preface this booklet is intended to serve as a reference to fishes commonly encountered by anglers in order to identify a fish based on its written description the reader may need to refer to the diagrams on the inside back cover for the proper names used to describe a body part kentucky has a total of 242 species of fish which represents one of the most diverse assemblages in north america many are obscure minnows and darters which are not commonly seen by anglers however these fish often have specific habitat requirements in our streams and lakes which are subjected to degradation by man s activity the loss of these fish and habitats often indicates larger problems that may eventually affect the sport fishery the uniqueness and integrity of this fish assemblage can only be protected by our collective effort as individuals and as a society enjoy your use of kentucky s renewable fishery resource acknowledgments thanks are extended to the following fisheries division personnel for their
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spotted kentucky bass micropterus punctulatus also called spotted bass spot lineside redeye distribution common in most major lakes and stream drainages throughout the state but prefers clear streams description often confused with largemouth bass because both species have a dark horizontal stripe on the sides kentucky bass have definite spots below the stripe and a patch of teeth on the base of the tongue the notch in the dorsal fin is not as deep as the notch that appears on the largemouth bass and a narrow membrane generally connects the two top fins the jaw bone does not extend beyond the rear margin of the eye but stops near the center kentucky bass seldom exceed four or five pounds habits these fish tend to school more than any other member of the black bass family and are often encountered chasing shad in open water in lakes they are also more common in areas near the dam lower lake in kentucky lakes general habits are more similar to smallmouth bass than largemouth bass but the
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longear sunfish lepomis megalotis also called bream sun granny sunperch pumpkinseed creek perch distribution statewide description these highly colorful sunfish have short rounded pectoral fins the black gill flap is long and flexible with a scarlet or white border the head has blue stripes while the breast and belly are red orange or yellow this fish should not be confused with the pumpkinseed page 32 these fish seldom grow beyond six inches habits colonizing spawning and nest-building habits are similar to other sunfish species usually live in shallow-water zones of lakes or streams and feed on a wide variety of aquatic insects they are generally the most common of the stream sunfish fishing longears are not often sought after due to their smaller size however they are easily caught on worms crickets and small artificial baits 8
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white bass morone chrysops also called stripes sand bass striped bass bar fish streaker distribution large streams and rivers most major lakes description a silvery fish with several dark horizontal stripes along its sides the two dorsal fins are separated often confused with smaller striped bass hybrid striped bass and yellow bass see descriptions three anal spines are graduated in length there is generally a single patch of teeth on the base of the tongue white bass seldom grow beyond 15 inches in length habits white bass run upstream to spawn when water temperatures reach 50-55 degrees in the spring there is no parental care of the young and adults migrate downstream to deeper sections following spawning they are schooling fish and often chase schools of shad near the surface they congregate below dams on larger rivers during the early spring fishing white bass are excellent fighting fish especially on light tackle they are good to eat if the red meat is removed from the fillet m
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channel catfish ictalurus punctatus also called fiddler channel cat willow catfish spotted catfish forked-tail cat distribution statewide description distinctive characteristics are the deeply-forked tail dark spots on the body for young fish only and the anal fin is rounded on the margin this fish may be distinguished from a blue catfish by the straight margin of the anal fin on the blue catfish channel catfish often weigh between two and seven pounds channel catfish larger than l5 pounds are rare habits channel catfish are opportunistic feeders consuming other fishes insects crayfish worms and a variety of dead material these fish normally spawn between may and july when water temperatures approach 75 degrees channel catfish spawn in cavities created by hollow logs underwater ledges or holes in banks catfish are most active at night and retire to deep water during the day fishing most productive fishing success is night fishing on or near the bottom with nightcrawlers minnows cut bai
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walleye stizostediun vitreum also called walleyed pike jack salmon jack jack fish pikeperch blue pike glass-eye distribution present in several major river systems including the ohio kentucky cumberland and lower licking rivers best populations the result of annual stockings are in cumberland nolin river laurel river painstville carr fork and martins fork lakes description often confused with sauger the walleye has a white tip on the lower lobe of its tail fin and a dark prominent spot at the base of its first dorsal fin walleye in the two to five pound range are not uncommon walleye seldom grow larger than 15 pounds both walleye and sauger have sharp teeth and gill covers which should be avoided when handling these fish habits walleye are one of the first species of fish to become active in the spring when water temperatures approach the spawning range of 46-50 degrees these fish will congregate below dams in the rivers or near riffles in major tributaries of lakes walleye usually loc
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brook trout salvelinus fontinalis also called brookie speckled trout mountain trout speck distribution this introduced species is stocked only in a few isolated streams description the backs and sides of this fish are dark olive or slate colored with light worm-like markings across the back light spots appear on the sides along with scattered red spots with blue halos the dorsal and tail fins are heavily speckled other fins are often orange with black and white edges brook trout seldom exceed 15 inches in length habits these fish only inhabit clear cold head water streams less than 68 degrees in very protected watersheds optimal habitat primarily exists in pools of these types of streams at elevations of 1500-1800 ft mean sea level and above fishing these fish readily rise to small lures baits and flies provided the stream pool is approached quietly with minimal disturbance 24
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carp top cyprinus carpio grass carp ctenopharyngodon idella also called common carp german carp european carp israeli carp mirror carp leather carp buglemouth distribution carp are a member of the minnow family introduced into north america from asia via europe in the late 1800 s they are found throughout the state grass carp white amur were also imported from asia and are now present in some small lakes and ponds description carp are slate to gold in color with a dark spot at base of each scale they have one stiff spine in both the dorsal and anal fins carp may be confused with a similar exotic species the goldfish goldfish lack barbels on the upper jaw which are distinguishing characteristics of carp two other varieties of carp also occur in kentucky mirror and leather the leather carp is without scales and leathery in appearance while the mirror carp has only two or three rows of large scales along the back carp should not be confused with the introduced grass carp which has a diffe
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orangespotted sunfish lepomis humilis redbreast sunfish lepomis auritus pumpkinseed lepomis gibbosus 32
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chestnut lamprey ichthyomyzon castaneus american eel anguilla rostrata 36
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kentucky department of fish and wildlife resources kentucky s major lakes 1 kentucky lake 2 barkley lake 3 rough river lake 4 nolin river lake 5 barren river lake 6 green river lake 7 dale hollow lake 8 lake cumberland 9 laurel river lake 10 herrington lake 11 taylorsville lake 12 cave run lake 13 buckhorn lake 14 grayson lake 15 yatesville lake 16 paintsville lake 17 dewey lake 18 fishtrap lake 19 carr fork lake related links tennessee valley authority army corps of engineers kentucky utilities ohio river li ck in g iver dy r san big ri ve r 14 15 12 16 17 ohio river 11 3 gr ee n kentucky river 10 4 6 5 8 7 cumberland river 18 13 9 19 cumberland river tennessee river mississippi river ri ve r 2 1
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