Licenses & Fees - Seasons - Lake Conditions - Fishing Reports - Fishing Guides

Be sure to sample some of the best fishing there is on Kentucky Lake. This huge impoundment is consistently one of the richest angler's meccas in America. Dedicated fisherman make pilgrimages from afar to sample the wealth of the lake, and countless occasional anglers have been hooked by their taste of the reservoir's bounty.

Traditional headliner species on Kentucky Lake has been crappie, fish for which the impoundment has held deserved acclaim. The lake's crappie grow large - individual fish of 2 pounds are common and limit stringers of fish averaging 1.5 pounds are routine. Most famed on Kentucky Lake is the spring spawn. During this time, fisherman across the country plan their trips to take advantage of the great action just waiting to be had.

Crappie move up tributary creeks to bedding areas in shallow coves during the spring. Loads of fish then can be caught in thigh-deep water. Often over-looked, however, is that crappie can be caught year-round. A variety of tactics used throughout the year can produce slab size crappie.

Bass fishing run neck and neck with crappie as the hottest commodity on the water. Kentucky Lake has an exceptional population of largemouth bass, with a remarkable number of them in the 4-7 pound range and a good sprinkling of trophy fish all the way up to double digit weights. That's combined with a companion population of rod-wrenching smallmouth bass, which also produce an enviable number of fish to 5 pounds and larger.

A hot ticket item on the lake from mid-spring through the summer is the white bass - "stripes" to the locals. Fish of up to 2 pounds and larger are caught in limit batches. White bass often are caught on the surface as they feed on shad "in the jumps," and the frenzied action can be hair-raising.

Of increasing importance on Kentucky Lake is its sunfish faction. Always abundant, bluegill and the related red-ear sunfish or "shellcrackers" in recent seasons have grown stouter in size. The sunfishes are easily caught by the sackful and are a hot item spring through fall.

There are other worthy fishing options, too. Catfish - blues, channel cats and flatheads - grow to sizes as long as your leg, and larger even, in Kentucky Lake. Sauger, relatives of the walleyes, are often a bonus for white bass anglers and present a significant fishery of their own. A special fishery for sauger exists during the winter months where they congregate during the spawning run in the tail waters of Kentucky Dam.

Pick your fish and your style of fishing. Kentucky Lake has the resources to keep your lines tight. For the variety of species that offer fast fishing and hefty catches, these waters are as good as they are big. IF it is your first time to Kentucky Lake, be sure to secure a guide for a half or full day. They can give you great tips on fishing this expansive body of water along with showing you a great time on the lake.

Fishing Information
Licenses & Fees - Seasons - Lake Conditions - Fishing Reports

Land Between the Lakes270-924-2000
LBL Fishing Report    270-924-2000
KY Dept of Fish & Wildlife 502-564-4336
KY Dam Hydro Plant 270-362-4221

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