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Herrington Lake is a public lake in Garrard County, Boyle County and Mercer County, Kentucky, managed by Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources. It is public water managed for fishing by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources. Public access confirmed via marquee water.
Herrington Lake — Kentucky's deepest lake (up to 249 ft), a narrow, clear Dix River impoundment. White bass and hybrid striped bass are the signature fishery, with largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye and sauger, and trophy catfish. Nearly 90 years old, with steep wooded banks and old road beds.
Herrington Lake covers about 2,649 acres in the Bluegrass region. Anglers here mostly fish for largemouth bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass, black crappie; white crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Millennium Park Pond and Clarks Run.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, KDFWR trout designations and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Kentucky. Some KDFWR lakes and FINS lakes have posted hours or gate at dark, and a few trout and special-regulation sections are daylight-only — check the water-specific rules. Trotlines, limb lines, jugs and set lines are legal on most waters (not on trout water or in most state-park lakes) with the gear tagged.
Boats: Kentucky Lake, Barkley, Cumberland, Dale Hollow, Green River, Barren River, Herrington and the other big Corps/TVA reservoirs have no horsepower limit; idle / no-wake zones are marked near ramps, dams and marinas. Most KDFWR lakes and state-park lakes are electric-motor-only or have a gas-horsepower cap, and FINS lakes are typically electric or car-top only. Kentucky requires a boater-safety certificate for operators 12-17.
Bank & bivvy camping: Camp at Kentucky state parks (which sit on many of the best lakes — Lake Cumberland, Barren River, Green River, Dale Hollow, Kenlake and Kentucky Dam Village on Kentucky Lake, Grayson, Greenbo, Jenny Wiley on Dewey, Buckhorn), Corps campgrounds on the big reservoirs, and the Daniel Boone National Forest (dispersed camping allowed on much of it, including along the trout streams). Land Between the Lakes has both developed and backcountry camping with a permit.
Tackle: Statewide black-bass daily limit is 6 in combination (12-inch minimum on largemouth/smallmouth), but many waters carry their own slot or minimum — Dale Hollow, Cave Run, Green River Lake, the Cumberland tailwater and others. Crappie 30 on most reservoirs (with 9- or 10-inch minimums on some); muskellunge 30-inch minimum, 1 per day; the striped-bass and trout limits vary by water. Check the current KDFWR sport-fishing guide for this water.
Boat ramps: 11 mapped — Coffey's Cove Marina, Boat ramp, Dix River at Rankin Road, Bryants Camp Ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp and others nearby.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Anyone 16+ needs a Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources fishing licence — resident annual is about $23, non-resident annual about $60, and short-term (1-day / 7-day / 15-day) licences are sold. A trout permit (~$10, resident and non-resident alike) is required to fish for or keep trout anywhere in the state. Kentucky residents 65+ (and disabled residents) can buy a discounted Senior/Disabled combination licence; residents born before 1 Jan 1961 may fish without a licence. Buy from KDFWR at fw.ky.gov. A Kentucky fishing licence covers this water. Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and Dale Hollow are fished lake-wide on a Kentucky or Tennessee licence.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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