Now until tomorrow 3 pmStriped bass
The bite peaks at 58.
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
Striped bass range 50–72°
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.
No water reading here right now. Striped bass bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.
Holds 5–35 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kentucky statewide: 15" minimum, 5 striped bass a day (white and hybrid bass are a separate 15, only 5 over 15"). Lake Cumberland is 22" and 2 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kentucky
Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on striped bass
No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.
Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kentucky statewide: 12" minimum, 6 black bass a day combined. Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and Lake Cumberland are 15".
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kentucky
Season here: Mar–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on largemouth bass
No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.
Holds 3–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kentucky statewide: 12" minimum, 6 black bass a day combined. Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are 15"; Lake Cumberland is 18".
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kentucky
Season here: Mar–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass
No water reading here right now. Walleye bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.
Holds 10–40 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kentucky statewide: 14" minimum, 6 walleye, sauger and hybrids a day combined. Barren River and the Cumberland above the falls protect walleye from 18 to 26" and allow 2 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kentucky
Season here: Oct–May, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on walleye
No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.
Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kentucky statewide: 20 crappie a day, no minimum. Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and Lake Cumberland are 10".
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Kentucky
Season here: Mar–Jun, Oct–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on crappie
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 · fish-consumption advisories
A deep, sprawling south-central Kentucky reservoir famous as a trophy striped-bass lake, with strong largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, and crappie.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Lake Cumberland you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Lake Cumberland is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, and 1 more. 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 Lake Cumberland 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.
Lake Cumberland has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.
state agency regulations apply at Lake Cumberland. 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. Lake Cumberland 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.
