Trout anglers should be very excited and proud of our trout management program here in the Commonwealth. The program has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and it has become a very large and extensive project. This well-managed program is providing lots of opportunities for trout enthusiasts these days.

Kentucky has an excellent rearing and stocking system, which helps maintain quality fisheries across the state. Most of our stocked trout come from the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery near the dam on Lake Cumberland. This hatchery provides around 750,000 fish per year with the bulk of the fish being rainbow trout. Some 100,000 brown trout are also reared and stocked into Kentucky waters each year.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) stocks trout in dozens of different locations all across the state. Anglers don’t have to travel far to find good trout fishing. These stocked waters range from small streams in the eastern part of the state to larger rivers and even some of our lakes. This provides a variety of fishing opportunities to suit the taste of most any angler.

Most of the stocking in the tailwaters and lakes consists of put-and-take fish. This basically provides a renewable source of fish for anglers who simply want to catch a few trout and take them home for eating. These fish are stocked at different times of the year to provide the most angling opportunities possible.

Another of our fantastic trout opportunities is the delayed-harvest program. This program involves several streams where trout are stocked and where harvest is restricted for a period of time. Anglers must immediately release all trout caught until after a certain date. This allows the fish to remain in the water longer and have a longer growing season before being harvested.

Yet another of our trout strategies is managing specifically for trophy-sized trout. The KDFWR has placed trophy regulations on certain waters that have the potential to produce quality fish. This is to protect trout and allow them ample opportunity to grow. Anglers have been rewarded with some remarkable trout in recent years.

There are three waters here in the state that are being managed to provide trophy fishing for those interested in more than just table-fare. These waters provide trophy fishing for both brown trout and rainbow trout. Following is a detailed look at all three and the opportunities provided by each.

CUMBERLAND TAILWATERS

The tailwaters section of the Cumberland River, below the Wolf Creek Dam, is our most heralded trout water in the state and with good reason. This river has some of the finest trout fishing available anywhere and many people believe it even matches or rivals some of the highly acclaimed rivers in the Western states. Anglers can routinely catch trophy-sized brown and rainbow trout in the Cumberland tailwaters.

The entire 75-mile stretch of the river below the dam, all the way to the Tennessee state line, is designated as a trophy brown trout water. Here there are protective regulations in place to maintain the trophy fishery. Only one brown trout may be kept per day and it must be 20 inches or greater. This strict harvest regulation has helped secure this river as a premier trophy brown trout location.

Our state-record brown trout was caught in the Cumberland tailwaters just recently. Thomas Malone of Crofton hooked the big trout on April 30, 2000. His impressive fish weighed a whopping 21 pounds!

A new regulation to help enhance the trophy potential of rainbow trout has also been put in place. The KDFWR has implemented a 15- to 20-inch slot limit on rainbow trout. All trout that fall within the slot size must be immediately released. Only rainbow trout over 20 inches may be kept.

There is a five-fish limit for trout at the tailwaters. This means anglers may keep one trophy fish over 20 inches, either rainbow or brown, and four rainbows under 15 inches or keep five rainbows under 15 inches. This slot limit and trophy fish creel limit is expected to greatly increase the trophy potential for rainbows.