An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Welcome to the 2024 Fishing Forcast for Kentucky's Major fisheries. The forecast is based on 2023 fish population surveys, creel surveys, fish stockings, and historical knowledge of the fisheries. The Forecast is designed to assist anglers in planning their fishing trips and improve their fishing success. Additional fishing information is available from the Department’s website at fw.ky.gov, by obtaining copies of the 2024 Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide available at most sporting goods stores, and now through our new Fish Boat KY App found in both the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store. The Kentucky Trout Waters brochure is contained in the 2024 Fishing and Boating Guide.
To locate fishing access sites in Kentucky, visit our website and on “Fishing,” and then scroll down to the “Find a Place to Fish” section. You will be able to search for your favorite water bodies and get directions to all major boat launches and access sites. On our Fish Boat KY App, click on “Waterbody List” on the app’s main page. You will be able to search for your favorite water bodies and get directions to all major boat launches and access sites.
Opening day of the 2024 fishing season starts March 1 with the new year’s license, so take a trip to your local sporting goods store, get online at 2024 fishing license, or just use the Fish Boat KY App to purchase your 2024 fishing license. Licenses and permits are not currently available by phone. Please visit fw.ky.gov for updates.
The Fishing Forecast is partially financed through funds provided by your purchase of fishing equipment and motorboat fuels under the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program.
Several waterbodies have shown improvements in their fisheries in the last year. You might try to get in on the action at the following:
Make sure you check out the Fishing Forecast Cheat Sheet. For those looking for a quick answer to where the best fishing can be found for each species, the Cheat Sheets are your guide. The Cheat Sheets lets you know which lakes are forecasted to provide the best fishing (rated 4 stars or greater) for each of your favorite fish species. Just look up the species you are interested in and then see which lakes are marked in orange. These are the lakes which will provide the best chance for a memorable fishing trip for that species. The Cheat Sheets are located on several pages, so if you don’t see the species or lake you are interested in on the first page, make sure to check the following pages.
As warm winds begin to flow over Kentucky, put your new fishing license to good use by trying a few early spring fishing hot spots. In March, fish activity begins in the smaller bodies of water such as farm ponds and smaller public lakes as water temperatures reach the 50s. These smaller, shallower bodies of water warm quicker than reservoirs in spring. Late winter and early spring may be the best time of the year to catch big fish.
Trophy largemouth bass, especially females, are at their heaviest weight of the entire year during late winter and early spring. Female bass feed heavily during this time to provide fuel for the upcoming spawn. Farm ponds and smaller public lakes are prime spots for early spring largemouth bass fishing before the larger bodies of water warm enough for bass to feed.
A few of the best lakes for catching trophy bass in spring are Lake Barkley, Kentucky Lake and Lake Malone in western Kentucky along with Cedar Creek, Kincaid and Guist Creek lakes in central Kentucky. Greenbo Lake in northeast Kentucky and Wood Creek Lake in southeast Kentucky both produced multiple state record largemouth bass in the past. Lake Beshear in west Kentucky, Barren River Lake in west-central Kentucky and Herrington and Green River lakes in central Kentucky also offer excellent early spring bass fishing. Dewey, Fishtrap, Fishpond and Highsplint lakes give east Kentucky anglers a great shot for an early spring trophy largemouth bass. The new Kentucky state record largemouth bass (14-pound 9.5-ounce) was caught from Highsplint Lake in 2019.
If you are after smallmouth bass, head to Green River Lake, Kentucky Lake, Lake Cumberland, Laurel River Lake, Dale Hollow Lake and Fishtrap Lake for a good chance at catching the smallmouth bass of a lifetime in late winter and early spring. Streams also provide excellent fishing for smallmouth bass in early spring throughout southwestern, central and eastern Kentucky. Adult fish migrate from their winter habitat in deep, slow-moving holes in the lower sections of streams to spawning areas in smaller tributary streams. Elkhorn Creek, South Fork of the Licking River and several upper Kentucky, Green and Barren river tributaries offer the best spring fishing opportunities for smallmouth bass. The upper Levisa Fork is also a great smallmouth fishery.
Slab crappie are ready to be caught, beginning in late winter, at many reservoirs in central and western Kentucky. Catches of crappie over 12 inches are not uncommon at Barkley and Kentucky lakes during this time. Black crappie move into shallow water well before the spawning season in early March, so start early for these fish. Other good bets for crappie include Herrington, Taylorsville, Cumberland, Dewey, Carr Creek, Rough, Nolin, Barren, and Buckhorn lakes as well as Ohio River embayments.
Excellent white bass fishing can be found during the early spring in the upper sections of reservoirs such as Barkley, Cave Run, Nolin River, Taylorsville, Herrington, and Fishtrap lakes. The Kentucky, Green, and Ohio rivers offer excellent spring white bass fishing.
During late winter, sauger and walleye fishing peaks in tailwaters below dams on the Ohio, lower Kentucky, Cumberland, and Tennessee rivers. Lake Cumberland, Dale Hollow, Laurel River, and Carr Creek lakes possess excellent walleye fisheries.
If you are interested in muskellunge, they move in spring to shallow shoreline structure and headwater areas in search of warmer water at Cave Run, Green, Buckhorn, and Dewey lakes. Remember, a 36-inch minimum size limit and one fish daily creel limit is in effect for muskellunge at Cave Run, Green, and Dewey lakes. A 40-inch minimum size limit and one fish daily creel limit is in effect at Buckhorn Lake.
Do not forget to take advantage of trout waters such as seasonal catch-and-release trout streams, lakes stocked with trout in winter months, Fishing in Neighborhood (FINs) lakes stocked with trout, and the Cumberland River tailwater and Hatchery Creek below Lake Cumberland in late winter and early spring. Trout bite willingly in cold water.