Ohio River & Cumberland River Fishing Guide

The dams on the Ohio and Cumberland rivers stack up sauger in winter, hybrid and striped bass in fall, and catfish all year. Lake Cumberland is Kentucky's top striped bass lake, and Old Hickory on the Tennessee side is a trophy striper water. Kentucky and Tennessee have different limits, so know which state's water you are in and check dam release schedules.

📍 Kentucky and Tennessee, USA. Ohio River tailwaters below locks and dams such as Meldahl (near Foster), Greenup, McAlpine (Louisville/Falls of the Ohio), Markland and Smithland. Lake Cumberland and Wolf Creek Dam in south-central Kentucky; downstream the Cumberland River runs through Tennessee (Cordell Hull, Old Hickory, Cheatham) to Lake Barkley.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Midwest & Ohio Valley Lakes map →

Quick facts

Lake Cumberland covers 50,250 surface acres at summer pool, is 101 miles long and has 1,255 miles of shoreline.
Tennessee's Class A state record striped bass, 65 lb 6 oz, was caught just upstream of Cordell Hull Dam on the Cumberland.
The Cumberland River tailwater below Wolf Creek Dam produced Kentucky's state record brown trout of 21 lb.
Kentucky-licensed anglers may fish the whole main stem of the Ohio River from a boat or the Illinois, Indiana or Ohio bank without that state's licence.
Lake Barkley covers about 57,920 acres, most of it (about 47,570 acres) in Kentucky.

What you can catch

Sauger
Below dams Dec - Mar, peak in February; keep jigs on the bottom.
Hybrid striped bass
Ohio River tailwaters in fall and into winter.
Striped bass
Lake Cumberland (22-in minimum in KY) and Old Hickory trophy fish over 50 lb.
White bass
Ohio River limit shared with stripers and hybrids (30, only 4 of 15 in+).
Blue catfish
KY trophy rule: only 1 per day 35 in or longer.
Channel catfish
Most common catfish below Old Hickory Dam; skipjack herring is a top bait.
Flathead catfish
Trophy flatheads below Cumberland dams.
Crappie
Spawn shallow late March - April on Old Hickory; brush piles Oct - May.

Month by month

January	Sauger below Ohio and Cumberland dams; Old Hickory sauger prime Jan - Mar.
February	Kentucky's best sauger month; fish bite in water under 40 F.
March	Sauger until late March, then they spawn and move downstream. Kentucky licence year starts Mar 1.
April	Crappie spawn shallow. Tennessee paddlefish season opens Apr 24.
May	Cumberland striped bass run upstream and gather at Cordell Hull Dam.
June	Kentucky free fishing days June 6-7, 2026.
July	Catfish on deep ledges and river bends; Lake Barkley drops toward winter pool after July 4.
August	Lake Cumberland walleye on nightcrawler rigs trolled 25-30 ft; deep-water catfish.
September	Catfish below dams; Barkley catfish fish well year-round.
October	Hybrid striped bass time in Ohio River tailwaters; Old Hickory crappie on fish attractors.
November	Hybrids continue; serious sauger anglers start around opening of modern gun deer season.
December	Sauger arrive below dams; Old Hickory stripers move to the lower lake (Drakes and Station Camp creeks).

Tips

Call before tailwater trips for release schedules: Falls of the Ohio (502) 775-5056; check Wolf Creek Dam generation with the Corps of Engineers.
For sauger, use a 3-4 in curly-tail grub on a 1/4-3/4 oz jig and keep it touching bottom; bring extra lures for rocky snags.
For hybrids, throw a white 4-in swimbait into the froth below the dam; from the Clarksville bank, try chicken livers or cut bait.
On Old Hickory, drift live skipjack or gizzard shad on planer boards for stripers.
No trotlines, jugs or set lines within 200 yards below any dam in Kentucky.

Rules and license

Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources; Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (dams) · Official rules page ↗

Kentucky licence year Mar 1 - end of Feb (2026-27 guide); anglers 15 and younger are exempt. Tennessee: licence needed from age 13.
Kentucky Ohio River: white, striped and hybrid bass 30/day combined, only 4 of 15 in or longer; sauger/walleye 6/day, 14-in minimum.
Kentucky trophy catfish: 1 blue and 1 flathead 35 in+ and 1 channel 28 in+ per day; no limit on smaller catfish.
Lake Cumberland: striped bass 22-in minimum, 2/day. A trout permit is needed on the Cumberland River from Wolf Creek Dam to the Tennessee line.
Tennessee statewide: striped/hybrid 2/day, 15-in minimum; sauger 10/day, 15-in minimum; catfish only 1 over 34 in per day.
Kentucky licence also covers set reciprocal waters: Ohio River main stem, Tennessee parts of Kentucky Lake (US 68 to US 79) and Dale Hollow's Wolf River arm.
Kentucky: no snagging within 200 yards below Ohio River dams; no trotlines below Smithland, Newburgh, Cannelton, Markland, Meldahl and Greenup dams to the end of the outer lock wall.
Check current Tennessee rules; some reservoirs (e.g., Old Hickory crappie 30/day) differ from statewide limits.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 53 boat ramps and 16 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Allens Creek Boat Ramp
Burkesville City Ramp
Burnside Marina
Cartop
Conley Bottom Marina
Crooked Creek Boat Ramp
Cutright High Water Ramp
Cutright Ramp
Fairfax Ramp
Fourwinds Marina
Grider Hill
Ina Boat Ramp
Jamestown Marina
Lake Cumberland Marina
Lake Cumberland State Dock
Lake Monre Sailing Association
Lee's Ford Marina
Marcum Branch
Moore's Creek Ramp
Moores Creek Ramp
New Ramp
Paynetown Marina
Paynetown Ramp
Pinegrove Ramp
Rend Lake
Sandy Creek
Sulphur Creek Marina
Two Herons Marina
Twyford Point Ramp
Waitsboro Ramp
Wisdom Dock
Wolf Creek Marina
Wolf River Marina

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.