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Tradewater River

Tradewater River headwaters are located in Christian county. From here the river flows 136 miles northwest through the communities of Dawson Springs, Providence, Blackford, and Sturgis and finally flowing into the Ohio River. Tradewater River is fairly remote with relatively long distances between access points and flows through an area that is a mixture of forested and agricultural lands. Tradewater River is a typical gentle rolling river with an abundance of woody debris, braided channels, riffles, runs and deeper pools. However, this river is extremely flashy and rain events can cause river levels to rise extremely fast. Tradewater River provides boaters and anglers an excellent opportunity to fish for bluegill, largemouth bass, crappie, spotted bass, flathead catfish, redear sunfish, and many other species.
   
 
                                               

Tradewater River Access Site to Site Mileages
Put In Access SiteTake Out Access SiteTotal River Miles
Dawson Springs RampRiverside Park Access0.2
Riverside Park AccessTowry Bridge Access37.2
Towry Bridge AccessBellville Road Access10.6
Bellville Road AccessMontezuma Bridge Ramp9.2
Montezuma Bridge RampFishtrap Bridge Ramp6.7
Fishtrap Bridge RampVFW Bridge Ramp9.5
VFW Bridge RampGranger Landing Ramp10.6
 
                                                 

 

 
Recommended River Levels for Boating/Fishing*
Tradewater River @ Olney, KY
RatingGauge Height in Feet (ft)Flow in cubic feet per second (cfs)
Low<1.8 ft<10.5 cfs
Good1.8-5.0 ft10.5-100 cfs
High>5.0 ft>100 cfs
Recommended River Levels for Boating/Fishing*
Tradewater River @ Providence, KY
RatingGauge Height in Feet (ft)Flow in cubic feet per second (cfs)
Low<10.0 ft<5.0 cfs
Good10.0-15.0 ft5.0-50.0 cfs
High>15.0 ft>50.0 cfs
*These ratings are only recommendations. Skill and experience will dictate levels appropriate for each angler.
Resources for River Levels:
U.S. Geological Survey
(Provides real time stream flows on rivers and stream around the state)


Current Stream Levels On Tradewater River @ Olney, KY

Current Stream Levels On Tradewater River @ Providence, KY 

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Tradewater River Public Access Site Descriptions

Dawson Springs Ramp: (Additional Information/Directions)
                                          

This is a single lane concrete boat ramp located in Riverside Park at the southern end of Dawson Springs, KY just off highway 62. A semi-large gravel parking lot is available at the top of the ramp, however, no other amenities are available at this location. This site provides suitable access for john boats, canoes, kayaks, and bank fishing. Be advised that caution should be taken in boats and paddle craft as a low head dam is located 500 ft directly below the ramp.

Riverside Park: (Additional Information/Directions)
                                              

Riverside park access is located within Riverside Park directly below the dam and Dawson Springs ramp. A large gravel and grass parking area is available at this access site. This access site is best suited for canoes, kayaks, and bank fishing. Anglers should use caution when fishing near low head dams due to strong currents and “boils”. No amenities are available at this location.
Towry Bridge Access: (Additional Information/Directions) 
                                               

This gravel/dirt access is located 11.0 miles south of Providence, KY and 20.7 miles northwest of Dawson Springs, KY. Parking is limited to the area between the access point, Towry bridge, and the entrance. However, there are no other amenities available at this site. This site is suitable for canoes, and kayaks. Bank and wading fishing is available at this site, although it is limited to just the access site and area around the bridge as the adjacent property is privately owned.
Bellville Road Access: (Additional Information/Directions)
                                                     

This gravel/dirt access is located just 2.7 miles outside of Providence, KY. From Providence, follow west main street for 0.7 miles then turn left onto bellville road and follow it for 2.0 miles and the access site will be on the left before the bridge. Parking is limited to the small gravel lot directly above the access point. There are no other amenities available at this site. This site is suitable for canoes, and kayaks. Bank and wading fishing is available at this site, although it is limited to just the access site and area around the bridge as the adjacent property is privately owned.
Montezuma Bridge Ramp: (Additional Information/Directions)
                                                    

This single lane, concrete ramp is located 4.8 miles west of Providence, KY and 10.8 miles southeast of Blackford, KY directly adjacent to Montezuma Bridge. A small gravel parking area is available at the ramp site and has room for only a few vehicles to park at a time. There are no other amenities available at this site. This site is suitable for john boats, canoes, and kayaks. Bank and wading fishing is available at this site, although it is limited to the area surrounding the ramp and directly below Montezuma Bridge.
Fishtrap Bridge Ramp: (Additional Information/Directions)
                                                            

This single lane, concrete ramp is located 7.5 miles southwest of Clay, KY and 11.0 miles east of Providence, KY. A small, gravel parking area is available at the ramp site. However, there are no other amenities available at this site. This site is suitable for john boats, canoes, and kayaks. Bank and wading fishing is available at this site, although it is limited to the area surrounding the ramp and directly below Fishtrap Bridge.

VFW Bridge Ramp: (Additional Information/Directions)
                                                         

This single lane, concrete ramp is located one and a half miles south of Sullivan, KY and 5.7 miles south of Sturgis, KY near McGraw Hill road and Highway 60. A large, gravel and grass parking area is available at the ramp site. There are no other amenities available at this site. This site is suitable for john boats, canoes, and kayaks. Bank and wading fishing is available at this site, although it is limited to the area surrounding the ramp and directly below the VFW Bridge.
Granger Landing Ramp: (Additional Information/Directions)

This single lane, concrete ramp is located on the west side of Sturgis, KY where Old Providence road and KY-1508 intersect. A large, gravel and grass parking area is available at the ramp site. There are no other amenities available at this site. This site is suitable for john boats, canoes, and kayaks. Bank and wading fishing is available at this site, although it is limited to the area surrounding the ramp.

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Fisheries Overview
 

The following length frequencies are representative of the top 5 species sampled in Tradewater River from 2017.

Bluegill length frequency graph 

 

Largemouth Bass length frequency graph 

 

Black Crappie Length frequency graph 

 

Spotted Bass Length frequency graph 

 

Flathead Catfish Length frequency graph 

  
 

 

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