Smallmouth Bass in Kentucky
smallmouth bass under the 2026 Kentucky guide.
- 6*daily
- 11.94 lbsstate record
Pick for smallmouthPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 Photo of the fish, not a Kentucky water: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
What the guide and KDFWR say on Smallmouth Bass
Kentucky's statewide creel row for smallmouth bass ("Smallmouth Bass") reads daily limit 6*, possession 12*, minimum size 12". 37 special-regulation entries in the guide mention it, Barkley, Kentucky Lakes (and their connecting canal) among them.
Count 29 water pages where KDFWR's table carries it, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and Lake Cumberland first. Record book: 11.94 lbs, Dale Hollow Lake.
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 5; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
For the smallmouth herePiscifun AlinoX 300 low profile baitcaster34% OFFSale $104.99 Kentucky's statewide creel row for smallmouth bass
| Row | Daily | Possession | Minimum size | Footnote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 6* | 12* | 12" | * Singly or combined; a total of these species |
Hold no more than twice the daily limit; trout may not be culled.
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 5; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
Kentucky lakes and streams with a smallmouth bass exception
| Water as printed | County | Rule lines naming it |
|---|---|---|
| Barkley, Kentucky Lakes (and their connecting canal) | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Barren River Lake | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Barren River and all tributaries including Barren River Lake | Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Beaver Lake | Anderson County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Bert Combs Lake | Clay County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Beulah Lake | Jackson County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Boltz Lake | Grant County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Buckhorn Lake | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Carr Creek Lake | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Carter Caves State Park Lake (also called Smoky Valley Lake) | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. | |
| Cave Run Lake | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. Smallmouth Bass: 18-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Corinth Lake | Grant County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Cumberland River upstream from Cumberland Falls and all tributaries: | Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Dale Hollow Lake | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 5 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined, only two of which may be smallmouth bass. Smallmouth Bass: 16- to 21-inch protective slot limit. One fish over 21 inches and one fish under 16 inches may be kept daily. | |
| Dewey Lake | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Elkhorn Creek in Franklin County from confluence of North and South forks downstream to Kentucky River | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 12- to 15-inch protective slot limit. Largemouth and smallmouth bass caught between 12 and 15 inches in length must be immediately released. | |
| Elmer Davis Lake | Owen County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Fishtrap Lake | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Floyd’S Fork from U.S. 60 bridge downstream to U.S. 150 bridge | Jefferson County | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. |
| General Butler State Park Lake | Carroll County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Grayson Lake | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 12- to 15-inch protective slot limit. All largemouth and smallmouth bass caught between 12 and 15 inches in length must be immediately relea | |
| Kentucky River, upstream of Lock and Dam 14, the North Fork and tributaries including Carr Fork below Carr Creek Lake along with the Middle and South Forks and all tributaries | Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Kentucky, Barkley Lakes (and their connecting canal) | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Lake Blythe | Christian County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Lake Cumberland | Smallmouth Bass: 18-inch minimum size limit. | |
| Lake Malone | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. | |
| Lake Pennyrile | Christian County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| Laurel River Lake | Smallmouth Bass: 18-inch minimum size limit, 2 fish daily limit. | |
| Lincoln Homestead State Park Lake | Washington County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
| McNEELY Lake | Jefferson County | Black Bass: includes largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky (spotted) bass – 10 fish daily limit on black bass singly or combined. |
2026 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide (Regulations Summary March 2026 to February 2027, updated September 2026, p. 7-12; KDFWR PDF), read November 10, 2026.
Kentucky smallmouth bass record entries
| KDFWR listing | Weight | Water | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 11.94 lbs | Dale Hollow Lake | July 9, 1955 |
Kentucky state record fish as listed by KDFWR (record list), read November 10, 2026.
KDFWR-regulated lakes and streams holding smallmouth bass
KDFWR prints a rule row for this fish on every water below; read it as management, not a promise of a catch.
Kentucky lakes for smallmouth bass
- Kentucky Lake55,025 acres in Kentucky
- Lake Barkley39,496 acres in Kentucky
- Lake Cumberland47,688 acres
- Dale Hollow Lake6,614 acres in Kentucky
- Barren River Lake9,674 acres
- Green River Lake8,181 acres
- Cave Run Lake7,880 acres
- Nolin River Lake6,017 acres
- Laurel River Lake5,768 acres
- Rough River Lake4,848 acres
- Taylorsville Lake3,014 acres
- Yatesville Lake2,171 acres
- Grayson Lake1,300 acres
- Buckhorn Lake1,088 acres
- Fishtrap Lake1,038 acres
- Paintsville Lake996 acres
- Dewey Lake961 acres
- Wood Creek Lake625 acres
- Carr Creek Lake521 acres
- Fagan Branch Lake127 acres
- Lake Reba81 acres
- Lake Cumberland – UpperMcCreary County
Kentucky streams for smallmouth bass
- Barren RiverAllen County and 2 other counties
- Elkhorn CreekFranklin County
- Cumberland RiverBell County and 3 other counties
- Kentucky River (Upper)Clark County and 2 other counties
- Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation AreaMeade County
- Floyd's ForkJefferson County
- 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
Before a Kentucky Smallmouth Bass outing
Which Kentucky limit applies to smallmouth bass?
The statewide row reads daily limit 6*, possession 12*, minimum size 12".
Is the smallmouth bass rule the same on every Kentucky water?
The guide prints 37 such entries, Barkley, Kentucky Lakes (and their connecting canal) among them.
What does the KDFWR list show for smallmouth bass?
11.94 lbs out of Dale Hollow Lake, July 9, 1955.
What waters does KDFWR regulate for smallmouth bass?
29 waters, led by Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and Lake Cumberland.
Is smallmouth bass catch-and-release in Kentucky?
No release-only line covers it.
What Kentucky license covers a day after smallmouth bass?
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.
Who keeps the Kentucky smallmouth bass record?
The guide sets the program terms: Kentucky waters, rod and reel or pole and line, a 0.10-pound minimum.
How does the doubled possession rule treat smallmouth bass?
You may hold double the daily limit; processed fish are outside that count.
Choose a lake with smallmouth bass on its rule sheet
Every water linked above lists its KDFWR launches next to the quoted rules.