301 KAR 1:201. Recreational fishing limits.

301 KAR 1:201. Recreational fishing limits.

RELATES TO: KRS 150.470, 150.990(2)

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 150.025(1), 150.470

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations to protect fish species from overharvest, allocate their harvest, maintain ecological balance and improve fishing. This administrative regulation establishes fish size limits, daily catch limits, and field possession limits for fishing.

Section 1. Definitions. (1) "Artificial bait" means a lure or fly:

(a) Made of:

1. Wood;

2. Metal;

3. Plastic;

4. Feathers;

5. Preserved pork rind; or

6. A similar inert material; and

(b) Not having attached:

1. An insect;

2. Minnow;

3. Fish egg;

4. A worm;

5. Corn;

6. Cheese;

7. Cut bait; or

8. Similar organic bait substance including dough bait, putty or paste-type bait designed to attract fish by taste or smell.

(2) "Chumming" means placing materials upon which fish might eat in the water for the purpose of attracting fish to a particular area in order that they might be taken.

(3) "Cull" means to replace a fish in the daily creel limit with another fish of the same species.

(4) "Daily limit" or "creel limit" means the maximum number of a particular species or group of species a person may legally take in one (1) day or have in possession while fishing.

(5) "Daylight hours" are defined by KRS 150.010(6).

(6) "Kentucky bass" means the following with a patch of teeth on its tongue:

(a) Largemouth bass;

(b) Kentucky bass; or

(7) "Lake" means impounded waters from the dam upstream to the first riffle on the main stem river and tributary streams.

(8) "Length" means the distance of a fish which is measured while laid flat on a ruler with the mouth closed and tail lobes squeezed together.

(9) "Possession limit" means the maximum number of fish a person may hold in the field after two (2) or more days of fishing.

(10) "Recreational fishing" means the act of taking or attempting to take for personal use, and not for sale, any freshwater fish species by traditional fishing methods, including a line that is held in the hand or is attached to a rod that is held in the hand or closely attended, and to which one or more hooks are attached.

(11) "Release" means to return a fish:

(a) In the best possible physical condition;

(b) Immediately after removing the hook;

(d) In a place where the fish's immediate escape shall not be prevented.

(12) "Seasonal catch and release for trout season" means a trout stream with a specific time period when no trout shall be harvested or possessed and where the use of artificial bait is the only bait permitted.

(13) "Single hook" means a hook with no more than one (1) point.

(14) "Size limit" means the minimum legal length of a fish.

(15) "Slot limit" means that a person:

(a) Shall release fish within a specified minimum and maximum size; and

(b) May keep fish above and below the protected size range.

Section 2. Statewide Size and Creel Limits. (1) Except as specified in Section 4 of this administrative regulation or by 301 KAR 1:180, a person fishing in public or private waters shall observe the following daily possession and size limits.

(a) Black bass: daily limit, six (6); possession limit, twelve (12).

1. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

2. Kentucky bass and Coosa bass: no size limit.

(b) Rock bass: daily limit, fifteen (15); possession limit, thirty (30); no size limit.

(c) Sauger, walleye, and their hybrids: daily limit, singly or in combination, six (6); possession limit, twelve (12); size limit, walleye and their hybrids, fifteen (15) inches; no size limit for sauger.

(d) Muskellunge: daily limit, one (1), possession limit, two (2); size limit, thirty (30) inches.

(e) Chain pickerel: daily limit, five (5); possession limit, ten (10); no size limit.

(f) White bass, hybrid striped bass, and yellow bass, singly or in combination: daily limit, fifteen (15); possession limit, thirty (30); size limit, no more than five (5) fish in a daily limit or ten (10) fish in a possession limit shall be fifteen (15) inches or longer.

(g) Striped bass: daily and possession limit, five (5); size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(h) Crappie: daily limit, thirty (30); possession limit, sixty (60); no size limit.

(i) Rainbow trout and brown trout, singly or in combination: daily and possession limit, eight (8), no more than three (3) of which shall be brown trout; no size limit on rainbow trout; twelve (12) inch size limit on brown trout.

(j) Redear sunfish: daily limit; twenty (20); possession limit, forty (40); no size limit.

(2) A person shall release grass carp caught from a lake owned or managed by the department.

(3) A person shall release fish:

(a) Below the minimum size limits established by this administrative regulation;

(b) Within a protected slot limit established by this administrative regulation; or

(c) Of a particular species, if a person has in his possession the daily limit for that species established by this administrative regulation.

(4) A person shall not remove any part of the head or tail of a fish for which there is a size or creel limit until he has completed fishing for the day and has left the water.

(5) A person who wishes to possess sport fish below the size limit or beyond the possession limit shall:

(a) Obtain the fish from a licensed fish propagator or other legal source; and

(b) Retain a receipt or other written proof that the fish were legally acquired.

(6) A person shall release trout unless he:

(a) Has a valid trout permit;

(b) Is exempted from trout permit requirements by KRS 150.170(3); or

Section 3. Fishing Season. The fishing season shall be open year round.

Section 4. Exceptions to Statewide Administrative Regulations. A person fishing in the waters listed in this section shall observe the following special requirements. Except as specified in this section, all other provisions of this administrative regulation shall apply to these bodies of water.

(1) Bad Branch, Letcher County. A person shall not fish except with an artificial bait with a single hook.

(2) Barkley Lake.

(a) Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Crappie: size limit, ten (10) inches; daily limit, twenty (20); possession limit, forty (40).

(3) Barren River Lake, including:

(a) Barren River to the Highway 100 bridge;

(b) Long Creek to the Highway 100 bridge;

(d) Skaggs Creek to the Mathews Mill Road bridge; and

(e) Peter Creek to the Peter Creek Road bridge:

1. Crappie: size limit, nine (9) inches.

2. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches. Daily limit may include no more than one (1) and the possession limit no more than two (2) fish less than fifteen (15) inches.

(4) Beaver Lake, Anderson County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(5) Bert Combs Lake, Clay County. A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(6) Beshears Lake, Caldwell County. channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(7) Boltz Lake, Grant County.

(a) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(b) Channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(8) Briggs Lake, Logan County. a person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(9) Buckhorn Lake.

(a) Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Muskellunge: size limit, forty (40) inches.

(10) Bullock Pen Lake, Grant County. channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(11) Carnico Lake, Nicholas County. largemouth bass, size limit fifteen (15) inches.

(12) Carpenter Lake, Daviess County. A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(13) Carr Creek Lake.

(a) Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Crappie: size limit, nine (9) inches.

(14) Carter Caves State Park Lake, Carter County.

(a) Fishing shall be during daylight hours only.

(b) Largemouth bass: daily limit, three (3) fish; possession limit six (6) fish; size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(15) Cave Run Lake.

(a) Largemouth bass: slot limit - a person may keep fish less than thirteen (13) inches or greater than sixteen (16) inches and shall release fish between thirteen (13) and sixteen (16) inches.

(b) Smallmouth bass: size limit, eighteen (18) inches.

(16) Cedar Creek Lake, Lincoln County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, twenty (20) inches; daily limit: one (1) fish; possession limit, two (2) fish.

(b) Channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(17) Chimney Top Creek; Wolfe County.

(a) Brown trout: size limit, sixteen (16) inches; daily limit, one (1); possession limit, two (2); artificial bait only.

(18) Corinth Lake, Grant County.

(a) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(b) Channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(19) Cumberland Lake.

(a) Largemouth: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Smallmouth bass: size limit shall be eighteen (18) inches.

(d) Crappie: size limit, ten (10) inches.

(20) Cumberland River downstream from Barkley Lake Dam. Sauger: size limit, fourteen (14) inches.

(21) Cumberland River from Wolf Creek Dam downstream to the Kentucky-Tennessee state line and tributaries.

(a) Brown trout: size limit (no cull), twenty (20) inches; creel limit, one (1);

(b) Rainbow trout: slot limit (no cull), fifteen (15) to twenty (20) inches; creel limit five (5) fish, which shall not include more than one (1) fish greater than twenty (20) inches; and

(c) A trout permit shall be required to fish the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam to the Tennessee state line including the Hatchery Creek and all other tributaries upstream to the first riffle.

(d) Chumming shall not be permitted in the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam to the Tennessee state line including the Hatchery Creek and all other tributaries upstream to the first riffle.

(22) Cyprus AMAX (currently owned by Addington Enterprises) and Robinson Forest Wildlife Management Areas, Breathitt, Knott, and Perry Counties. On impounded waters of the area:

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(b) Sunfish: daily limit, fifteen (15); possession limit, thirty (30).

(d) A person shall not fish:

1. Except during daylight hours; or

2. On Starfire Lake between January 1 and May 31.

(23) Dale Hollow Lake.

(a) Smallmouth bass: slot limit - a person shall release fish between sixteen (16) and twenty-one (21) inches. The daily limits shall not include more than one (1) fish less than sixteen (16) inches long and one (1) fish greater than twenty-one (21) inches long.

(b) Walleye and its hybrids: daily limit, five (5); size limit, sixteen (16) inches.

(d) Rainbow trout and lake trout.

1. Daily limit, April 1 - October 31: seven (7), no more than two (2) of which may be lake trout. No size limit.

2. Daily limit, November 1 - March 31: two (2); size limit, twenty-two (22) inches.

(e) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches;

(f) Black bass: aggregate daily limit, five (5), no more than two (2) of which shall be smallmouth bass.

(g) Crappie: size limit, ten (10) inches; daily limit, fifteen (15).

(24) Dewey Lake. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(25) Dix River for two (2) miles downstream from Herrington Lake Dam. A person shall not fish except with an artificial bait.

(26) Doe Run Lake, Kenton County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(b) Channel catfish: daily limit, four (4); possession limit, eight (8).

(27) Dog Fork, Wolfe County. A person shall:

(a) Not fish except with an artificial bait with a single hook; and

(b) Release brook trout.

(28) Elkhorn Creek downstream from the confluence of the North and South forks. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: slot limit - a person shall release fish between twelve (12) and sixteen (16) inches. The daily limit shall not include more than two (2) fish greater than sixteen (16) inches long.

(29) Elmer Davis Lake, Owen County.

(a) Largemouth bass: slot limit - a person shall release fish between twelve (12) and fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(30) Fishtrap Lake. Largemouth bass or smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(31) Golden Pond at the Visitors' Center at Land Between the Lakes. Channel catfish: daily limit, five (5) fish; possession limit, ten (10) fish; size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(32) General Butler State Park Lake, Carroll County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(b) Channel catfish: daily limit, four (4); possession limit, (8).

(33) Grayson Lake. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(34) Greenbo Lake, Greenup County.

(a) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(b) Bluegill and sunfish: daily and possession limit, fifteen (15) fish.

(35) Green River Lake. Crappie: size limit, nine (9) inches.

(36) Guist Creek Lake, Shelby County. Channel catfish: size limit twelve (12) inches.

(37) Jerrico Lake, Henry County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(38) Kentucky Lake and the canal connecting Kentucky and Barkley lakes.

(a) Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Crappie: size limit, ten (10) inches; daily limit, twenty (20); possession limit, forty (40).

(39) Kincaid Lake, Pendleton County. channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(40) Lake Blythe, Christian County. Largemouth bass: slot limit - a person may keep fish less than twelve (12) inches, or greater than fifteen (15) inches, and shall release fish between twelve (12) and fifteen (15) inches.

(41) Lake Malone, Muhlenburg and Logan County.

(a) Largemouth bass: slot limit - a person may keep fish less than twelve (12) inches, or greater than fifteen (15) inches, and shall release fish between twelve (12) and fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(42) Lake Mingo, Jessamine County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(b) Channel catfish: daily limit, four (4); possession limit, eight (8).

(43) Lake Pollywog, Grant County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(b) Channel catfish: daily limit, four (4); possession limit, eight (8).

(44) Lake Reba, Madison County.

(a) Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit three (3).

(b) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(45) Lake Shelby, Shelby County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(b) Channel catfish: daily limit, four (4); possession limit, eight (8).

(46) Laurel River Lake.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Smallmouth bass: size limit shall be eighteen (18) inches; daily limit, two (2); possession limit, four (4).

(47) Lebanon City Lake (Fagan Branch), Marion County. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: slot limit - a person shall release fish between twelve (12) and fifteen (15) inches.

(48) Leary Lake, Grant County.

(a) A person shall not fish except during daylight hours.

(b) Largemouth bass: daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(49) Lincoln Homestead Lake, Washington County.

(a) A person shall not fish except during daylight hours.

(b) Largemouth bass: daily limit, three (3); size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(d) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(50) Marion County Lake.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(51) McNeely Lake, Jefferson County. A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(52) Mill Creek Lake, Powell County.

(a) Largemouth bass, size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6) fish.

(b) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(53) New Haven Optimist Lake, Nelson County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(b) Channel catfish: daily limit, four (4); possession limit, eight (8).

(54) Nolin River Lake, whose impoundment extends up Bacon Creek to Highway 178 and to Wheelers Mill Road Bridge on the Nolin River.

(a) Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches except that the daily limit may contain one (1) and the possession limit two (2) bass under fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Crappie: size limit, nine (9) inches.

(55) Ohio River.

(a) Walleye, sauger and their hybrids: no size limit; daily limit, ten (10) fish, singly or in combination.

(b) White bass, yellow bass, striped bass and their hybrids: daily limit, thirty (30); no more than four (4) in a daily limit shall be fifteen (15) inches long or longer.

(56) Paint Creek between upper Highway 460 Bridge and Highway 40 Bridge, Johnson County. Trout: size limit, sixteen (16) inches; daily limit one (1) fish; artificial bait only.

(57) Paintsville Lake.

(a) Largemouth bass: slot limit, twelve (12) to fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Smallmouth bass: size limit, eighteen (18) inches.

(58) Parched Corn Creek, Wolfe County. A person shall:

(a) Not fish except with an artificial bait with a single hook;

(b) Release brook trout.

(59) Pennyrile Lake, Christian County. largemouth bass, size limit, twelve (12) to fifteen (15) inch protective slot limit.

(60) Pikeville City Lake, Pike County. Catch and release largemouth bass fishing (no harvest).

(61) Poor Fork and its tributaries in Letcher County downstream to the first crossing of Highway 932. A person shall:

(a) Not fish except with an artificial bait with a single hook; and

(b) Release brook trout.

(62) Rough River Lake.

(a) Crappie: size limit, nine (9) inches.

(b) Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches, except that the daily limit may contain one (1) and the possession limit two (2) bass under fifteen (15) inches.

(63) Shanty Hollow Lake, Warren County.

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Channel catfish: size limit, twelve (12) inches.

(64) Shillalah Creek, Bell County, outside the Cumberland Gap National Park. A person shall:

(a) Not fish except with an artificial bait with a single hook; and

(b) Release brook trout.

(65) Sportsman's Lakes, Franklin County.

(a) A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(b) Upper Sportsman’s Lake:

1. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6); and

2. Channel catfish: daily limit, four (4); possession limit, eight (8).

1. A person thirteen (13) years or older shall not fish; and

2. Daily limit, three (3) fish of any species.

(66) Spurlington Lake, Taylor County. A person shall not possess shad or use shad for bait.

(67) Sympson Lake, Nelson County. largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(68) Taylorsville Lake, including the impounded waters of the lake to Dry Dock Road Bridge on the Salt River.

(a) Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(b) Crappie: daily limit, fifteen (15); possession limit, thirty (30); size limit, nine (9) inches.

(69) Taylorsville Lake WMA ponds, Spencer County (as designated).

(a) Largemouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily limit, three (3); possession limit, six (6).

(b) Channel catfish: daily limit, four (4) fish; possession limit, eight (8).

(70) Tennessee River downstream from Kentucky Lake Dam. Sauger: size limit, fourteen (14) inches.

(71) Wood Creek Lake.

(a) Crappie: size limit, nine (9) inches.

(b) Largemouth and smallmouth bass: size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

(72) Yatesville Lake: largemouth bass and smallmouth bass; size limit, fifteen (15) inches.

Section 5. Seasonal Catch and Release for Trout. (1) There shall be seasonal catch and release for trout season from October 1 - March 31.

(2) A person shall use artificial bait and release trout.

(3) The following streams shall be open to the seasonal catch and release for trout season:

(a) Bark Camp Creek in Whitley County;

(b) Beaver Creek from Highway 90 Bridge upstream to Highway 200 Bridge in Wayne County;

(d) Cane Creek in Laurel County;

(e) Casey Creek in Trigg County;

(f) Clear Creek from mouth upstream to 190 Bridge in Bell County;

(g) East Fork Clarks River from Bee Creek upstream to Old Salem Road Bridge in Calloway County;

(h) East Fork of Indian Creek in Menifee County;

(i) Elk Spring Creek in Wayne County;

(j) Left Fork of Beaver Creek in Floyd County from Highway 122 Bridge upstream to the headwater;

(k) Lick Creek in Simpson County;

(l) Middle Fork Red River in Natural Bridge State Park in Powell County;

(m) Otter Creek in Meade County on the Fort Knox Reservation and Otter Creek Park; and

(n) Rock Creek from the Bell Farm Bridge to the Tennessee state line in McCreary County.

(4) The seasonal catch and release for trout season for Swift Camp Creek in Wolf County shall be October 1 through May 31.

Section 6. Special Limits for Fishing Events. (1) The commissioner may establish special limits for fishing events including:

(a) Size limits for selected species;

(b) Creel limits for selected species;

(d) Dates and times of special limits.

(2) Event sponsors shall post signs informing anglers of the special limits a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours before the event. (21 Ky.R. 713; eff. 1-25-95; Am. 312; eff. 10-11-95; 23 Ky.R. 468; 1929; eff. 11-11-96; 24 Ky.R. 392; 866; eff. 10-8-97; 25 Ky.R. 411; eff. 10-16-98; 26 Ky.R. 113; eff. 9-8-99; 2012; 27 Ky.R. 486; eff. 8-14-2000; 1056; 1449; eff. 12-21-00; 3330; 28 Ky.R. 354; eff. 8-15-01; 28 Ky.R. 2641; 29 Ky.R. 431; eff. 8-12-02; 785; eff. 12-18-02; 30 Ky.R. 394; eff. 10-31-03; 30 Ky.R. 394; 1586; eff. 2-16-04; 30 Ky.R. 2550; eff. 8-26-04; 32 Ky.R. 308; eff. 10-12-05; 32 Ky.R. 2088; 33 Ky.R. 88; eff. 7-12-06; 34 Ky.R. 369; eff. 10-9-2007.)