KDFWR new fishing regulations

Frankfort, KY – The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission today proposed lowering the crappie daily creel limit on Kentucky and Barkley lakes and modifying the mourning dove season.

The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission recommends all hunting, fishing and boating regulations for approval by legislators. Commission members also approve all expenditures by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. If approved by legislators, all fishing and boating related regulations will go into effect March 1, 2008.

In fisheries-related business, the Commission recommended lowering the daily crappie creel limit on Kentucky and Barkley lakes to 20 fish per day from the current 30 fish per day. They also proposed lowering the daily creel limit on smallmouth bass at Laurel River Lake to 2 fish per day.

The Commission also proposed more restrictive regulations for channel catfish and largemouth bass at several smaller lakes. These include a 15-inch size limit with a 3-fish daily limit on largemouth bass, and a 4-fish daily creel limit with no minimum size limit for channel catfish on Doe Run Lake in Kenton County, Lake Shelby in Shelby County, Lake Mingo in Jessamine County, Lake Pollywog in Grant County, New Haven Optimist Lake in Nelson County and General Butler State Park Lake in Carroll County.

In other fisheries-related business, the Commission also recommended standardizing and modifying regulations on seven lakes across the state. Recommendations include increasing the daily creel limit on channel catfish from one to three fish daily on the Taylorsville Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) ponds, while retaining the current 15-inch minimum size limit. On Cedar Creek Lake, daily creel limits on bluegill and redear sunfish would revert to statewide regulations. There would be no daily creel limit on channel catfish, but the 12-inch minimum size limit would remain. The regulations for largemouth bass on Mauzy Lake and bluegill on Leary Lake would revert to statewide regulations. The special regulations for brown trout on Dix River (Lake Herrington tailwater) would be eliminated and revert to statewide regulations. The regulations on bluegill, redbreast sunfish, channel catfish and walleye would now fall under statewide regulations on Goose, Island and South lakes on Peabody WMA.

Under the proposed regulations, anglers could gig, snag and bowfish on trout streams statewide except the Cumberland River from Wolf Creek Dam to the Tennessee state line, Hatchery Creek and all other tributaries in this section of the Cumberland River for one-half mile upstream of their confluence with the Cumberland River. Sport fish, including trout, would remain illegal to gig, snag or take with a bow on these streams.

Possession or use of shad would be illegal on Doe Run Lake in Kenton County, General Butler State Park Lake in Carroll County and Lake Jericho in Henry County. Boats with trolling motors would be allowed on Martin County and Fishpond lakes.

In wildlife-related business, Commission members recommended the mourning dove season be two segments for the fall 2007 season. Mourning dove season would open September 1 and close October 24, and reopen November 22 (Thanksgiving Day) through November 27. The Commission proposed eliminating the 9-day segment after Christmas to give hunters nine more days to hunt in October.

The next Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting will be held at 8 a.m., Friday, August 17 at #1 Sportsman’s Lane off U.S. 60 in Frankfort. Persons interested in addressing the Commission must notify the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commissioner’s office in writing at least 30 days in advance to be considered for placement on the meeting agenda. People who are hearing impaired and plan to attend the meeting should contact the department at least 10 days in advance and the agency will provide a translator. To request to address the commission, write to Commissioner Dr. Jon Gassett, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, #1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, Kentucky, 40601.