Fishing Sportsman Lake in Bath County, Kentucky

• Overview

  Out in Bath County, Kentucky, sits Sportsman Lake. Elevation runs to 751 feet. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Bath County list. The closest town, Owingsville, is 4.3 miles distant. Then Morehead, 14 miles, and Jeffersonville, 14 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Sportsman Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Survey and observation records for Bath County include fantail darter, greenside darter, banded darter, channel darter and gilt darter. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Sportsman Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 75°F in July and bottom out at 31°F in January. Whether it freezes depends on the year. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Sportsman Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Spring Grove Lakes is 5.6 miles off. Treat Sportsman Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.