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Hey guys, I want to add a new species to my list this year and I have about decided on it to be Pike. Does anyone know of a lake within a 2 - 3 hour drive of Louisville that has Pike. Any recommendations of guides to hire or tips that could help me out. Thanks for any insight.
Good luck, I do not beleive you are going to find what you are looking for within 2-3 hours. I'm from Michigan, been in Kentucky since 1998 and I know of none. The next best thing would be the pike's big cousin, the muskie. Muskie can be found at Cave Run, Green River Lake as well as several sections of the Kentucky River. But if it is pike that you seek, I think you must go to the great white north.
Geobass
There are some Northern Pike to be found in KY. The sate record is 9.5 pounds. There are some in Laurel River Lake, the Hot Spots mape will steer you towards them. There may be lakes closer but I've had a really good experience fishing Deep Creek Lake in Maryland. It a good 6 hour drive from Louisville but it's a really nice area that the whole family would enjoy. Might make a weekend out of it.
I know how you feel, took me three years to get my lake trout, but I got 'em :)
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Mar-08-06 AT 12:58PM (EST)[/font][p]I found a link that might be helpfull:
[url]http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/collectioninfo.asp?NoCache=2%2F26%2F2006+3%3A04%3A50+AM&SpeciesID=676&State=KY&HUCNumber[/url]
lake malone in southern indiana is about 1:45 - 2:15 from louisville and has nice pike and bass around the lilly pads it is best fished in the winter months because there is a water treatment plant on it and it is heated the fish congregate around the warmer water.
Thanks for all your responses. I will probley give Pike and Muskee both a try. Thanks agian for taking the time to respond.
Although Cave Run is one of the best muskie lakes south of the great lakes, kentucky nearly lacks a pike population. Pike require deep, cold, oxegenated waters, something no kentucky lake has other than laurel. Laurel once had a pike population, but died out after the trout stocking, which competed too heavily for the forage. At last check, Dewey Lake in eastren KY had a tiger muskie population, a cross between muskie and pike, and some of the slower streams in westren KY have pickerel, a warm water cousin of the pike.
A new KY species I've had a lot of fun of hunting is trout. It's highly accesible, to the Wolf Creek Dam and the KDFWR Fish Farm, and very fun to catch. A great eat, too!