Kentucky doesn’t often get a lot of credit for trout fishing. But despite being overlooked in comparison to fly fishing options in neighboring Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, Kentucky has some impressive offerings of its own.
With more than 300 miles of trout streams, Kentucky is home to some excellent trout fishing options. Anglers can target brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout across large areas of the state.
The Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources maintains nearly all trout populations here through regular stocking. Even so, many streams have habitat that supports natural reproduction, and holdover fish reach substantial sizes in quite a few waterways.
Brown trout offer the best trophy potential, surpassing 10 pounds in a handful of waters. Rainbow trout are the most widely stocked trout species, and catching rainbows measuring 15 to 17 inches is a regular occurrence in quite a few of the following rivers and streams.
Cumberland River (Wolf Creek Dam Tailwater)
Kentucky is home to many excellent trout waters, but there’s no doubt about which is the premier trout fishery in the state. It’s the Cumberland River, specifically the tailwater below the Wolf Creek Dam, which impounds Lake Cumberland.
The Cumberland River Tailwater stretches 75 miles from the foot of the dam to the Tennessee state line, and excellent trout fishing is available throughout this section. No other river in Kentucky rivals the Cumberland when it comes to trophy trout.
The current state records for brook, brown and rainbow trout were all caught here, including the massive 21-pound brown trout that has held the top spot since 2000.
Kentucky Fish & Wildlife stocks around 130,000 rainbow trout and 30,000 brown trout in the Cumberland Tailwater every year. The agency also plants brook trout and added cutthroat trout to the mix in 2019.
Stocking takes place from May to November. Thanks to water released from the base of the Wolf Creek Dam, the Cumberland River stays cool enough to sustain trout all summer long, and there are plenty of big holdover fish here.
Fly anglers typically find success fishing midges beneath a strike indicator. The river also contains a lot of scuds and sowbugs, and blackflies and their larvae are also abundant. Larger brown trout feed on baitfish and crawfish, and anglers often fool the lunkers with sculpin patterns.
Typical of a tailwater, insect hatches are sparse and sporadic, but various mayflies and caddisflies provide occasional dry fly opportunities. That said, unless you can see insects hatching and trout rising, you’re better off fishing nymphs and streamers most of the time.
There are several boat launch sites as well as bank and wade fishing opportunities. Most of the best bank access is in the first few miles below the dam.
The Cumberland is a big river, and even at low flow, it is too deep to wade fully across. It’s a good place to have a drift boat. Wading is possible if no turbines are running at the dam, and floating is possible if one turbine is running.
As with any tailwater, everything revolves around the dam’s generating schedule, which you can find on the TVA website. If you’re wading, get out of the river at the first sign of rising water.
That being said, the Cumberland is unique in that rising water travels down the river relatively slowly. High water makes its way downstream at a rate of about 4 miles per hour, so if you’re willing to do a little math, you can find fishable water somewhere on the river at any time.
Other Tailwater Trout Rivers
In addition to the Cumberland River, several other excellent tailwater fisheries are available below Kentucky’s large reservoirs. Fish & Wildlife stocks trout in 14 tailwaters, primarily during the summer months.
Some of the best tailwaters include:
Paint Creek (Paintsville Lake Tailwater)
The section of Paint Creek that lies below Paintsville Lake in northeast Kentucky is the second most-stocked tailwater in the state. Around 16,000 rainbow trout and 300 brown trout are stocked here between April and November most years.
Paint Creek is a relatively small stream, but it does offer significant cold water habitat where trout can hold over. The entire length of the creek, about 8 miles from the foot of the dam to its confluence with the Levisa Fork in Paintsville, can support trout.
That said, the best fishing is in the first mile or so below the dam. You can find parking, bank fishing, and carry-down boat access on Old Bridge Road. The deep hole right below the dam, which is lined with riprap on either side, is the most popular and productive spot.
The creek gets a lot of pressure right after trout are stocked. Anglers often use small jigs such as Trout Magnets and marabou crappie jigs. Fly anglers can find success using nymphs and streamers.
If you’re looking for a combination trip, Paintsville Lake upriver made our list of Kentucky’s best walleye fisheries.
Nolin River (Nolin River Lake Tailwater)
An excellent tailwater in western Kentucky, the section of the Nolin River below Nolin River Lake is amply stocked from late spring to early fall. Around 8,000 rainbow and 300 brown trout are planted here during a typical year.
The first mile and a half below the dam offers the best fishing, but anglers catch some trout as far as 8 miles downriver. Bank access and a boat ramp are within walking distance of the dam in Tailwater Recreation Area.
When freshly stocked, the trout here are not hard to fool. Standard fly patterns like Hare’s Ears and Wooly Buggers do the trick, and plenty of anglers catch their limits using Mepps and Rooster Tail spinners as well.
The Nolin River doesn’t have as many holdover trout as the Cumberland, but some fish do survive multiple seasons and reach lengths over 16 inches. Warm-water fish like walleye and hybrid striped bass also move into the area in spring.
Levisa Fork (Fishtrap Lake Tailwater)
Nestled in Kentucky’s easternmost corner, Fishtrap Lake is a 1,130-acre impoundment of the Levisa Fork. The section of the river below the dam is stocked with around 9,000 rainbow trout every year. At present, they are the only species stocked in the Levisa Fork.
Unlike the rivers discussed above, the Fishtrap Lake Tailwater is managed strictly as a put-and-take fishery. The river gets too warm in summer to support reliable holdovers, but during the cooler months, anglers can find trout for about 1.7 miles below the dam.
Between 1,800 and 2,000 rainbow trout are planted each month from April through June. After a break during the hottest part of the year, stocking resumes again in October and November.
Quality bank access is available at the dam site, and there are a few more informal access points downriver in the communities of Millard and Sutton. Trout here are known to strike any number of standard lures and flies.
Trout Streams
Kentucky has some excellent non-tailwater trout streams, which are generally stocked during the cooler months. Most streams are in the more mountainous eastern part of the state, and quite a few are within Daniel Boone National Forest.
At present, the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources manages several streams under delayed harvest regulations. These streams are strictly catch-and-release with artificial lures only from October 1 through March 31. Statewide regulations apply during the rest of the year.
Rock Creek
Beginning in Tennessee’s Pickett State Forest and crossing the state line into the Stearns District of Boone National Forest, Rock Creek has a reputation as one of the best trout streams in the region.
The Kentucky portion is stocked with as many as 17,000 rainbow trout annually. They are stocked eight months out of the year (all except the very hottest and coldest months). Many of these trout are catchable fish that measure 9 to 11 inches when planted and grow quickly to 12 or 14.
Close to 10 miles of Rock Creek fall under the delayed harvest regulations outlined above. It is not only a Blue Ribbon trout fishery but also a picture-perfect mountain trout stream with small waterfalls, deep pools, and boulder-strewn banks.
The upper portion of the creek is narrow and swift, with no shortage of eddies and riffles. Farther down, the creek slows into longer pools, which trout share with smallmouth and Kentucky spotted bass.
Fly anglers favor the upper stream, often taking advantage of caddis and light Cahill hatches with dry flies. In general, small bead head nymphs and midges work best.
Access is abundant along Rock Creek-Bell Farm Road, which parallels the stream for miles.
Hatchery Creek
There isn’t another stream in Kentucky quite like Hatchery Creek. That’s because Hatchery Creek, which flows a little over a mile from the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery to the Cumberland River, is entirely man-made.
Fortunately, the trout can’t seem to tell the difference. The stream, which serves as the cold water outflow of the hatchery, meanders between rocky banks, tumbles through a series of pools and riffles, trickles through a lush wetland, and finally descends via a series of step-pools.
The creek offers everything trout need to thrive, reproduce and ultimately attain impressive sizes. Brook, brown and rainbow trout are stocked regularly, but many fish here are wild.
The upper portion of Hatchery Creek is managed as a catch-and-keep stream where anglers can take home up to 5 fish per day. The lower section, which offers some serious trophy trout that make their way up from the Cumberland River, is strictly catch and release.
Otter Creek
Offering about 12 miles of quality trout fishing, Otter Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River in north-central Kentucky. Rainbow trout are stocked here abundantly during the cooler months, but the creek has limited holdover potential.
Still, by the time the catch and release season ends at the beginning of April, some trout will have been here for several months, and anglers can harvest some quality fish up to 16 inches.
Being located less than 30 minutes from Louisville makes Otter Creek one of the more popular trout streams in Kentucky. It’s also an ideal stream for wading. Creek access and camping are available at Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area.
The section of Otter Creek that flows through the recreation area has good pools, runs, and pocket water, making it well-suited for fly fishing.
Warm water species like smallmouth bass are also common, and streamers that mimic crawfish often catch both bass and trout.
East Fork Indian Creek
About 90 minutes east of Lexington, the East Fork of Indian Creek is a beautiful trout stream that tumbles through the remote and wooded landscape of Daniel Boone National Forest. The water here stays cool enough year-round to provide excellent holdover potential.
Most years, the East Fork of Indian Creek is stocked with 3,000-plus rainbow trout, with monthly stockings in March, April, May and October. A few hundred browns are also released most years. Access is along CR-1203, which crisscrosses the stream multiple times.
The East Fork has shallow riffles and deep pools, and is generally wide enough to make fly casting relatively easy, though shorter rods are recommended. Nymphing with a strike indicator is the most productive tactic most of the time.
Occasional mayfly and caddis hatches do occur, so it pays to pack a few dry flies just in case. The creek is fishable year-round but is most popular in April and May.
Winter is a great time to have the water all to yourself, as long as it’s not so cold that the creek freezes.
Bark Camp Creek
South-central Kentucky’s Bark Camp Creek offers some of the higher-quality trout fishing in this part of the state. Located in Whitley County within Boone National Forest, the creek is a classic mountain stream.
Tumbling through groves of rhododendron and hemlock, Bark Camp Creek offers just shy of 4 miles of prime trout water. Rainbow trout are stocked in March, April, May and October, and a single stocking of 500 brown trout usually takes place in March.
Bark Camp Creek gets a little warm in summer, but deep pools allow some holdovers, so you have a shot at tangling with some respectable fish here. Most pools are 3 or 4 feet deep, but a couple of spots are 6 feet deep.
Only one road crossing (Forest Road 193) provides access, but Bark Camp Trail #143 allows for foot access to much more water. The farther you hike down the trail, the fewer other anglers you’ll see. Small spinners are effective, and dead drifting nymphs is a popular fly tactic.
Middle Fork Red River
Much like the nearby East Fork Indian Creek, the Middle Fork Red River is a mid-sized stream in eastern Kentucky that is amply stocked with rainbow trout in spring and fall. About 5,000 rainbows are planted here in March, April, May and October.
Flowing through Natural Bridge State Park, the Middle Fork gets a fair amount of angler attention. There’s a campground right on its banks that is open throughout the warmer months, and the 2.2-mile section within the park is under delayed harvest regulations.
The Middle Fork of the Red River has only modest holdover potential during the summer months. But fish stocked in October often reach respectable sizes by the time the catch-and-release season comes to an end the following April.
Winter is a great time to fish here. The river gets little pressure during the off-season and trout are known to gather together in pods more so than in other seasons. Midges are the flies of choice in winter, often in sizes as small as 20 to 26.
Parched Corn Creek
Very few streams in Kentucky harbor wild brook trout. Fewer still are accessible and open for fishing, but Parched Corn Creek is one. Unlike the streams mentioned above, fishing for brook trout in Parched Corn Creek is strictly catch-and-release year-round.
Some anglers debate whether the brook trout was ever truly native to Kentucky waters. In any case, the Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources has stocked brookies in a handful of mountain streams like Parched Corn Creek, where they persist through natural reproduction.
The trout here are small and difficult to catch. Catching a brook trout larger than 10 inches would be truly exceptional here. It’s more about the thrill of catching wild brookies in a tiny, pristine mountain stream.
Parched Corn Creek is in the Red River Gorge area of Boone National Forest, and you can only get there by hiking trail. You’ll find limited parking at the Rough Trail #221 parking area on Sky Bridge Road.
Catch More Trout
Still learning to round up a rainbow or bluff a brown? We have assembled the top tips for trout fishing into one simple how-to guide.