Redear Sunfish in Kentucky
Kentucky rules and water for redear sunfish.
- 20daily
- 3.06 lbsstate record
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Kentucky Redear Sunfish in figures
For redear sunfish the guide's baseline row, "Redear Sunfish", gives daily limit 20, possession 40, minimum size none. Look at Carnico Lake first: 4 special-water entries change its rule.
The KDFWR tables of 61 built waters include it; start with Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and Barren River Lake. KDFWR records it at 3.06 lbs, caught at Farm Pond Shelby County.
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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| Row | Daily | Possession | Minimum size | Footnote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redear Sunfish | 20 | 40 | none | – |
Kentucky caps possession at two days' limit; anglers may cull any species but trout.
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 5; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
Water-by-water redear sunfish entries in the guide
| Water as printed | County | Rule lines naming it |
|---|---|---|
| Carnico Lake | Nicholas County | Bluegill and other sunfish: 15-fish daily limit. |
| Greenbo Lake | Greenup County | Bluegill and other sunfish: 15-fish daily limit. |
| Rockcastle River WMA | Pulaski County | Bluegill and other Sunfish: 10-fish daily limit. |
| Willisburg Park Pond | Washington County | Sunfish: 15-fish daily limit, no minimum size limit. |
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 7-12; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
Record-book redear sunfish from Kentucky
| KDFWR listing | Weight | Water | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker) | 3.06 lbs | Farm Pond Shelby County | May 24, 1982 |
Kentucky state record fish as listed by KDFWR (record list), read November 10, 2026.
Kentucky waters whose KDFWR table lists redear sunfish
Each water below names this fish in the Special Fishing Regulations table on its KDFWR page; a rule row is not a catch report.
Impounded Kentucky water with redear sunfish rules
- Kentucky Lake55,025 acres in Kentucky
- Lake Barkley39,496 acres in Kentucky
- Barren River Lake9,674 acres
- Lake Malone814 acres
- Cedar Creek Lake792 acres
- Wood Creek Lake625 acres
- Greenbo Lake176 acres
- Bullock Pen Lake149 acres
- Beaver Lake146 acres
- Elmer Davis Lake136 acres
- Fagan Branch Lake127 acres
- Shanty Hollow Lake114 acres
- Lake Carnico112 acres
- Boltz Lake92 acres
- Corinth Lake84 acres
- Lake Reba81 acres
- Carpenter Lake69 acres
- Pennyrile Lake48 acres
- Jacobson Park Lake46 acres
- Marion County Lake32 acres
- Jesse W. Thornton Lake29 acres
- Camp Ernst Lake25 acres
- Carlson Lake14 acres
- Maysville-Mason County Rec. Lake12 acres
Moving water for redear sunfish
- Kentucky Lake TailwaterMarshall County
KDFWR fishing waterbody list (app.fw.ky.gov), read November 10, 2026.
Photo of Kentucky Lake: Shannon McGee, CC BY-SA 2.0
Kentucky Redear Sunfish in plain answers
How many redear sunfish go home per day in Kentucky?
The statewide row reads daily limit 20, possession 40, minimum size none.
Does the redear sunfish limit differ by lake in Kentucky?
It changes on 4 waters in the guide, Carnico Lake included.
How heavy is the Kentucky record-book redear sunfish?
KDFWR lists 3.06 lbs from Farm Pond Shelby County (May 24, 1982).
Which Kentucky lakes should I try first for redear sunfish?
KDFWR tables name it on 61 built waters, starting with Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and Barren River Lake.
Are redear sunfish on the guide's release list?
The release-only list leaves it off.
Which KDFWR license do redear sunfish anglers buy?
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.
Can a redear sunfish set a new Kentucky record?
Catch it in Kentucky with rod and reel or pole and line, and it must top 0.10 pound for the KDFWR list.
Can I hold two days of redear sunfish?
Two days' limit is the cap, excluding fish that have been processed.
Settle on Kentucky water for redear sunfish
Tap any linked water for its KDFWR launches and limits.