DOG FORK
The only other stream in the DBNF with wild brook trout is Dog Fork in Wolf County. Listed as having a mile of fishable water, Dog Fork is given an excellent rating of 1.0 and designated a Class I stream.

However, it definitely has some drawbacks. Access to Dog Fork is very limited, making it extremely hard to reach. In fact, the stream itself is even hard to locate. The trail leading to this stream is not well marked well and is extremely difficult to navigate, due to deadfalls and other debris that require hikers to climb around through thick brush and rhododendrons. A forest service map or topographical map is a necessity when trying to find this stream.

Biologist Lew Kornman says Dog Fork is for "the die-hard fisherman only," and that many anglers won't go back a second time. "The only draw to this creek," Kornman says, "is if an angler wants to catch a brook trout in a Kentucky water, this is a place it can be done."

There are waterfalls on this creek, and most of the brook trout are above the falls. Below the falls you'll find many other species of fish, which compete with the trout for food.

Some parts of the stream are difficult to fish. It gets very narrow in some areas, and the surrounding foliage can be quite thick. In fact, parts of the creek are completely overhung by a canopy of rhododendrons.

Where the creek widens, fishing is a little more accessible. The maximum width that anglers can expect would be about 12 feet from bank to bank. Samplings at the creek have shown an average depth in the pools to be around 16 inches, with a maximum depth of 30 inches.

A very important reminder for anglers is to check current regulations for trout fishing and harvest before fishing on any of the streams mentioned here. At the time of this writing, there were some proposed and pending regulation changes in store for trout angling in Kentucky, beginning in 2006. These changes should appear in the 2006 Sport Fishing and Boating Guide or on the KDFWR Web site at www.fw.ky.gov.