Based on the 2016 fish population surveys, creel surveys, fish stockings, and historical knowledge of the fisheries, the state has rated Lake Cumberland with an “excellent” forecast rating for crappie, channel catfish and striped bass and “good” for bluegill, walleye, and three other varieties of bass in 2017.
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What are bass biting on Lake Cumberland?
The White Bass of Lake Cumberland spawn in the tributaries. In the spring, the White Bass are very hungry and will bite just about at anything, but 2โณ-3โณ Minnows may be your best bet. After spring, the next best time to get White Bass is when they’re in the jumps, in late summer and early fall.
Where is the best fishing in Lake Cumberland?
Though there are fish to be caught up near takeoff, the lower end of the lake is historically where anglers find the best fishing, especially for smallmouth bass. Where exactly the lower end starts is a bit nebulous, but the area around Conley Bottom Marina or Wolf Creek and Caney Creek is a decent approximation.
What month do bass spawn in Kentucky?
Nest building begins when water temperatures approach 65 degrees F, but the lengthening of days is an equally important factor in triggering the spawn. In Kentucky’s large reservoirs the bass spawn begins in April and usually extends into mid-to-late May.
What’s the biggest fish ever caught in Lake Cumberland?
world record Smallmouth Bass, a 58 lb. 4 oz Rockfish, a 22 lb. 7 oz Walleye, a 208 lb Catfish, and the national record 26 lb. 10 oz Brown Trout all came from these waters!
How do you catch striped bass in Lake Cumberland?
Put out a few lines rigged with shad, alewives or shiners at different depths. Give the spot one-half hour and move. Eventually you’ll find stripers. April through late May is also the time of year for anglers who want thrilling sport, as stripers rip through spawning schools of threadfin shad and alewives at night.
How do you find bass in a pond?

Are there sturgeon in Lake Cumberland KY?
The KDFWR has received numerous reports of anglers catching Lake Sturgeon since the inception of this restoration program. To date, all anglers that have reported catching Lake Sturgeon were fishing in the upper reaches of Lake Cumberland (mouth of Buck Creek and near Jasper Bend).
What’s at the bottom of Lake Cumberland?
In 2007, fearing a break in the Dam, the Lake was lowered to a level of 680 feet. Video of Lake Cumberland taken February 2007. Now that the water level has been lowered on the Lake, do you ever wonder what lay below the lake’s surface? Farm of Shell and Gladys (Gossage) Oatts on Cumberland River.
Is there a limit on bluegill in Kentucky?
(a) Largemouth bass size limit, fifteen (15) inches; daily creel limit, one (1). (b) Bluegill and sunfish daily creel limit, ten (10).
What is the world record smallmouth bass?
The current all-tackle world record for a smallmouth bass is 11 lb 15 oz, caught by David Hayes in the Dale Hollow Reservoir, on the Kentucky/Tennessee border, in 1955.
What is the best bait for spawning bass?
- Flipping jig with a craw trailer.
- Bladed jig with swimbait trailer.
- Swimbait in bluegill color.
- Green pumpkin tubes in 4- and 5-inch.
- Carolina rigged craw in natural or dark colors.
What is the best time of year to fish Kentucky Lake?
Visiting anglers wanting to catch trophy bass should plan their Kentucky Lake trip for the full moon period of late March and early April. Menendez rates that period as the best time to catch smallmouth in the 6-pound range and largemouth up to 8 pounds.
Where do bass go after spawn?
After the fish spawn they’ll move to the first ledge or point along their transition route. Here they will sit for a week or two to recuperate before feeding again. This is often the time when anglers feel lost and begin to panic about where the fish have gone. As soon as this period ends, the fish make a split.
What is the world record largemouth bass?
Official Largemouth World Record: George Perry’s Undefeated Bass. On June 2nd, 1932, George Perry caught the current world record bass out of Lake Montgomery, an oxbow lake off the Ocmulgee River in southern Georgia. The fish (the whopper) weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces.
What month is best to catch striper?
Striped Bass will start to move into the Red and Washita Rivers to spawn. April can be the best live-bait fishing month, but swimbaits and underspins will catch Striper too. Striper will school up around these river channels to feed, then run upstream to spawn.
Do striper like shiners?
Not only do stripers love golden shiners, but also we’ve found out this season that there’s no comparison to dyed bait. Stripers love dyed baits and the UV properties these baits have make the bait irresistible.
Are there stripers in Lake Cumberland?
Lake Cumberland is a 63,000 acre haven for big stripers and is the only lake that the Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlike stocks with striped bass. The best time to fish for stripers on Lake Cumberland is April through June and September through October. Although winter striper fishing can also be quite good!
Does Cumberland lake have alligators?
The hoax mentions the “Kentucky Parks and Wildlife Department” an agency which does not exist. Somebodyโwe have no idea whoโapparently modified the already circulated alligator hoax to put the southern creature in Lake Cumberland, complete with photographs and fake names.
What is the cleanest lake in Kentucky?
Laurel River Lake is considered one of the cleanest and deepest lakes in Kentucky, according to Kentucky Tourism’s website. Travel time: About two and a half hours from Louisville. What you can do: Swimming, fishing, skiing and scubadiving.
What is the deepest lake in United States?
At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. The depths were first explored thoroughly in 1886 by a party from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Where do big bass hide in ponds?
Look for bass-holding structure like down trees, stumps, boulders, weeds, lily pads, and pipes. These fishing spots are keys to finding good bass in a pond. If you find any of these structures isolated away from all other structure, these spots need to be fished. You can be sure they will hold fish.
Whats the best time to fish for bass in a pond?
Without question, the best time of day to fish for bass is at night. Bass are known to feed more heavily at night than during any other time of day. Not only is night the best time to fish for bass due to bass being more active, there are often fewer anglers and less commotion on the waterways during the evening hours.
What is the best bait for bass in a lake?
Shad, minnows, or shiners are some of the best live baits for bass, hands down. Baitfish come in different sizes and can be used in all types of bass waters, but they are incredibly productive in deeper water to target huge bass.
What kind of Gar are in Lake Cumberland?
In Kentucky, the Alligator Gar is native to the Ohio, Mississippi, and lower Cumberland and Tennessee River systems. Alligator Gar are found in large and slow moving rivers, reservoirs, oxbow lakes, bayous, and bays.