Kentucky Fishing Regulations: Bag Limits, Size Limits and Seasons
These are the statewide daily bag limits and length limits Kentucky anglers work under, taken from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) guide for Statewide limits in 301 KAR 1:201, as amended September 3, 2026. Statewide means the default: most states, Kentucky included, override these on specific lakes, rivers and coastal zones, so treat this page as the baseline and the official guide as the rule for the water you are standing on.
Kentucky has no closed season on its main sport fish; the statewide limits below apply year-round. Brook trout are catch and release only, and alligator gar must be released. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. You will still need the Kentucky fishing license, which runs $24.31 for residents and $58.14 for non-residents; the Kentucky fishing license page covers short-term options, exemptions and where to buy.
Limits last verified 2026-09-16.
Kentucky freshwater bag and length limits
| Species | Daily bag | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bassThe 6 is a combined black bass limit that includes spotted bass. | 6 combined | 12 in. minimum |
| Kentucky (spotted) and Coosa bass | Counts toward the 6 | None |
| Crappie (white and black)Many lakes set a 10 in. minimum and a lower limit. | 20 combined | None statewide |
| Walleye, sauger and hybrids | 6 combined | 14 in. minimum |
| White bass and hybrid striped bassOnly 5 of the 15 may be 15 inches or longer. | 15 combined | None |
| Striped bass | 5 | 15 in. minimum |
| Rock bass | 15 | None |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 30 in. minimum |
| Chain pickerel | 5 | None |
| Rainbow troutA trout permit is required to keep trout. | 8 | None |
| Brown trout | 1 | 16 in. minimum |
| Brook trout | 0 | Catch and release only |
| Catfish (channel, blue and flathead)Only 1 channel catfish 28 in. or longer, and 1 each of blue and flathead catfish 35 in. or longer, per day. | No limit | None |
| Paddlefish | 2 | None |
How to read a bag limit
A daily bag limit is the number of that species one angler may keep in a day, and in most states also the number you may have in possession on the water. Where a row says "combined", the number is shared across every species named in it. A minimum length is measured from the tip of the closed mouth to the tip of the tail with the tail pinched; a slot means fish inside the range must go back. When a lake has its own rule in the official guide, that rule replaces the statewide one for that water only.
Related: the Kentucky fishing license page for the fee and where to buy, non-resident fishing license fees across states, and fishing regulations for every state.