Protected Fish of Kentucky
Fish and lampreys with a Kentucky or federal status on the KDFWR tracked-species list, plus the guide's release-only fish.
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Kentucky fish and lampreys with a state or federal status
KDFWR keeps a tracked-species list for every animal group. Its fish and lamprey rows that carry a Kentucky status of endangered or threatened, or any federal status, number 48; 34 state endangered, 12 state threatened, 1 none and 1 extirpated. State status follows the KDFWR codes (E endangered, T threatened, S special concern); federal status is printed as KDFWR lists it.
KDFWR tracked species list (SpeciesOb; Kentucky and federal status as KDFWR lists them), read November 10, 2026.
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The KDFWR protected fish table for Kentucky
| Fish | Scientific name | Kentucky status | Federal status | State rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Shad | Alosa alabamae | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Alligator Gar | Atractosteus spatula | state endangered | – | S1 |
| American Brook Lamprey | Lethenteron appendix | state threatened | – | S2 |
| Blackside Dace | Chrosomus cumberlandensis | state threatened | federally listed threatened | S2 |
| Blacktail Redhorse | Moxostoma poecilurum | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Blotched Chub | Erimystax insignis | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Bluntface Shiner | Cyprinella camura | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Brighteye Darter | Etheostoma lynceum | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Brown Madtom | Noturus phaeus | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Buck Darter | Etheostoma nebra | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Central Mudminnow | Umbra limi | state threatened | – | S2S3 |
| Cumberland Darter | Etheostoma susanae | state endangered | federally listed endangered | S1 |
| Cypress Darter | Etheostoma proeliare | state threatened | – | S2 |
| Cypress Minnow | Hybognathus hayi | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Diamond Darter | Crystallaria cincotta | extirpated | federally listed endangered | SX |
| Dollar Sunfish | Lepomis marginatus | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Firebelly Darter | Etheostoma pyrrhogaster | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Flame Chub | Hemitremia flammea | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Golden Topminnow | Fundulus chrysotus | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Goldstripe Darter | Etheostoma parvipinne | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Gulf Darter | Etheostoma swaini | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Kentucky Arrow Darter | Etheostoma spilotum | state threatened | federally listed threatened | S2 |
| Lake Chubsucker | Erimyzon sucetta | state threatened | – | S2 |
| Lake Sturgeon | Huso fulvescens | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Least Madtom | Noturus hildebrandi | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Longhead Darter | Percina macrocephala | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Mississippi Silverside | Menidia audens | state threatened | – | S2 |
| Mountain Brook Lamprey | Ichthyomyzon greeleyi | state threatened | – | S2 |
| Northern Brook Lamprey | Ichthyomyzon fossor | state threatened | – | S2 |
| Olive Darter | Percina squamata | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Palezone Shiner | Miniellus albizonatus | state endangered | federally listed endangered | S1 |
| Pallid Shiner | Hybopsis amnis | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Pallid Sturgeon | Scaphirhynchus albus | state endangered | federally listed endangered | S1 |
| Redspotted Sunfish | Lepomis miniatus | state threatened | – | S2 |
| Relict Darter | Etheostoma chienense | state endangered | federally listed threatened | S1 |
| Sawfin Shiner | Paranotropis sp. cf. spectrunculus | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Shovelnose Sturgeon | Scaphirhynchus platorynchus | – | federally listed threatened due to similarity of appearance | S4 |
| Sicklefin Chub | Macrhybopsis meeki | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Slender Madtom | Noturus exilis | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Smallscale Darter | Nothonotus microlepidus | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Southern Brook Lamprey | Ichthyomyzon gagei | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Spotted Darter | Nothonotus maculatus | state threatened | – | S2 |
| Starhead Topminnow | Fundulus dispar | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Sturgeon Chub | Macrhybopsis gelida | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Swamp Darter | Etheostoma fusiforme | state endangered | – | S1 |
| Taillight Shiner | Notropis maculatus | state threatened | – | S2S3 |
| Tuxedo Darter | Etheostoma lemniscatum | state endangered | federally listed endangered | S1 |
| Western Sand Darter | Ammocrypta clara | state endangered | – | S1 |
KDFWR tracked species list (SpeciesOb; Kentucky and federal status as KDFWR lists them), read November 10, 2026.
Kentucky fish the guide says must be released
Separate from the status list, the 2026 guide names fish that anglers must put back where they are caught. Some are statewide, others apply on one water or one kind of lake.
- Brook Trout (statewide, except Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam and upper Hatchery Creek)release required
- Lake Sturgeonrelease required
- Alligator Garrelease required
- Grass carp in lakes owned or managed by KDFWRrelease required
- Shovelnose sturgeon caught from the Mississippi Riverrelease required
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 5; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
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The guide warns that some small fish have special state protection and may not be taken as bait: palezone shiner, blackside dace, Cumberland darter, Kentucky arrow darter, relict darter and tuxedo darter. Most protected fish here are minnows, darters, madtoms and lampreys of upland streams, so a dip net in the wrong creek is the usual way an angler meets one.
Anyone who cannot name a small fish taken in a seine or trap should let it go in the same water.
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 12; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
Questions on Kentucky protected fish
How many Kentucky fish carry a protected status?
48 fish and lampreys on the KDFWR tracked list.
Which ones also have a federal listing?
9, including Pallid Sturgeon, Shovelnose Sturgeon, Blackside Dace and Palezone Shiner.
Which sturgeons are on the list?
KDFWR's status table carries Lake Sturgeon, Pallid Sturgeon, Shovelnose Sturgeon and Sturgeon Chub under the sturgeon name.
Must lake sturgeon be released?
Yes. The guide puts lake sturgeon on its release list.
Does the guide let anglers keep an alligator gar?
The guide requires its release.
Can I use a blackside dace as bait?
No. The guide lists it among fish with special state protection that may not be used as bait.
What do E, T and S mean?
Endangered, threatened and special concern, the KDFWR state status codes.
Where are the fish I may keep?
On the Kentucky license and limits page and the species pages.