When summer descends upon the Bluegrass State, it can only mean one thing: time to go play at one of the best lakes in Kentucky! Whether it's swimming, boating, fishing, or simply admiring the beautiful bodies of water around our city, there are plenty of Kentucky lakes that are well suited for any of your summer needs Some of these Louisville lakes may require a bit of driving, but they're all located within a three-hour radius of the city.

1. McNeely Lake Park

2. Waverly Park Lake

Another beautiful lake located in Louisville is Waverly Park Lake. This lake offers mountain biking, fishing, grills, hiking trails, picnic areas, and a playground. The scenery here is a perfect setting to kick back, relax, and enjoy the outdoors. We especially love hiking along the park's 9.5 miles of hiking trails in the summer and fall seasons!

3. Lake Nevin

Lake Nevin is located in the beautiful Bernheim Forest, just a short 20 to 30 minutes away from Louisville. In addition to being located within one of the most immensely beautiful places in Kentucky, this lake offers limited bank fishing, but the best thing to do here is walk around the trails and admire its beauty.

4. Deam Lake

Located just 30 minutes away from Louisville in Southern Indiana, Deam Lake is like a dream. It has a public swimming area and many other designated areas for fishing, boating, swimming, camping, kayaking, picnicking, hiking, and hunting across the Deam Lake Recreation Area. You can also rent rowboats here to fully enjoy your time out on the water. Deam Lake is an amazing place to camp and it's one of the nicest, closest lakes around Louisville.

5. Lake Shelby

6. Taylorsville Lake

Taylorsville Lake is located almost an hour away, but it's one of the best near the city. A true nature lover's paradise, this lake is wonderful for camping, fishing, boating, hiking, and more. The 24-mile trail system around the lake allows for hiking, mountain biking, and even horseback riding. Birdwatching is popular here as well, as there are so many spectacular species that call this lake home, such as the Blue Heron seen above taking flight. The Van Buren Boat Ramp area also contains two nesting sites for the American Bald Eagle.

7. Hardy Lake

Located a little over an hour away in Scottsburg, Indiana, Hardy Lake offers hiking, boating, camping, and has an interesting raptor rehabilitation center with trained professionals who can teach you about the region's hawks, owls, falcons, and vultures.

8. Lake Reba

Located and hour and a half away in Richmond, Kentucky, Lake Reba offers a surprising amount of amenities to entertain guests. They have a little league baseball complex, an adult softball complex, a batting cage, miniature and regular golf courses, the Paradise Cove Aquatic Center, a soccer complex, an off-leash dog park, a football field, walking/jogging trails, Herb Vescio horseshoe pits , and the fishing lake with boat ramp & fish cleaning station.

9. Laurel River Lake

Located two and a half hours away in the Daniel Boone National Forest, Laurel River Lake is a beautiful man-made lake that was built in 1977 as a reservoir of the Laurel River. There's a pristine beach to swim at and the water is amazingly clear and clean. While you're in the area, you should also check out Cumberland Falls!

10. Lake Cumberland

What do you think are the best lakes in Louisville? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook! To learn about more beautiful Kentucky lakes, check out this article about the best lakes in Kentucky.