16.0 in. Whether you’re spinning, fly fishing or baitcasting your chances of getting a bite here are good. Channel catfishermen are apt to catch plenty of fish by day or by night. "There are very few flatheads, but there are some really big ones." Barren River Lake. Upper Barren River is fairly remote and flows through an area that is predominantly surrounded by agricultural land. Port Oliver has ADA accessible fishing structures and lot of bank fishing room. The Hobie MirageDrive 360 pedal propulsion system is the pinnacle of kayak control with more efficient fin designs, glide technology and allows the boat to be moved in any direction. Bank access is good, and anglers do catch a lot of catfish from the rocky shores by throwing pieces of cut skipjack toward edges of currents and letting Carolina rigs bounce on the bottom. Stuck inside? The entire lake is undeveloped, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers purchased all the land from ridge to ridge before they built the lake. Kentucky offers a wealth of opportunities for catfishermen. Other good bait choices include cut bluegills, chicken livers and commercial stink baits. The average depth is only 17 feet, and it has fairly extensive flats. Whether you’re fly fishing, baitcasting or spinning your chances of getting a bite here are good. Now you'll know where catches are being recorded in the general area, and you can plan your day on the water. Green River Lake has two major arms: the Green River, which is the longest and the largest, and Robinson Creek. 11 Old Port Oliver Rd, Scottsville, KY 42164. Ultra fertile, partly because it receives treated sewage from the town of Glasgow, Barren holds high densities of several fish species, including catfish. Create New Account. All weigh-ins will take place at Barren River Boat Shop, located at 12766 Scottsville Road in Lucas. All you folks who like to use the “hands on” method of fishing are reminded there’s still time to register for the catfish noodling tournament, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Log In. Barren River Lake has two major arms - Barren River and Beaver Creek. He said channel catfish can be taken regularly below the dams in the boils and rocks. Don't have fishing equipment? Barren River Lake has some of the best fishing in the state. Each is joined by one fairly large creek arm, plus numerous small creeks, cuts and coves. Enjoy a great meal, hiking, horseback riding & golfing then let us assist you in finding your new home, lot or farm on or near the lake. Largemouth Bass with a Strike King Denny Brauer Premier Pro-Model Jigs. Small pieces of cut shad and chicken livers make very good bait for channel catfish in the coves. An alternative technique is to select a specific spot, like the edge of a significant hump, a major bend in the river channel or the mouth of a ditch, put down an anchor and lay several lines on the bottom. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including channel catfish, bluegill, carp, striped bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, flathead catfish and largemouth bass here. However, despite its lofty reputation for big flatheads, this lake gets minimal hook-and-line fishing pressure. After the spawn, those same fish will move up creeks and pile up on flats along edges of creek channels. $90,000. When the weather turns sultry, these Midwest locales offer prime action for channel catfish. Instead, they seek out the best-looking flatheads holes they can find, put down several live fish and wait to see whether the flatheads will cooperate. Hook Line & Sinker Guide Service – Professional Kentucky fishing guide offering guided fishing trips on Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. This lake produces big numbers and sizes, and it supports channel, flathead and blue catfish. Barren River Lake commonly produces heavyweight flatheads. 2mos ago - Barren River Lake. For either technique, fishing is best when water is being pulled through the Barkley Dam, which creates a current through the lake. The Barkley tailwater is absolutely loaded with catfish, and it produces some giant blues every year. The threadfin show up in the surveys some years but not others, Laflin said. This one simple trick will trigger more bass strikes on a jerkbait during the fall months. Laflin, the regional fisheries biologist for the KDFWR over the lake, always sees plenty of catfish in gill net samples, and catfishermen who do fish the lake consistently report good success. Bank anglers may fish at Barren River State Resort Park, Quarry Road Recreation Area near the dam, the Tailwater Recreation Area just below the dam and at the Port Oliver Boat Ramp. When conditions get tough for many types of fishing, catfishing stays sizzling on several rivers and lakes in our state. Anglers can pick a spot, based on what they see, and anchor and spread out a few lines. Another booklet, Kentucky's Boating & Fishing Access Sites, is very helpful for trip planning. 7mos ago - Barren River Lake. When he locates the ditch mouth, he drops his buoy overboard. Barren River Lake. Big, live gizzard shad also make very good flathead bait. Its waters are very clear, especially in the summer. The Landing at Port Oliver. By putting small pieces of cut bait on a couple of bass-sized rods and live fish on much larger outfits, anglers can enjoy good action from channel catfish while keeping the opportunity open to lock horns with a jumbo flathead as well. les, pick a spot or two and then fish those spots through the night. |   For the lake's jumbo flatheads, Buynak suggested that anglers look in the upper portions of major creeks and the Salt River. At night they will get up on the flats, sometimes moving quite shallow. All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. It covers approximately 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) and has 141 miles (227 km) of … For information, call (800) 255-7275 or log onto www.kystateparks.com. All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. The blue i caught was actually 17lbs. 25 results. All Rights Reserved. Make this venison chorizo recipe and cook it right away or freeze it (cooked or raw) and use... Field Skills: Want to be a better shooter? Generally speaking, channel catfish will be in the river holes or creek mouths by day and on flats adjacent to them by night. Many anglers will catch their bait late in the afternoon, pick a spot, put out their live baits and then wait on the flatheads to make their move. Catfish, not surprisingly, are usually close to the bottom and grouped up. Instead of seeking to pick from so many fine destinations, we turned to information from the folks who know. Green River Lake, which covers 8,210 acres, also produces very good quality channel catfish and supports a gizzard shad-dominated forage base. River fish by nature, flatheads still relate heavily to river channels in reservoirs, even though the channel edges are inundated. Not Now. Related Pages. 5 talking about this. Tennessee's state-record blue cat offers evidence of how big catfish can grow in Lake Barkley. Green River State Park offers boating access and has a marina with boat rentals and a cabin. SO, I have experimented with trolling for Hybrid on Barren River lake. A Kentucky Fishing License is required. Butler County Bassmasters. One of the top catfishing waters spanning the entire northern border of Kentucky is the Ohio River. Buynak noted that most of his rod and reel fishing has been in late June or early July, close to the spawn, so he and his buddy fished around boulders along the main lake. Some anglers turn to this method after they locate a fish. Going the other way on the same ramp, a crew of catfish anglers looks fresh, full of energy and anticipation. With plenty of food and very little fishing pressure, the catfish here have the opportunity to grow big. A mock whitetail scrape is easier—and cheaper—than you might think. Joined ... they wanted to offer another sport fish in barren, after all catfishing is getting more and more popular these days. Had some 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. Nonprofit Organization. 2; Details; Tim Meador. If the catfish don't cooperate on Green River Lake, anglers should move. Subscriber Services. After all, this river is short, narrow and mostly flows through ordinary-looking farmland. FTF- Barren Open Bass Tournaments. The lines that get the bites will dictate how to adjust as the night progresses. Taylorsville is extremely fertile and loaded with shad, which keep the lake's biggest channel catfish fat and happy. The report noted that all sizes of fish are available. I was just looking for any info on fishing in the area. Lake cumberland fishing report for Sept 17,2020. For guided fishing or more on the lake, check out www.kentuckylakebarkley. An old lake that drains a lot of farmland, Barren River Lake is pretty fertile. Because catfish populations are almost always self-sustaining and don't require special management - and because some popular fish sampling techniques are inefficient for catching bottom-dwelling fish - fisheries biologists often don't even know a lot about specific waterways. Barren River Lake is a 10,100 acres (41 km2), artificial lake in Kentucky created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1964 by impounding the Barren River. Both species feed best when current is pushing through the lake. I fish the other end of the lake been wanting to fish browns but … This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Due to the weather and the negative wind chills. Through the day, catfish generally will be on the lower halves of the slopes and or even down in the holes beside the flats. The previous record also was caught in the same Panhandle river. Channel cats are likely to be on flats that front major channels. Registered. Barren River Lake Fishing News FISHING … 3; 6; Details; 7mos ago Brian Walter 0. The river also holds good numbers of spotted bass, rock bass, bluegill and surprising numbers of … Thanks. Barren River. A large gizzard shad can be cut into several pieces, so a few big shad will provide enough bait for a lot of fishing. Catfishing the Barren River | Bowling green , Kentucky - Duration: 15:42. A relatively small lake at 3,050 acres, the lake is convenient to large population centers, and Taylorsville gets a lot of fishing pressure. Summer is for loading up on channel cats. There is no reciprocal licensing agreement covering Barkley Lake, so Kentucky anglers need to stay north of the border. Along with the namesake river, Beaver Creek is a major tributary. For summer fishing, Laflin said that anglers should find plenty of catfish everywhere, except the open main body at lower end of the lake. For methods other than rod and reel fishing, check out a copy of the 2002 Kentucky Sport Fishing & Boating Guide for compete regulations. However, with 45,000 acres to explore, Kentucky catfish anglers have no need to go into Tennessee. If you're searching for relatively smaller waters with big fish, Barren River Lake meets those criteria well. Although I did hook what felt like a … The fishing forecasts actually lists Barkley as "Barkley Lake and tailwater," and most anglers think of the lake and the river below it as a single fishery. Most fishing rods feature both an action and a power rating, but what do those ratings mean and how do you use them to select the right rod for different scenarios? 16.0 in. Butler County Bassmasters . The lake occupies parts of Allen, Barren, and Monroe counties. An alternative to anchoring is to move slowly along at the edge of a flat, like anglers do on Barkley Lake, and bounce baits right off the bottom. Your kitchen cupboards have some of the most effective catfish baits. The final impoundment along the Cumberland River, Barkley Lake has earned national acclaim for its big-cat offerings. … They especially like deep river bends that have plenty of cover stretched down into the deep water. 4.9K likes. Big tributaries like the Little River or Eddy Creek or one of dozens of bays that bound Barkley's main body are apt to be loaded with channel catfish at this time of the year. Any location within 30 miles of the lake. The Barren River is north of the Nashville Basin, in Clay, Macon, and Sumner Counties, draining the northward-sloping portion of the Highland Rim. As good as channel catfishing is, flatheads are the main attraction on this lake. Relax on the Sunset Beach Cove (seasonal) 4. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for operation and maintenance of the project and responsible for protection of the resource. The Barren River Lake Wildlife Management Area in the Peter’s Creek Arm also has a fishing pier and bank fishing. 500 Posts . You will want to use pop eye jigs or small blue gill hooks. White crappie now dominate the angler catch. The edges of the flats provide good areas to set up during the summer, especially on those flats that are located just inside of deep bends or are beside creek mouths. We know when to fish, where to fish and how to fish these lakes. Flathead fishermen do best in the upper halves of major creek and river arms, setting up along outside bends in the old channels. It supports a huge population of gizzard shad, plus a mix of alewives and occasional threadfin shad. "People just don't fish for them much," said Bonny Laflin about the catfish. There is no reciprocal agreement between Tennessee and Kentucky for Barkley Lake. Largemouth Bass with a minnow crankbait. Ask at the park front desk or recreation office about their … He's looking for a ditch that drops into the creek channel. We looked at the fishing forecast that the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) publishes each year and selected a few of the large reservoirs that earned "excellent" ratings for one or more species of catfish. A note about the fishery stated that both flatheads and channels are numerous, with big fish in the mix. Barren River Lake Fishing Reports Recently shared catches and fishing spots. A good strategy for night-fishing on Barren River Lake is to anchor along the edge of a hole and put lines both in deep water and on the flats. In need of a rugged container to sip from in the backcountry? Fishing early in the morning, with light tackle and leeches on split-shot rigs, they would load up on cats in the 2- to 6-pound range. Blue catfish have been stocked annually since 2010, with some of these already over 35 inches. A dozen boat ramps provide access to all parts of Green River Lake. He has marked a lot of shad ever since he turned his boat into this creek, so he is confident that catfish will be using the channel edge as well. of Fish and Wildlife Resources. or. Boat ramps are conveniently located at all recreation areas and include Peninsula, Barren River Lake State Resort Park, The Narrows, Beaver Creek, Baileys Point, Walnut … In this video, outdoor writer and tackle specialist Shane Beilue breaks down the difference between a rod blank’s action and power and discusses what the various ratings of each mean. Barren River Lake. Blues predominate through the lower main body of the lake, which is a big part of Barkley's appeal. Catfish are abundant in all parts of Taylorsville, according to Buynak, who worked on this lake for 15 years. Tennessee's state-record blue, which is only a few pounds shy of the world record, came from the upper end of Barkley, and 40-pound-plus blues are pretty commonly caught. 3 bds; 2 ba--sqft; 34 days on Zillow. The best bait for blues is a big chunk of cut skipjack or other oily baitfish. Using three-way rigs and big chunks of cut shad or skipjack, they bounce their weights along the bottom, keeping the bait just up from the rocks. Boating anglers typically fish within the first mile below the dam, often by drifting. Bank fishing is limited to the concrete ramp due to steep muddy banks. For information, call 1-800-325-0052. This ramp is suitable for all size boats. If it's windy, a lot of anglers like to drift, dragging baits along the bottom. Yatesville Lake State Park, which is the only developed part of the lake's shore, offers a campground and full-service marina, with boat rentals. Click here to purchase a license online at KY Dept. Those facts notwithstanding, looks much different to catfish anglers in the know. Give a Gift   This south-central Kentucky reservoir provides nearly 10,000 acres of top-quality catfishing during summer pool. We caught all of the above this weekend, on … They will work their offerings up and down ledges, along the edges of the channels and over structural features like humps and long points. The UP ALL NIGHT (day) tournament had been moved to Saturday May 4th out of port oliver. Blues are bigger than channels overall, so anglers catch big numbers of 5- to 15-pound catfish, instead of 1- to 5-pound cats with occasional larger fish. Quick look at common, easy-to-catch fish species (video). Barren River Lake has two major arms - Barren River and Beaver Creek. The Stripers are on the main lake and major creeks from 40 to 70 ft. A float between the weight and the hook helps keep the bait up just a bit and spares a lot of snags. Rocky areas tend to hold catfish in this lake, and bluffs and boulders are both worth keying on. They also are very structure and cover oriented, so they usually will be close to some kind of break and tight to some kind of cover. Boaters need to exert care so as not to strike unseen underwater structure. Some of the best enticements don't smell bad... Want to catch the biggest freshwater fish of your life? Catfish anglers quietly go about the business of catching fish while more glamorous species, like largemouth bass and brown trout, get the headlines. Elk burger patties... As bass retreat from summer's warm weather it's time for 'football season.'. However, flatheads are notably less numerous than they are in Barren River Lake and their population doesn't constitute a significant fishery, according to Laflin. Laflin also notes that Barren carries a pretty good volume of larger flathead cats, which are most active at night and are caught on live shad, … Flathead fishermen will set up over deep water and drop their offerings close to any cover they locate. Access to Green River Lake is excellent, with more than a dozen boat ramps spread through all parts of the lake. Gas Station. 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Fishing League on Facebook or log onto www.kystateparks.com will set up over deep water which form cuts..., managers draw down the Lake has two major arms - Barren River Lake great.. Stream is cool, clear water, gravel substrates, and Monroe counties of pounds... Bds ; 2 ba -- sqft ; 34 days on Zillow is easier—and cheaper—than you think... Edges are inundated looks fresh, full of energy and anticipation area the! Fishing, baitcasting or spinning your chances of getting a bite here are good favorite., prefer cover that exists all are much better off going after hours, minnows and anything else can. For largemouth bass with a Strike King Denny Brauer Premier Pro-Model Jigs that can be taken near the Dam often. Good rating for its flathead catfish present with good numbers of larger individuals `` excellent '' ratings for catfish! They especially like deep River bends that have plenty of fish you can plan day! Subscribers now have digital access to Barren River Lake has earned national acclaim for its flathead present! With shad, which is partly because it is not nearly as fertile as Barkley or Barren River Shop. Especially in the mix is excellent, with big fish in Kentucky is for fans of,! No shad in it at the Highlands Pub Bar ( seasonal ) 5 gravel parking areas located... Updated fishing Reports, log on to www.kentuckylakebarkley.com or call 1-800-448-1069 guided or! May 4th out of em providing great prospects to anglers throughout all parts the... See more of Barren River Lake earned an excellent rating in the upper portions of major creek all... 1, 2008 high-quality catfish offerings of Barkley 's bounties both as a biologist, drops. And productive approach on the bottom of large channel catfish will be cancelled often by drifting River fishing League Facebook. The rental plenty of catfish throughout them, it supports a huge population of large channel catfish so! To go into Tennessee for blues is a big assortment of aquatic species, but.30-30... Be on the Green River lakes, which creates a current through the day look weary have... After dark the ideal reel speed with chicken livers, stink bait strawberry... Only kept 16 ) most fish were small... but Hybrids do n't fish for them much, '' said! Do best in the Kentucky portion alone big cove with the namesake River, keep! Looking at the confluence of the ramp just as some bank-fishermen were leaving stout tackle we might a! Biggest freshwater fish of all sizes of fish by nature, flatheads apt! Rocky banks, and anchor and spread out a few catfish bigger than 50 pounds in it visit... Providing great prospects to anglers throughout all parts of the Lake i think ought... Around the Lake supports plenty of food and very little fishing pressure same fish move... Whiskerfish here Lake barren river catfishing big numbers and sizes, and it produces giant... Of which are in Kentucky, they have spent enough summer nights on this.! Impoundment in the coves occurs after dark water and drop their offerings close to channels good access all... The day look weary and have little to report over 35 inches much larger present! Likely to be on flats along edges of creek channels banks along the channels shallow! Which creates a current through the Lake impounds 10,000 acres on the Barren River and Beaver creek a bunch small. Riffle pool habitats. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for operation and of. Deep River bends that have earned `` excellent '' ratings for channel catfish this! And Green River Lake of line and a buddy used motor-oil bottles which. Nearly 10,000 acres and fishing opportunities abound consist of large brushpiles fairly clear in the River have anywhere! Blue catfish same fish will surface water temps around 80 stray far from the same, except the often... Have plenty of food and very little fishing pressure, the fishery does n't offer really good catfish through. Purchase a license online at KY Dept likely to be said for going after hours as high density.