KENTUCKY FISHING & BOATING GUIDE MARCH 2015 - FEBRUARY 2016 FISH & WILDLIFE: 1-800-858-1549 • fw.ky.gov Gregory K. Johnson, Commissioner Report Game Violations and Fish Kills: 1-800-25-ALERT Photo © Lee McClellan KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE RESOURCES #1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601 March 2015 - February 2016 KENTUCKY FISHING & BOATING GUIDE Dave Baker photo ABOUT THIS GUIDE This is a SUMMARY of the laws regard- FISHING REGULATIONS ing fishing and boating. This guide is 3 intended solely for informational use. It is not a reprint of any referenced statute or regulation in its entirety and should 16 GENERAL INFORMATION not be used as such. Questions about the information contained in this guide should be directed to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources BEFORE 23 TROUT WATERS engaging in the activities referenced. Actual wording of any Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) or Kentucky Administra- tive Regulation (KAR) can be viewed at 27 TROPHY FISH www.lrc.state.ky.us/kar/frntpage.htm. OTHER GUIDES AVAILABLE 30 BOATING Kentucky Fish and Wildlife also produces regulation guides for spring and fall hunt- ing and trapping, waterfowl and other mi- gratory bird hunting. Call 1-800-858-1549 38 DEFINITIONS & INDEX weekdays, look for a copy of these regula- tion guides where hunting licenses are sold, or log on to fw.ky.gov. 1 NEW THIS YEAR FISHING REGULATIONS Commonwealth of Kentucky The items highlighted in bright blue artificial baits may be used during this Steven L. Beshear, Governor throughout this guide are a quick overview period. of the changes to this year’s regulations. • Hatchery Creek (Russell County): FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION Catch and release regulations for all FISHING 1st District: Terry Teitloff, Smithland trout caught in newly constructed 2nd District: C.F. “Frank” Williams, Madisonville • No culling of trout statewide. Cull- section as designated by signs. Anglers 3rd District: Russell J. Gailor, Louisville ing is holding a trout in a livewell, fish may only use artificial baits. Antici- 4th District: vacant 5th District: Jimmy Bevins, Owenton basket or stringer and later replacing it pated completion in 2015. 6th District: Stephen Glenn, Frankfort with another fish. • Kentucky River WMA, Boone Tract 7th District: Voncel Thacker, Hindman • No harvest of alligator gar by sport (Henry County), Benjy Kinman Lake: 8th District: Robert L. “Bob” Wells, Morehead fishing methods or by bow fishing. No harvest of bass; 15 fish daily creel 9th District: Christopher Lee Godby, Somerset Commissioner Emeritus: Dr. James R. Rich, Taylor Mill • Ohio River: Anglers fishing on a sport limit for crappie and sunfish; 4 fish dai- fishing license may keep one blue and ly creel limit for catfish; trolling motor Department of flathead catfish 35 inches or longer and only. All other ponds on Boone Tract: FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES one channel catfish 28 inches or longer 1 fish daily creel limit and 15-inch Commissioner: Gregory K. Johnson daily. No daily creel limit for catfish minimum size limit for largemouth Deputy Commissioner: Charles Bush under those limits. bass; 15 fish daily creel limit for crappie Deputy Commissioner: Dr. Karen Waldrop Wildlife Director: Chris Garland (acting) • Floyd’s Fork Creek ( Jefferson County): and sunfish; 4 fish daily creel limit for Fisheries Director: Ron Brooks From the U.S. 60 Bridge downstream catfish; trolling motor only. Law Enforcement Director: Hank Patton to the U.S. 150 Bridge, all trout caught • The Maysville-Mason County Recre- Information & Education Director: Tim Slone from October 1 through March 31 ation Park Lake added to the Fishing Administrative Services Director: Charles Booker Engineering Director: Keith Parker must be immediately released and only in Neighborhoods (FINs) program. Public Affairs Director: Brian V. Blank FISHING & BOATING GUIDE Editor: Lee McClellan Kentucky Department of Fish and Art/Design Director: Adrienne Yancy Contributors: Dane Balsman, Ron Brooks, Zac Wildlife Resources Campbell, Shane Carrier, Dave Dreves, Mike Hardin and Jeff Ross WHO WE ARE Commission, a nine-member citizens Created as the Kentucky Game and board selected by licensed hunters, boat- Fish Commission on March 12, 1912, the ers and anglers, and appointed by the agency known today as the Kentucky De- Governor, meets quarterly in Frankfort to partment of Fish and Wildlife Resources make policy decisions. With input from was established in its present form by the the agency’s director, program adminis- Kentucky General Assembly in 1944. An trators and staff biologists, the Commis- agency of the Tourism, Arts & Heritage sion adopts regulations that must meet Cabinet, the department today has about with the approval of the Kentucky Gen- 500 full-time employees. eral Assembly. Lee McClellan photo What WE DO OUR BUDGET Landowner permission required for hunting and fishing Through the decades the department’s Revenue sources are: hunting and A person shall not enter upon the lands role has expanded to include managing fishing licenses (51%); boat registration of another to hunt, fish or trap without both game and non-game fish and wildlife fees (7%); federal program funds (34%); the oral or written permission of the resources, creating regulations, enforcing program income (3%); interest income, tax landowner, tenant or person who has au- wildlife and boating laws, hatching, rear- check-off donations, and other miscella- thority to grant permission. Those who ing and stocking fish, assisting landowners neous receipts (5%). fail to obtain permission are subject to with fish and wildlife habitat improvement, Budgeted expenditures are: capital arrest and prosecution. Railroad tracks educating youth about the importance of projects and land acquisitions (4%), admin- and rights of way are privately owned fish and wildlife and their habitats, stream istration (11%), wildlife (28%), fisheries property and permission to hunt, fish restoration, passing on the heritage of ar- (18%), information and education (12%), or trap must be obtained prior to entry. chery and shooting sports, buying land for and law enforcement (27%). (KRS 150:192) public use, and building boat ramps for an- The department receives no tax dollars gler access to the state’s public waterways. from the state’s General Fund, and man- 2 The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife ages fish and wildlife for all citizens. FISHING REGULATIONS FISHING REGULATIONS STATEWIDE REGULATIONS Some waterbodies have different size and creel limits, please refer to the “Special Fishing Regulations” section for more details. Fish not included in this list are considered rough fish. There are no size or creel limits for rough fish, unless special regulations apply. For daily creel and fishing license purposes, one fishing day equals one calendar day. Except for trout, anglers may cull fish of a particular species until reaching the daily creel limit. Any additional fish caught in excess of the daily creel limit must be released immediately. FISH SPECIES Daily Limit Possession Limit Minimum Size Limit Largemouth Bass 6* 12* 12” Smallmouth Bass 6* 12* 12” 6* 12* none BASS Kentucky (Spotted) Bass BLACK Coosa Bass 6* 12* none Rock Bass 15 30 none Redear Sunfish 20 40 none 15” on walleye and Walleye, Sauger and their Hybrids 6* 12* hybrids; none on sauger Muskellunge 1 2 30” Chain Pickerel 5 10 none Northern Pike none none none White & Hybrid Striped Bass 15** 30** none** Striped Bass 5 10 15” Yellow Bass 30 60 none Crappie (Black & White) 30* 60* none Rainbow Trout none Daily limit 8, only 3 may be brown trout*** Brown Trout 12” Brook Trout Catch and release only**** Lake Sturgeon Catch and release only * Singly or combined; a total of these species ** No more than 5 fish in the daily creel limit may be more than 15 inches long. *** Possession limit is double the daily creel limit for these species. **** Except for the Cumberland River downstream of Wolf Creek Dam, see Special Regulations section for details. STATEWIDE SIZE and CREEL except some waters have different limits squeezed together. Undersized fish must LIMITS (301 KAR 1:060, 1:201; KRS (see “Special Fishing Regulations”). be returned immediately to the waters 150.010) from which they were taken in the best Fishing season is open year-round MEASURING FISH possible physical condition. in Kentucky, except on waterfowl refug- (301 KAR 1:201) es and as otherwise noted in this guide. Measure all fish from the tip of the Statewide size and creel limits apply to lower jaw (closed) to the tip of the tail How is a daily creel limit all Kentucky waters, public and private, with fish laid flat on rule with tail lobes Q: different than a possession limit? Squeezed tail A: The daily creel limit is the number of a particular sport fish species you may keep in one day’s fishing. A possession limit is two times the daily creel limit for all fish species with a daily creel limit and excludes processed fish. length 3 SPECIAL FISHING REGULATIONS (301 KAR 1:080, 1:180, 1:201, 2:222 nium Park Pond (Boyle County), Pan- through March 31 in the section of Bea- 4:100, 4:200E; KRS 150.010, 150.025) ther Creek Park Lake, (Daviess Coun- ver Creek from the Hwy. 90 bridge up- ty), Prisoner’s Lake (Kenton County), stream to the Hwy. 200 bridge must be SPECIAL REGULATION WATERS Scott County Park Lake (Scott Coun- immediately released. Only artificial LISTED ALPHABETICALLY ty), Southgate Lake (Campbell Coun- baits shall be used during this period. The public waters listed below have ty), Three Springs Lake (Warren different size and/or creel limits than County), Tom Wallace Park Lake ( Jef- BEAVER LAKE statewide regulations allow. Statewide ferson County), Upper Sportsman’s Lake Anderson County size and creel limits apply unless other- (Franklin County), Watterson Park Lake Possession or use of shad for bait is wise mentioned below.