Fishing Yatesville Lake in Lawrence County, Kentucky

• Overview

  This water sits in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Country round the bank runs to farm and woodlot. Roughly 3.6 sq miles of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The perimeter is close to 42 miles, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. Supplies mean a trip to Louisa, 5.8 miles off. It is 22 miles to Meads, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Yatesville Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Fish documented in Lawrence County include fantail darter, johnny darter and blackside darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Yatesville Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 32°F to 75°F. In milder years the surface never sets. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Yatesville Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Martha Fish Pond is 14 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Yatesville Lake for certain.