Do any of you guys have any suggestions as to things to or not to do? Restaurants? Tow routes from NJ?

What kind of boat? What kind of boating is your preference?
Kentucky Dam Marina, KDM, is quiet with no restaurant/bar/entertainment.
Green Turtle Bay is also quiet but has Bar/Restaurant/and weekend entertainment. Spa with swimming pools. Condos on site. This is a nice well maintained marina, check out their web and live web cams.
Buzzard Rock in the next marina up the lake, nice clean laid back. Restaurant, weekend evening entertainment covered transient slips and reasonable cabin prices.
Hu-B's is where the action on weekends is. Transient docking Thurs evening, Friday night, Sat. night, Sun afternoon live music. Restaurant good fuel prices 92 @ $3.87.
Large covered patio porch outdoor environment.

Gilbertsville is not where I would stay (again). Stay AWAY from KEN-BAR lodge, I hear the Bel-Air is OK. Th Kentucky Village is said to be real nice and has a very nice restaurant. When I traveled here on vacation, prior to moving here, I liked the Relax-Inn in Eddyville.
There is a newly remodeled Ameri-Vu(?sp) and another fresh remodel at the I-24/hwy 62.
I live in Calvert City, by the lakes, and keep my boat at Hu-B's.
PM me with your contact info if you want more insight.
Have a great time it is a beautiful area, you can boat both lakes Kentucky and Barkley as they are connected via a canal at the north end.
Good Luck Gary

The Moore's Marina and Resort is about 8 miles south of KDM on the same side of Kentucky Lake.
Nice clean marina and family friendly gas, restaurant, bar, cabins and transient docks. Nice ramp also has live web cams to see what marina is like.

Thanks for the info. I will be towing out my 32 Sunsation. We have a house rented in Gilbertsville [VRBO]. There is a covered dock for two boats so I rented a Pontoon for the week for some family time. 8 adults in my boat is way to tight! My wife and I are looking to retire to a lake house in the next year or two so we will be looking around while we are there. We have three boys 1 in PA, 1 in CA and 1 based at Fort Campbell. Kentucky / Tennessee could be a good spot to get to see all of them without 6 hour flights.

We will be out that weekend on the KY side. We boat out of Moors marina and that's where we keep our toy hauler. Message me that weekend and we can give you the rundown of what's going on that weekend on Ky and Barkley Lakes.

Thank you. I may take you up on that.

I just got back from Kentucky Lake. I must say, it is a hell of a tow from NJ! The weather was perfect for 7 days, the lake is gorgeous and the people were very friendly. I saw plenty of Go Fasts on the weekends but pretty low-key during the week. The cabin in Gilbertsville was beautiful and accommodated 8 adults nicely. We launched my boat from Moors and was shocked that I didn't have to pay for launching or storage so I took care of the kids on the gas docks pretty well. All in all, it was probably one of the best vacations ever. You guys that live nearby are very lucky. Anybody ever go to Boss Hogs for dinner?

Paying for launch and/or truck trailer storage is unheard of around here.
Glad you enjoyed our area.

Kentucky Lake is definitely on the shortlist for retirement in a year or two!

Rich, I spoke to you that Sunday morning you arrived, I was on the orange golf cart. It was great meeting you and your wife and glad you enjoyed your stay!!