Smallmouth bass are more common in Kentucky Lake than they used to be, although, they are still a secondary species of fish compared to crappie and largemouth bass.
Fish the East Side of the Lake
The east side of the lake’s rocky shorelines will usually hold plenty of smallmouth bass if you want to target them. The key to smallmouth bass is finding the rocks. Rocky shorelines and creek channels at the mouth of the creeks are good places to start. There are some nice rocky ledges on the east side of the lake as well and you can usually find some smallmouth bass in these spots.
Fish the Spawn
The spawn is the time to come here to target good numbers of smallmouth bass. These fish spawn earlier than largemouth bass, so anglers usually can find them in much greater numbers by fishing early to mid-April. You are still going to find a lot of largemouth bass cruising around and may even catch a lot more largemouth bass, however, this is the time of year to fish on Kentucky Lake if you want to catch good numbers of smallmouth bass. You also have a good chance to catch a big smallie in the 4 to 5 pound range.
Fish the Main Lake
In the summer, large numbers of fish will move out from the creek arms and head out onto the main lake. Kentucky Lake is famous for its mid-summer ledge fishing where anglers fish steep drop-offs out on the main lake for big largemouth bass. However, you can also find some of the biggest smallmouth bass in the lake in these same areas from summer through fall. In most of these spots, largemouth bass will be the dominant species of fish, so don’t be surprised if you can’t find big schools of smallmouth bass on Kentucky Lake like you would on lakes that have a ton of smallmouth bass in them. You will most likely run into an occasional smallmouth bass here or there on the ledges, but at times, you may be able to find a bunch of them.
Fish the Rocks
Smallmouth bass love rocks and that is no different on Kentucky Lake. Find the areas that have deep water nearby and you’ll have more luck in finding smallmouth bass here.
Learn More About Smallmouth Bass
Our smallmouth bass section is huge with information on the best live baits, lures, where to catch them and how to catch them. Visit our smallmouth bass page to learn more.
