Kentucky Lake
Kentucky Lake is one of the lakes in Kentucky. The main target species are Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie.
Best day to fish
The bite over the next days, scored at dusk. Based on the weather forecast, so it is guidance, not guarantees.
Conditions right now
Water temperature is an estimate based on weather and season.
Best times today
Local time at the spot, from the most likely species' daily rhythm.
Feeding times today
Solunar times are a traditional guide based on the moon's position, separate from the live ranking above. Local time at the spot.
Next hours
Likely catch now (3 species)
About the fishing here
Kentucky Lake is one of the largest reservoirs built east of the Mississippi, a long, wide impoundment of the Tennessee River that stretches from western Kentucky into Tennessee. It is best known for largemouth and smallmouth bass, plus black crappie that draw anglers to the lake's brush and stake beds every spring. Miles of open water mean weather can change fast, and the lake shares a connecting canal with neighboring Lake Barkley. A Kentucky or Tennessee fishing license is required, depending on the stretch.
Popular catches here include Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie.
Smallmouth Bass is generally most active around May-Jun, Sep-Oct. The best windows are usually dawn and dusk.
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.
Guides for this water
Tips right now
Fishing permit
A state fishing license is required to fish here. Licenses are issued by each state:
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
Common questions
What fish can you catch at Kentucky Lake?
Popular catches here include Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie.
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?
Smallmouth Bass is generally most active around May-Jun, Sep-Oct. The best windows are usually dawn and dusk.
What is biting at Kentucky Lake right now?
Right now Smallmouth Bass is the most likely catch, at about 53%.