Now until tomorrow 3 pmRainbow trout
The bite peaks at 64. Water is 60°, inside their 45–68° range, and a solunar period lands on the window.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now · best window
Rainbow trout range 45–68°
From the
Sunrise 7:58 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Kentucky regulations for these waters.
Inside rainbow trout's active range. Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kentucky statewide: 8 rainbow trout a day, no minimum. Below Wolf Creek Dam rainbows from 15 to 20" must be released (5 a day, only 1 over 20"), and a trout permit is required.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kentucky
Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on rainbow trout
Inside brown trout's active range. Brown trout feeds less actively under bright moon. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kentucky statewide: 16" minimum, 1 brown trout a day. Below Wolf Creek Dam the minimum is 20" (1 a day), and a trout permit is required.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kentucky
Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on brown trout
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Kentucky Fish & Wildlife has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · trout stocking · fish-consumption advisories
The cold tailwater below Wolf Creek Dam — Kentucky's premier trout river and home of the state-record 21-pound brown trout. Long generation-driven flows grow trophy browns and stocked rainbows over 50+ miles of fishable water; drift-boated and waded at low generation.
KY: trout permit required, no chumming. Brown trout 20" minimum, 1 a day; rainbows from 15 to 20" must be released, 5 a day with only 1 over 20"; brook trout 15" minimum, 1 a day. Flows swing fast with dam generation.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Cumberland River (Wolf Creek tailwater) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Cumberland River (Wolf Creek tailwater) is listed on this site for 2 commonly-targeted species: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Cumberland River (Wolf Creek tailwater) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Cumberland River (Wolf Creek tailwater) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. KY: trout permit required, no chumming. Brown trout 20" minimum, 1 a day; rainbows from 15 to 20" must be released, 5 a day with only 1 over 20"; brook trout 15" minimum, 1 a day. Flows swing fast with dam generation.
state agency regulations apply at Cumberland River (Wolf Creek tailwater). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Cumberland River (Wolf Creek tailwater) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
