See every public fishing venue in Kentucky on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Little Kentucky River is a public river in Henry County, Kentucky, managed by Commonwealth of Kentucky (public / navigable water). You can fish it on a Kentucky licence; bank access is at road crossings, parks, KDFWR fishing-access sites, Wildlife Management Areas and the Daniel Boone National Forest, and riparian owners control the bank on non-navigable reaches. A trout permit is required to fish for or keep trout. Public access confirmed via public-trust river.
The Kentucky River — 255 miles from the forks at Beattyville to the Ohio at Carrollton, through a series of old lock-and-dam pools. Largemouth and spotted bass, white bass, a good sauger fishery below the dams, crappie and bluegill in the pools, and trophy flathead and blue catfish.
It runs roughly 7 miles through the South Central & Green River region. Anglers here mostly fish for largemouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, sauger; channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, black crappie are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Lake Jericho and Eminence Lake.
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: Most Kentucky rivers are waded or floated by canoe, kayak and jon boat; the Ohio, Mississippi, lower Kentucky, Cumberland, Green and Licking take full-size boats.
Bank & bivvy camping: You may fish and float any navigable Kentucky river on a fishing licence. Bank access is at KDFWR fishing-access sites, state parks, Wildlife Management Areas, the Daniel Boone National Forest and bridge crossings; riparian owners control the bank on non-navigable reaches. A trout permit is required to fish for or keep trout on the Cumberland tailwater and the stocked streams.
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.
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 navigable rivers. The Ohio River is fished on a Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois or West Virginia licence within the marked reciprocal zone. A trout permit is required on the Cumberland tailwater and the stocked trout streams.
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.
Open the Kentucky map Start your free trial