Top 5 Fishing Hot Spots in Kentucky

 I've heard that Kentucky's big two (Kentucky & Barkley) is some of the finest fishing you could ever hope for, but since I live in central Ky, I'm going to tell ya more about some of the hot spots that I'm much more familiar with and get to fish on a more regular basis...
No.1  I'm an ole' river rat  with a first love for musky fishing, so my first choice is going to be the Kentucky River. Now, there's a lot more there than old saw-jaws mind you. There's nice big flathead and channel catfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, whites, a few walleye and sauger, and all sorts of panfish. I particularly like fishing the locks because you're never sure what's on the end of you're line when you get a bite there.
No. 2  Guess I'd have to go with Cave Run Lake. Anyone from the south that loves to musky fish knows that Cave Run meana one thing and that's big musky. This is where our state record came from and it's just a beautiful place to boot. There's plenty of other species as well for anyone that doesn't primarily chase toothie critters, but be assured, in Cave Run Lake the musky is king!
No. 3 If I've made a few trips and want to pick up the action then I'll head for the Wolf Creek Dam and the Cumberland River. Lots of my brother anglers that are into fly fishing go there to test there luck and skill against big Brown and Rainbow Trout. I respectably prefer ultralite spinning tackle with the bait of choice being a Yozuri Pen Minnow or a Rapala X-Rap, but regardless of fishing style, there's plenty of action to be had on the Cumberland. It's also a great place to catch monster Walleye and Stripers!
No. 4 Gotta give it to Lake Cumberland. Bass, walleye, and crappie are some of the favorites on Cumberland Lake, but the first thing that comes to mind when I think about it is stripers! I started fishing for them back in the late 80's and have been hooked ever since. Ever wonder what it would feel like to hook on to a Mack Truck underwater? Tie into you a 50 pounder and you'll have you're answer. And, when it comes to topwater action... All I can say is that you had better have a strong heart!
No.5 Cedar Creek Lake is a relaively new lake in Kentucky. The crappie bite is good. The bluegill and shellcracker bite in the spring is outstanding. But, Oh the bass! They're trying to make Cedar Creek a trophy bass lake and from what I'v seen, they're doing a pretty fair job of it. There's a one fish a day (over 20 inches) limit on the bucketmouths and with the catch & release attitude that more and more anglers have adapted... Cedar Creek has become my favorite lake to bass fish on. It's small with nice docks and the standing timber makes it a bass fishing trip a real adventure.