Fishing in Kentucky
Kentucky Lake and Barkley, Lake Cumberland and the Corps reservoirs, trout tailwaters, the Ohio River and city lakes, with the 2026 guide limits for every water.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 162lakes
- 60rivers
- 904ramp pages
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Kentucky lakes, tailwaters, rivers and city ponds
Kentucky fishing runs from the twin western reservoirs, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, through the Corps lakes of the south and east, Lake Cumberland, Dale Hollow, Cave Run, Green River, Nolin, Rough River and Barren, to cold trout tailwaters below the dams, the Ohio River along the northern border and dozens of small city lakes stocked under the Fishing in Neighborhoods program.
This guide holds 162 lake pages, 60 river and creek pages, 8 tailwater pages, 904 boat ramp pages, 179 shore fishing sites, 120 county pages and 218 town pages, each with the KDFWR rules and 2026 guide limits for its water.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The largest Kentucky lakes and reservoirs on this site
Kentucky Lake
55,025 acres in Kentucky, Calloway County and 4 other counties
Lake pageLake Barkley
39,496 acres in Kentucky, Livingston County and 2 other counties
Lake pageLake Cumberland
47,688 acres, Clinton County and 3 other counties
Lake pageDale Hollow Lake
6,614 acres in Kentucky, Clinton and Cumberland counties
Lake pageBarren River Lake
9,674 acres, Allen and Barren counties
Lake pageGreen River Lake
8,181 acres, Adair and Taylor counties
Lake pageCave Run Lake
7,880 acres, Bath County and 3 other counties
Lake pageNolin River Lake
6,017 acres, Edmonson County and 2 other counties
Lake pageKentucky rivers with KDFWR access and live gauges
Ohio River (Central)
KDFWR access across Breckinridge County and 5 other counties
River pageKentucky River (Lower)
KDFWR access across Anderson County and 10 other counties
River pageLicking River
KDFWR access across Bath County and 6 other counties
River pageCumberland River
KDFWR access across Bell County and 3 other counties
River pageBarren River
KDFWR access across Allen County and 2 other counties
River pageRed River
KDFWR access across Menifee and Wolfe counties
River pageGreen River (Upper)
KDFWR access across Adair County and 5 other counties
River pageOhio River (Below Cincinnati)
KDFWR access across Boone County and 2 other counties
River pageKentucky tailwaters below the Corps dams
- Barren River Lake Tailwaterdam readings and access
- Nolin River Lake Tailwater8,000 rainbow a year in the guide table
- Herrington Lake Tailwater4,500 rainbow a year in the guide table
- Lake Cumberland Tailwater192,400 rainbow a year in the guide table
- Kentucky Lake Tailwaterdam readings and access
- Lake Barkley Tailwaterdam readings and access
- Cave Run Lake Tailwater6,000 rainbow a year in the guide table
- Green River Lake Tailwaterdam readings and access
Kentucky trout permit and stocked water
Anglers 16 and older need a Kentucky fishing license; the 2026 guide prints $24.31 for the resident annual license and $58.14 for nonresidents. Keeping trout adds the $10.57 trout permit, and every licensed angler on the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam needs it.
Stocked trout go into 14 tailwaters, 39 streams and 26 lakes in the guide tables; streams marked there go catch-and-release from October through March.
Kentucky Fishing in Neighborhoods lakes
KDFWR stocks 47 small city and park lakes with channel catfish in spring and rainbow trout in the cooler months; the uniform limits are five trout and four catfish a day.
- Anderson County Community ParkAnderson County
- Camp Ernst LakeBoone County
- Millennium Park LakeBoyle County
- Alexandria Community Park LakeCampbell County
- Southgate ParkCampbell County
- Panther Creek Park LakeDaviess County
- Waymond Morris ParkDaviess County
- Yellow Creek ParkDaviess County
What a Kentucky fishing license costs in 2026
- Resident annual: $24.31license year March 1 to end of February
- Nonresident annual: $58.14or $37 for 7 days
- Trout permit: $10.57to keep trout, and below Wolf Creek Dam
- Free Fishing Days: June 6-7, 2026no license or permit needed
Kentucky border waters and the reciprocal agreements
The 2026 guide prints 7 border-water agreements, among them the Ohio River main stem, Kentucky Lake between Eggner’s Ferry and the Ned McWhorter Bridge, and Dale Hollow. Lake Barkley has no reciprocal agreement.
Kentucky bass, crappie and catfish tournaments
9 upcoming events are on the calendar, most on Kentucky Lake, Green River Lake and Lake Barkley, with posted results from Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Lake Cumberland and other waters.
- Toyota Series Plains Division at Kentucky LakeApril 1, 2027, Kentucky Lake
- SAF State Championship (Kentucky)April 3, 2027, Green River Lake
- KHSAA Reg 1April 24, 2027, Lake Barkley
- KHSAA Reg 2April 24, 2027, Lake Cumberland
- KHSAA Reg 3April 24, 2027, Green River Lake
Six of the weightiest marks in the Kentucky record book
- Blue Catfish at 106.90 lbsOhio River
- Paddlefish (Spoonbill) at 106.00 lbsOhio River
- Flathead Catfish at 97.00 lbsGreen River
- Bighead Carp at 65.06 lbsKentucky River
- Grass Carp at 58.50 lbsForest Lawn Lake Kenton County
- Striped Bass (Rockfish) at 58.25 lbsLake Cumberland
Kentucky guides, bait counters and a few tackle picks
- Fishing guides32 listings
- Bait and tackle shops248 shops and marinas
- Crappie minnow rigs and slip bobbers on Amazonfor the big western lakes
- Tailwater trout spinners on Amazonfor the Cumberland below the dam
Start with a Kentucky lake, river, county or town
- Lakes and reservoirs162 lakes
- Rivers and creeks60 rivers
- Tailwaters8 tailwaters
- Countiesevery one of the 120
- Towns218 towns
- Species43 fish
- Water levelsCorps readings and USGS gauges
Kentucky rules, records and directories
- Every Kentucky water, A to Zlakes, rivers, tailwaters, counties, towns and fish in one list
- Kentucky license prices and statewide limits2026 guide fees, the 26-row creel table, possession and culling
- Special-regulation watersall 92 guide entries plus the 301 KAR 1:201 exceptions
- Trout rules and stocking tablespermit reach, catch-and-release streams, tailwater totals
- Border-water agreementsOhio River, Kentucky Lake, Dale Hollow, Big Sandy; Barkley excluded
- Trout fishing in Kentuckytailwaters below the Corps dams, stocked creeks and lakes
- Fishing in Neighborhoods lakescity and park lakes stocked with catfish and rainbows
- Blue Water TrailsKDFWR paddling routes with their listed miles
- Free Fishing Daysthe June weekend when license and permits are waived
- Kentucky state record fishweights, waters and dates from the KDFWR list
- Trout stocking schedulethe November 2026 rows and the FINs table
- Lake levels and river flowsdated Corps dam readings and live USGS gauges
- Boat rampsKDFWR-listed launches grouped by county
- Shore fishingKDFWR piers and bank access
- Bait and tackle shopstackle counters and marinas in four parts of the state
- Fishing guideslisted guide services with towns and phones
- Tournamentsupcoming events and posted winners
- Protected fishfish and lampreys with a Kentucky or federal status
Bluegrass angling questions with short answers
What does a Kentucky fishing license cost in 2026?
Anglers 16 and older need a Kentucky fishing license; the 2026 guide prints $24.31 for the resident annual license and $58.14 for nonresidents.
Which Kentucky lake on this site is the largest?
Kentucky Lake at 117,874 acres in all.
Which Kentucky anglers can skip buying a license?
On Free Fishing Days, the first Saturday and Sunday in June (June 6-7, 2026); anglers 15 and younger never need one.
Where are Kentucky limits set?
In the 2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide and 301 KAR 1:201: a 26-row statewide table plus 92 special-regulation waters.
Where is the best Kentucky trout water?
The Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam, where every licensed angler needs a trout permit, and the other tailwaters in the guide table.
What is the possession limit in Kentucky?
Twice the daily limit for every fish with a daily limit.
Does a Kentucky license cover Lake Barkley in Tennessee?
No. Lake Barkley has no reciprocal agreement; the Kentucky Lake agreement covers only its own stretch.
Where are Kentucky tournaments listed?
The Kentucky tournaments page carries the calendar of upcoming events and the winners organizers have posted.