22 public waters in the Eastern Kentucky region — 2 lakes/reservoirs and 20 rivers. Every one is public water fishable on a Kentucky licence.
See every public fishing venue in Kentucky on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Cave Run Lake (8,270 ac) — 'the Musky Capital of the South'. A Corps reservoir on the Licking River in the Daniel Boone National Forest managed primarily for trophy Muskellunge, with largemouth, smallmouth and Spotted Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, White Bass, Walleye, and channel and Flathead Catfish alongside.
Paintsville Lake (996 acres) sits in Johnson and Morgan Counties, Kentucky, managed by Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources. An Eastern Kentucky mountain reservoir (Fishtrap, Dewey, Paintsville, Grayson, Yatesville, Buckhorn, Carr Creek, Martins Fork) — largemouth and Spotted Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish and Walleye, with Muskellunge in several and stocked Rainbow Trout in the cold headwaters of Paintsville and Grayson. Steep, forested, narrow lakes.
The Licking River — one of the best Muskellunge streams in the eastern US, flowing 300 miles from the Appalachian foothills to the Ohio at Cincinnati. Native musky plus smallmouth, largemouth and Spotted Bass, Rock Bass, Sauger in the lower river, and channel and Flathead Catfish.
Paint Creek runs 22 km through Johnson and Morgan Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): A Kentucky stocked or wild Trout stream — rainbow and Brown Trout stocked on a rotation October to spring in the Daniel Boone National Forest and elsewhere, with a handful of streams (Bad Branch, Rock Creek, Dog Slaughter) holding wild or catch-and-release fish. A Trout permit is required.
North Fork Licking River runs 15 km through Morgan, Rowan and Menifee Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): The Licking River — a nationally-notable Muskellunge stream (native Ohio-River-drainage Muskie), plus smallmouth, largemouth and Spotted Bass, Rock Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, and Sauger in the lower river. The reach below Cave Run Dam is a tailwater musky and smallmouth float.
Caney Creek (21 km) flows through Morgan County, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Blackwater Creek runs 16 km through Morgan County, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Elk Fork (24 km) flows through Morgan County, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Open Fork Paint Creek (13 km) flows through Morgan and Johnson Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Craney Creek (14 km) flows through Rowan and Morgan Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Upper Laurel Creek (12 km) flows through Johnson, Lawrence and Morgan Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Johnson Creek runs 12 km through Magoffin, Morgan and Wolfe Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
In Johnson, Morgan and Magoffin Counties, Kentucky, Little Paint Creek is a 11 km river or creek, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A Kentucky stocked or wild Trout stream — rainbow and Brown Trout stocked on a rotation October to spring in the Daniel Boone National Forest and elsewhere, with a handful of streams (Bad Branch, Rock Creek, Dog Slaughter) holding wild or catch-and-release fish. A Trout permit is required.
Morgan County, Kentucky — Grassy Creek is a 14 km stream, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Morgan and Elliott Counties, Kentucky — Devils Fork is a 10 km stream, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Big Mine Fork (9 km) flows through Magoffin, Johnson and Morgan Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Left Fork Blaine Creek runs 8 km through Lawrence, Johnson and Morgan Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Left Fork White Oak Creek (9 km) flows through Magoffin and Morgan Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Minor Creek runs 9 km through Rowan and Morgan Counties, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
In Morgan and Elliott Counties, Kentucky, Fannins Fork is a 9 km river or creek, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
In Morgan and Wolfe Counties, Kentucky, Stacy Fork is a 8 km river or creek, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Morgan County, Kentucky — Pleasant Run is a 6 km stream, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water): A warmwater Kentucky river or large creek — largemouth and Spotted Bass, channel and Flathead Catfish, Bluegill and Longear Sunfish, White Bass, and Rock Bass in the rockier reaches. Access at KDFWR sites, bridges and county landings.
Across its mapped waters, Morgan County holds 16 species on PiscaMaps, including Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, White Bass, Longear Sunfish and Muskellunge.
Ramps, put-ins and species for every water — plus the carp layer no other US app has.
Open the Kentucky map Join PiscaMapsOne Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources fishing licence covers every public water in the state — resident annual about $23, non-resident annual about $60, with 1-day, 7-day and 15-day short-term options. A ~$10 trout permit (resident and non-resident) is required to fish for or keep trout anywhere, including the Cumberland River tailwater below Wolf Creek Dam. Kentucky residents born before 1 January 1961 may fish without a licence; residents 65+ and disabled residents can buy a discounted combination licence. Buy at fw.ky.gov.