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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.”
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Lee McClellanFrankfort, KY
While winter slows down most fishing in Kentucky, trout angling remains hot in the tailwater below Lake Cumberland’s Wolf Creek Dam.
When resource managers release water through the dam to generate electricity, the outflow comes from deep within Lake Cumberland. The water is cold enough for trout to thrive in the river year-round. Trout are a coldwater species and only know it is winter from the shorter days.
Live bait isn’t just a technique for beginners. A fluttering minnow or chunk of nightcrawler at the end of the line can be one of the most effective means of fishing at this time of year.
“While an artificial bait passes through a fish’s strike zone quickly, live bait just sits there and gives off those subtle vibrations that draw fish,” said Mike Hardin, assistant director of Fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Live bait offers you a chance to catch fish when it’s too cold for other methods of fishing.”
Lee McClellan • October 16, 2023
Bass fishing ponds in fall
An aerial view of Kentucky will show many circular pods of water scattered across the landscape. Some have trails made by cattle coming to them for a drink, some are ringed with large trees, some have a four-plank wooden fence surrounding them to keep out valuable thoroughbreds.
bass
Lee McClellan • September 29, 2023
Fall is a great time for bass fishing on western Ky’s big lakes
Anglers looking for good lakes for fall bass fishing should head west – to Kentucky and Barkley lakes. Bass fishing here is on an upswing, especially for smallmouth bass. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources rates smallmouth bass fishing in these lakes as the best in 20 years.
bass
Few lures beat a tailspinner in cold water
Some lures on the market have stood the test of time, catching fish decade after decade. The Dardevle spoon, the Jitterbug and the Hula Popper along with in-line spinners, the Panther Martin and the Rooster Tail, still catch fish today like they did when swing music topped the charts.
fishing
Three productive winter crappie spots
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
crappie
Lee McClellan • December 7, 2022
December is a great month for striped bass on Lake Cumberland
A 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.
bass
Lee McClellan • October 11, 2022
October and November Is Hybrid Striped Bass Time
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.”
Lee McClellan • September 1, 2022
Early fall makes a great time to fly fish for stream smallmouth bass
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.
Lee McClellan • December 10, 2020
Float and Fly Works During the Coldest Months
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 begin to suffer from the cold water.
Lee McClellan • December 2, 2020
Sauger bite during the holiday season
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.
sauger
Lee McClellan • November 19, 2020
Enjoy seasonal catch and release trout streams this winter
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 refresh the spirit and get some exercise during a time when many of us gain a few pounds.
trout
Lee McClellan • November 12, 2020
Five things to consider for reservoir smallmouth bass season
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: Lake Cumberland, Laurel River Lake and Dale Hollow Lake are in the low 60s, and the reservoir smallmouth fishing season is upon us.
Lee McClellan • November 5, 2020
Largemouth bass active on smaller lakes across Kentucky
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.
Lee McClellan • October 28, 2020
Fall for trout all over again
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 that some of the best fishing of the year can be had.
trout
Lee McClellan • October 14, 2020
Three State Resort Parks For Great Fall Fishing
Kentucky Lake - along with its twin to the east, Lake Barkley – have taken it bit on the chin reputation wise over the past few years, but both lakes continue to churn out big largemouth bass. The lake earned a “good” rating for the largemouth bass fishery in the Fisheries Division’s 2020 Fishing Forecast. The lake still has great trophy potential and a great spawn in 2016 means more smaller bass in the lake, which will provide good fishing in the upcoming years.
Lee McClellan • October 7, 2020
School’s in for spotted bass in fall
They were not even recognized as a distinctive fish species until 1927. People for many years believed these fish only existed in Kentucky.
Kevin Kelly • September 30, 2020
Adjusting to Fishing Situations in the Fall Months
Anglers become conditioned to expect high water on lakes in spring and stable conditions in summer before the fall drawdowns to winter pool.
fishing
Lee McClellan • September 24, 2020
Stream smallmouth bass love early fall
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 ran low and hot during most of August.
Lee McClellan • December 12, 2019
Lake Cumberland tailwater offers great winter trout fishing
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 the year.
Lee McClellan • December 5, 2019
Few lures beat a tailspinner in cold water
Lee McClellan • November 14, 2019
Three productive winter crappie spots
crappie
Lee McClellan • November 8, 2019
A revival for the fly and rind
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 struggled to find pork rind old and tough enough to withstand the rigors of fishing.
Lee McClellan • October 31, 2019
Fishing remains productive during deer season
Kentucky offers some of the finest deer hunting found anywhere, and the modern gun deer season stands as one of the most anticipated opportunities each year.
Lee McClellan • October 24, 2019
Best kayaks for flatwater fishing
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.
boating
Lee McClellan • October 18, 2019
Reservoir Smallmouth Bass Season Around the Corner
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 think the best late fall fishing days feature leaden, low skies, light rain and highs in the 40s.
Lee McClellan • October 9, 2019
Cooler temps heat up fall bass fishing
The orange tint in the tops of mature trees portend what is coming our way. Cool nights with crisp, gorgeous days signal not only some of the best days of the year in Kentucky, but also the beginning of the fall reservoir fishing season for largemouth bass.
bass
Kevin Kelly • October 2, 2019
Muskellunge fishing heats up in fall
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 personal best and the fourth muskellunge the angler had caught on this cool, calm, overcast Friday in mid-September.
Muskellunge
Lee McClellan • September 26, 2019
Spotted Bass School in Fall
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 portion of the United States, still call the spotted bass a Kentucky bass.
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