BY Chris Erwin
The first question many of you are going to ask is, where is Lake Allen? The lake has been around for a very long time; however, its only been developed and stocked recently. This is the project of Bill Walters owner of the property located in the Paul Coffee Industrial Park.
The Lake and campground are straightforward to get to, and if you would like to camp, they have you covered. Gary Salyers, Lake Allen manager, told me that they have been working hard to develop this campground and Pay-Lake, so it’s now ready for the public. They offer 40 RV sites complete with water/sewage, electric and free Wifi, tent camping is also available.
They are two bodies of water making up the Lake Allen compound, both have been reclaimed and are now healthy lakes that are teeming with fish. Salyers told me that bass, crappie, and bluegill have been in the lake a long time, but they have added around 2000 pounds of three kinds of catfish. Some of these fish are in the 10 to 20-pound range.
Along with the Lakes and Campground, they also have a camp store/restaurant, where they serve hotdogs, nachos and cheese, soft drinks and most of the things you might need while you are there. That also includes live-bait and some tackle.
Around the lake, they have constructed fishing huts that have roofs keeping you out of the weather and hot sun while you tend your rods. They are 12 of them surrounding the lake that you can drive right up to. Fishing the lake is 16-dollars a day, and you can use two rods. The lake also has two significant handicap Jonny on the spot, restrooms that were as clean as a pin.
If you decided to camp, tent camping is $28.00 a night, RV camping is $40.00 a night including water/sewage, and electric(30 and 50 amp hookups) they are 40 of these sites that are easy walking to the lake. They also have weekly and monthly rates. The fishing hours are from seven am to 11-pm at night.
The lakes and campground sit on about seven acres of land that is just minutes from town. My first impression was this is a great place to have a family reunion or a picnic, including a day of fishing. Bill Walters also has a huge slide-out camper that he rents. You would need to reserve it, but it was a perfect place to just pull in unpack your gear and walk over to the lake. The deep-wall side of the lake is about 30-feet deep, and much of the lake is about 20 feet deep, making it great for holding all of the catfish.
Salyers told me that as soon as the temperature gets a little cooler, they plan to have fishing tournaments and prizes. While they are still in the planning stage, this is a great time to beat the rush and get in on some relaxing fishing.
If you want to drive out and look the place over, go down to the entrance of the Paul Coffee complex to where Boyd County Glass sits, turn up the hill and go to the first street on the left, you can’t miss it. The address is 12630 Virginia Blvd Ashland Ky 41101. You can also call and talk to someone by calling 606-928-0139 or 606-922-0388 or 606-922-2767. I am always eager to tell you about someplace in our area, that is new. After meeting Bill and Gary, I found them to be warm, friendly people trying to make a place for families to have fun and enjoy the outdoors. Now that’s my kinda people. If you get a chance, check them out and tell them you read it here. Until next time, keep your line wet and take a kid fishing.
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