An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
The following columns provide information on some of the better sites to fish for each species. For a more complete list of water bodies where each species can be found click here and then select the species that you are interested in under “Search for water bodies for species.”
Can't get enough articles about seasonal fishing opportunities? Check out our Spring Fishing Frenzy series!
Lee McClellanFrankfort, KY
Few things in Kentucky's outdoors compare to being on Lake Cumberland at dawn with a bait tank full of threadfin shad, the boat slowing as it comes off plane as you near the channel drop that you plan to drift those shad over to fool a large striped bass.
Pandemonium reigns when several rods go down at the same time as striped bass hit the shad. Adrenaline pumps through your temples as you and your fishing partners navigate landing these powerful fish simultaneously. Striped bass usually nosedive for the depths after striking.
Dr. James Henshall, the “apostle of the black bass” famously said: “I consider him (black bass) inch for inch, pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims.”
The plucky smallmouth bass living in central Kentucky's Elkhorn Creek that Henshall caught with some of the first Kentucky reels likely served as a catalyst for his famous quote.
If hybrid striped bass lived in Henshall's time in the late 1800s, his quote would likely refer to hybrids as the gamest fish that swims.
Lee McClellan Frankfort, KY
Kentucky’s topography is laced with flowing, rock-bottomed streams that hold smallmouth bass. Most of the state east of the Tradewater River basin has streams that hold smallies.
Water temperatures are in the mid-50s and falling in Lake Cumberland, Dale Hollow and Laurel River Lake. Once water temperatures drop below 50 degrees for extended periods, threadfin shad...
Sauger are starting to hover just above bottom downstream of dams, waiting for a stunned shad to tumble into their orbit. Anglers started catching sauger below dams on the Ohio River recently, with some catching fish in excess of 15 inches long...
It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week. Kentuckians are going to have some time off over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Spending some time outdoors is a good way to...
The recent Indian summer weather and record highs earlier this week are but a fleeting thing. It will soon be cold as Thanksgiving is just around the corner, followed by winter. Water temperatures at Kentucky’s world-class smallmouth reservoirs...
Many anglers think the first cool winds of early fall spur largemouth bass to move from their deep summer haunts and shove their noses practically on the bank. They fish too shallow too early and...
Kevin KellyFrankfort, KY
Anglers treasure the fall months in Kentucky.The shortening periods of daylight and the cooler, drier air bring welcome relief from summer and bring on the fall colors. It’s during this time of transition...
The dramatically cooler nights of the last few weeks are a blessing for anglers. These longer, colder nights pull the residual heat from the water...
They were not even recognized as a distinctive fish species until 1927. People for many years believed these fish only existed in Kentucky. In 1956, the Kentucky legislature designated this species the “Kentucky bass” and made them the official state fish. Many anglers, especially in the south-central...
Kevin Kelly Frankfort, KY
Anglers become conditioned to expect high water on lakes in spring and stable conditions in summer before the fall drawdowns to winter pool. Determinging the conditions on the lake you plan...
This past spring and early summer was just like the one before it. It rained and rained until mid-summer, then it didn’t rain much at all. Streams...
Consistency is a trait all anglers love in a body of water. Most Kentucky lakes and rivers go through seasonal temperature swings that make fishing tough during the hottest and coldest months of...
Some lures on the market have stood the test of time, catching fish decade after decade. The Dardevle spoon, the Jitterbug and the Hula...
Winter is a season of nesting for many Kentuckians. Hot cocoa and a book by the fireplace is more appealing than getting outside in the wet and cold. However, for those who enjoy solitude and having lakes completely to themselves, winter is the...
Bass angler’s hearts sank all over the upper South when the venerable Uncle Josh Company announced in early 2016 that they would no longer produce pork rind jig trailers. Hogs go to slaughter younger than they used to and the company...
Kentucky offers some of the finest deer hunting found anywhere, and the modern gun deer season stands as one of the most anticipated...
A car, truck or sport utility vehicle with a couple of kayaks on the roof with fishing poles visible through the back window is an increasingly common sight on Kentucky highways. Sales data shows fishing and related kayak accessories..
Reservoir smallmouth anglers are a weird lot. They dangle tiny little hair jigs under bobbers in air so cold ice forms in the guides of their rods. They...
The orange tint in the tops of mature trees portend what is coming our way. Cool nights with crisp, gorgeous days signal some of the best days of the year in Kentucky, and also the beginning of the...
The angler’s whoop traveled fast and loud over the water from the back of Buck Creek on Cave Run Lake. Bringing a trophy muskellunge to the boat after a spirited fight uncorks raw emotions and provides a unique sense of satisfaction. In this instance, the 45-inch torpedo of a fish was a new...
They were not even recognized as a distinctive fish species until 1927. People for many years...