Be sure to sample some of the best fishing there is on Kentucky Lake. This huge impoundment is consistently one of the richest in America, as dedicated fishermen make pilgrimages from afar to sample the wealth of the lake. This reservoir’s bounty has even hooked countless “occasional” anglers.

Traditional headliner species on Kentucky Lake has been crappies. The crappies here grow large, with 2-pound fish common and limits of fish averaging 1 1/2 pounds. Kentucky Lake is popular during the spring spawn as fishermen across the country plan trips to take advantage of the great action waiting to be had.

The crappies move up tributary creeks to bedding areas in shallow coves during the spring. Loads of fish can be caught in thigh-deep water. The crappies can be caught year ‘round with a variety of tactics used for producing slab-sized fish.

The bass fishing on Kentucky Lake runs neck and neck with crappies as the hottest commodity on the water. The lake has an exceptional population of largemouth bass, with numbers of them in the 4- to 7-pound range. There is also a good sprinkling of trophy fish all the way up to double-digit weights. There’s a population of rod-wrenching smallmouths too, with some up to 5 pounds or more.

A hot-ticket item from mid-spring through the summer is the white bass, known as “stripes” by locals. Fish up to 2 pounds or more are caught in limit batches. White bass often are caught on the surface as they feed on shad “in the jumps,” and the frenzied action can be hair-raising.

Of increasing importance on Kentucky Lake is its sunfish faction. Always abundant, bluegills and the related redear sunfish, or “shellcrackers,” in recent seasons have grown stouter in size. The sunfish are easily caught by the sackful and are a hot item spring through fall.

There are other worthy fishing options, too. Catfish, blues, channel cats and flatheads all grow to sizes as long as your leg. Saugers are the relatives of walleyes, and are often a bonus for white bass anglers and present a significant fishery of their own. During the winter, this species congregates during the spawning run in the tailwaters of Kentucky Dam.

Pick your fish and your style of fishing; Kentucky Lake has the resources to keep your lines tight. For the variety of species that offer fast fishing and hefty catches, these waters are as good as they are big. If it’s your first time to Kentucky Lake, be sure to secure a guide for a one half or a full day. They can give you tips on fishing this expansive but easily navigable body of water so you can have a great time on the lake. For more information visit: visitkylake.com