Kentucky Lake

Lake fishing Kentucky · 05:34 - 20:12

Kentucky Lake is a lake in Kentucky. The fish here are ranked by weather, water temperature and season, see the likely catch below.

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Conditions right now

Weather

Clear sky

Water temp (est.)

72°F

Air temp

66°F

Wind

8 mph

Pressure

29.78 inHg → stable

Clouds

0.0%

Water temperature is an estimate based on weather and season.

Updated 2026-06-17 13:28

Best times today

Dusk 18:57–20:57 Night 20:57–04:49

Local time at the spot, from the most likely species' daily rhythm.

Next hours

06:00

66°

07:00

69°

08:00

72°

09:00

76°

10:00

78°

11:00

81°

12:00

83°

13:00

84°

14:00

85°

15:00

86°

16:00

87°

17:00

86°

Likely catch now (12 species)

Flathead Catfish

Flathead Catfish

Pylodictis olivaris

19%

Active through the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, peak season.

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Blue Catfish

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

19%

Active through the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, peak season, a fishy ripple on the water.

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Common Carp

Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

18%

Active through the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, peak season.

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Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

18%

Active through the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, peak season, bright sky slows things.

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Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu

5%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, peak season, bright sky slows things.

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Largemouth Bass

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

5%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, peak season, bright sky slows things.

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Black Crappie

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

3%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, bright sky slows things.

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Striped Bass

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis

3%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, bright sky slows things.

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Bluegill

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

3%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, peak season.

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Brown Trout

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta

3%

Slow during the night, peak season, bright sky slows things.

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White Bass

White Bass

Morone chrysops

2%

Slow during the night, water near its preferred 22 degrees, bright sky slows things.

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Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

2%

Slow during the night, bright sky slows things.

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About the fishing here

Kentucky Lake is a lake in Kentucky.

Popular catches here include Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish, Common Carp, Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass.

Flathead Catfish fishing is usually best around Jun-Aug. The best windows are usually dusk and night.

A state fishing license is required to fish here. Napp ranks the species above from the live weather, water temperature, season and time of day, so the order changes through the day.

Tips right now

Technique Start with a deadbait for flathead catfish, the most likely catch right now.

Timing This is a prime window for flathead catfish at night. Fish hard now.

Lure Deadbait for flathead catfish: Live or whole baitfish.

Colour Clear water and good light: try live bait, colour secondary for flathead catfish.

Depth The water temperature suits the fish. Fish actively at normal depths and edges.

Fishing permit

A state fishing license is required to fish here. Licenses are issued by each state:

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About this water

Kentucky Lake is a major navigable reservoir along the Tennessee River in Kentucky and Tennessee. It was created in 1944 by the Tennessee Valley Authority's impounding of the Tennessee River via Kentucky Dam for flood control and hydroelectric power. The 160,309-acre (649 km2) lake is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the United States east of the Mississippi River, with 2,064 miles (3,322 km) of shoreline. Kentucky Lake has a flood storage capacity of 4,008,000 acre⋅ft (4.944 km3), more than 2.5 times the next largest lake in the TVA system.

Read more on Wikipedia →

Map

More waters nearby

Lake Barkley Kentucky · 34.3 mi away Mississippi River Kentucky · 64.8 mi away Mississippi River Kentucky · 65.1 mi away Mississippi River Kentucky · 65.5 mi away Mississippi River Kentucky · 65.6 mi away Mississippi River Kentucky · 68.2 mi away Mississippi River Kentucky · 76.1 mi away Ohio River Kentucky · 78.8 mi away

Common questions

What fish can you catch at Kentucky Lake?

Popular catches here include Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish, Common Carp, Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie and Striped Bass.

Do you need a fishing license at Kentucky Lake?

Yes. A state fishing license is required; see the link on this page for the state's rules.

When is the best time to fish Kentucky Lake?

Flathead Catfish fishing is usually best around Jun-Aug. The best windows are usually dusk and night.

What is biting at Kentucky Lake right now?

Right now Flathead Catfish is the most likely catch, at about 19%.