2026 regulation year
Kentucky Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
Kentucky annual licences run March 1 through the last day of February. The base licence covers freshwater fishing statewide; a Trout Permit ($10 resident / $30 non-resident) is required to take or possess trout. Two interstate compacts shape Kentucky fishing: the Ohio River reciprocity with Indiana lets either licence fish the entire main stem, and the Kentucky Lake / Lake Barkley reciprocity with Tennessee lets either licence fish both impoundments. Dale Hollow Lake — shared with Tennessee — produced the world-record 11 lb 15 oz smallmouth bass and remains one of North America's premier trophy smallmouth fisheries. The Cumberland River tailwater below Wolf Creek Dam is the state's premier trophy-trout fishery, producing brown trout into the 20-pound class.
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual | $23.00 | |
| Resident 1-day | $9.00 | |
| Resident senior (65+) annual | $5.00 | Combination hunt/fish senior licence |
| Resident sportsmen's combo (hunt + fish + trout) | $95.00 | |
| Resident youth (under 16) annual | Free | Not required under age 16 |
| Resident disabled veteran | Free | Free — eligibility required |
| Trout permit (add-on) | $10.00 | Required to take or possess trout |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual | $55.00 | |
| Non-resident 7-day | $40.00 | |
| Non-resident 3-day | $20.00 | |
| Non-resident 1-day | $15.00 | |
| Non-resident annual trout permit | $30.00 | |
| Non-resident youth (under 16) | Free | Not required under age 16 |
Buy directly from Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources. Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round most waters; per-lake slot regs apply | 6 / day combined black bass (most reservoirs); some waters reduced | 12 in minimum statewide; 15 in min on listed trophy waters |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round most waters | 6 / day combined black bass | 12 in min statewide; 18 in min Dale Hollow + Lake Cumberland trophy waters |
| Crappie (white + black)Compare across states → | Year-round | 20 / day (Kentucky Lake / Lake Barkley + most major reservoirs); 30 / day elsewhere | 10 in min Kentucky Lake + Lake Barkley; 9 in min Cave Run; no statewide min elsewhere |
| Walleye / saugerCompare across states → | Year-round | 6 / day combined walleye + sauger | 15 in min walleye; 14 in min sauger |
| Trout (rainbow / brown / brook)Compare across states → | Year-round; year-round catch-and-release on certain reaches | 5 / day combined (rainbow + brown); 1 brown over 18 in | No statewide rainbow min; 18 in brown min Cumberland tailwater; 15 in brown elsewhere |
| Striped bassCompare across states → | Year-round; Lake Cumberland + Herrington + Cumberland tailwater | 5 / day statewide; 2 / day Lake Cumberland | 15 in min statewide; 22 in min Lake Cumberland |
| Blue catfishCompare across states → | Year-round; trophy blue cats in the Ohio + Mississippi rivers + Kentucky Lake / Barkley | Unlimited under 35 in; only 1 trophy (35 in or longer) per day | No minimum size; only 1 fish 35 in or longer per day |
| Channel catfishCompare across states → | Year-round | Unlimited under 28 in; only 1 trophy (28 in or longer) per day | No minimum size; only 1 fish 28 in or longer per day |
Notable water-body special regulations
Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River impoundment)
Reciprocal with Tennessee under interstate compact — either KY or TN licence honoured on the impoundment; 10 in min crappie / 20 fish / day; 6 / day black bass, 12 in min
Lake Barkley (Cumberland River impoundment)
Reciprocal with Tennessee — paired with Kentucky Lake under the same compact; same 10 in / 20 fish crappie + 12 in / 6 bass rules
Land Between the Lakes (LBL National Recreation Area)
Federal recreation area between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley; state fishing licence required (KY or TN under reciprocity); additional federal use rules apply
Reciprocal with Indiana under interstate compact — either KY or IN licence honoured on the river main stem upstream to KY/WV line; flathead + blue catfish trophy regs apply
Striped bass (2 / day, 22 in min — special protective reg vs the 5 / day, 15 in statewide rule) + trophy smallmouth (18 in min on Lake Cumberland) + walleye (15 in / 6 / day) + Wolf Creek tailwater trophy trout
Cumberland River tailwater (below Wolf Creek Dam)
Trophy trout: 1 brown / day, 18 in min; year-round catch-and-release reaches near Hatchery Creek; artificial lures + flies only on listed sections
Dale Hollow Lake (KY/TN boundary)
World-record smallmouth fishery (11 lb 15 oz, 1955); 18 in min smallmouth + 5 / day combined black bass; reciprocal with Tennessee on the open water
Kentucky's premier muskellunge water; 36 in min musky, 1 / day; 9 in min crappie / 30 fish / day; Daniel Boone National Forest reservoir
Smallmouth (18 in min trophy) + muskellunge (36 in min, 1 / day) + walleye + crappie reservoir
Muskellunge management lake — 36 in min, 1 / day; crappie 10 in min
Striped bass + hybrid striped bass + white bass fishery; statewide limits apply (striped bass 5 / day, 15 in min; white + hybrid striped bass 15 / day, no more than 5 over 15 in) + bass + crappie
Special catfish reg — blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 longer than 25 in (vs the unlimited statewide rule); also crappie + white bass reservoir
Special catfish reg — blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 longer than 25 in (vs the unlimited statewide rule); eastern KY mountain reservoir
Trophy stream smallmouth bass fishery; 18 in min smallmouth on listed reaches; artificial lures only on some sections
Mississippi River (KY/MO/TN boundary)
Western boundary water — KY licence covers the river to the navigation channel; flathead + blue catfish trophy regs apply
Cedar Creek Lake (Lincoln County)
Trophy largemouth bass special regulation — 20 in minimum, 1 / day (vs the 12 in minimum, 6 / day statewide black-bass default); a 784-acre Lincoln County lake managed as one of Kentucky's premier big-bass fisheries (301 KAR 1:201)
Lake Malone (Muhlenberg / Logan County)
Largemouth bass 12–15 in protective slot — every bass from 12 to 15 in must be released (vs the flat 12 in minimum statewide); Lake Malone State Park reservoir (301 KAR 1:201)
Largemouth bass 12–15 in protective slot — release all bass 12 to 15 in (vs the 12 in minimum statewide black-bass default); small Anderson County lake (301 KAR 1:201)
Largemouth bass 12–15 in protective slot — release all bass 12 to 15 in (vs the 12 in minimum statewide black-bass default); Grant County lake (301 KAR 1:201)
Elmer Davis Lake (Owen County)
Largemouth bass 12–15 in protective slot — release all bass 12 to 15 in (vs the 12 in minimum statewide black-bass default); Owen County lake (301 KAR 1:201)
McNeely Lake (Jefferson County)
Largemouth bass 12–15 in protective slot — release all bass 12 to 15 in (vs the 12 in minimum statewide black-bass default); Louisville-area Jefferson County lake (301 KAR 1:201)
Grayson Lake (Carter / Elliott County)
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 12–15 in protective slot — release black bass 12 to 15 in (vs the flat 12 in minimum statewide); eastern-Kentucky Corps reservoir on the Little Sandy River (301 KAR 1:201)
Wood Creek Lake (Laurel County)
Two special regs — largemouth + smallmouth bass 12–15 in protective slot (release bass 12 to 15 in) AND Rockcastle-strain walleye 18–26 in protective slot, 2 / day (vs the 15 in / 6 day statewide walleye default); Laurel County water-supply lake (301 KAR 1:201)
Nolin River Lake (Edmonson / Grayson / Hart County)
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 15 in minimum (vs the 12 in minimum statewide black-bass default); Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Nolin River (301 KAR 1:201)
Rough River Lake (Breckinridge / Grayson / Hardin County)
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 15 in minimum AND crappie 9 in minimum (vs the 12 in bass / no-minimum crappie statewide defaults); Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Rough River (301 KAR 1:201)
Buckhorn Lake (Perry / Leslie County)
Muskellunge 40 in minimum, 1 / day — raised above the 36 in statewide musky minimum; eastern-Kentucky Corps of Engineers reservoir musky fishery (301 KAR 1:201)
Muskellunge 40 in minimum, 1 / day — raised above the 36 in statewide musky minimum; Floyd County Corps reservoir at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park (301 KAR 1:201)
Yatesville Lake (Lawrence County)
Blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 longer than 25 in (vs the effectively-unlimited statewide catfish rule); Lawrence County Corps of Engineers reservoir (301 KAR 1:201)
Blue + channel catfish aggregate 15 / day, only 1 longer than 25 in (vs the effectively-unlimited statewide catfish rule); Pike County Corps reservoir on Levisa Fork (301 KAR 1:201)
Martins Fork Lake (Harlan County)
Rockcastle-strain walleye 18–26 in protective slot, 2 / day — release walleye 18 to 26 in (vs the 15 in / 6 day statewide walleye default); Harlan County Corps of Engineers reservoir (301 KAR 1:201)
KDFWR seasonal catch-and-release trout stream — during the designated catch-and-release season only artificial bait may be used and all trout must be released (vs the 5 / day statewide trout creel); Kentucky's flagship wild-trout stream in the Daniel Boone National Forest / Big South Fork country (301 KAR 1:201 §4)
Bark Camp Creek (Whitley County)
KDFWR seasonal catch-and-release trout stream — artificial bait only and all trout released during the catch-and-release season (vs the 5 / day statewide trout creel); Daniel Boone National Forest backcountry stream (301 KAR 1:201 §4)
KDFWR seasonal catch-and-release trout stream — artificial bait only and all trout released during the catch-and-release season (vs the 5 / day statewide trout creel); Laurel County stream in the Daniel Boone National Forest (301 KAR 1:201 §4)
Two special regs — largemouth + smallmouth bass 12–15 in protective slot (release bass 12 to 15 in) AND a KDFWR seasonal catch-and-release trout reach (artificial bait only, all trout released during the C&R season); Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area near Fort Knox (301 KAR 1:201)
Swift Camp Creek (Wolfe County)
KDFWR seasonal catch-and-release trout stream — artificial bait only and all trout released during the catch-and-release season (vs the 5 / day statewide trout creel); Red River Gorge / Clifty Wilderness stream in the Daniel Boone National Forest (301 KAR 1:201 §4)
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in Kentucky?
- Yes. Kentucky requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources; resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in Kentucky?
- Resident fees range from $5.00 (resident senior (65+) annual) to $95.00 (resident sportsmen's combo (hunt + fish + trout)); Non-resident fees range from $15.00 (non-resident 1-day) to $55.00 (non-resident annual). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare Kentucky against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in Kentucky?
- Kentucky anglers most commonly target Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Crappie (white + black), Walleye / sauger, Trout (rainbow / brown / brook), Striped bass, and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in Kentucky?
- It depends on the species — Kentucky sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific Kentucky waters?
- Yes. 35 named Kentucky waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River impoundment), Lake Barkley (Cumberland River impoundment), Land Between the Lakes (LBL National Recreation Area), and 32 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources is the authoritative source for Kentucky fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official Kentucky fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Kentucky trip during the active season.