Cave Run Lake in Bath County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cave Run Lake is one of the Bath County waters in Kentucky. It stands 751 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to some 12.7 sq miles, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. There is roughly 80 miles of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. By surface area it heads our Bath County listings. Nearest place of any size is Morehead, 7.7 miles away. Meads sits 48 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Cave Run Lake

  Recorded depth comes to 77 ft. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Reported across Bath County: fantail darter, greenside darter, banded darter and channel darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Cave Run Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 74°F and January about 31°F. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That is the shape of the year on Cave Run Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  It is marked public, so anyone may fish it. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Muskie Bend Fishing Site sits half a mile out and is marked for fishing. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Clear Creek Lake, 6.3 miles out. Signs at Cave Run Lake carry more weight than any list.