Thread: creel limits on ky lake

Nope.....I believe it is 30 over 10 in TN. and 20 over 10 in KY.

Ky's daily Crappie limit is 20/person .... for KY/Barkley Lakes
Tenn's daily crappie limit is 30/person ... for KY/Barkley Lakes

Sounds a bit unfair, don't it

Well ... take heart !! And don't let the extra 10fish/day send you running for Tenn, just yet. Here's why :

KY's Possession Limit is 2days creel limit, after 2 or more consecutive days afield ... BUT, processed (cleaned) fish do NOT count towards your possession limit.

Tenn's Possession Limit is 2days creel limit, after 2 or more consecutive days afield ... BUT --- well, no "but's" about it :p ... that's it, you're done. AND, this applies to fish that are in your home freezer (Tenn residents).

Now, you "can", in both states ... clean & EAT some of the fish you catch, while "afield" .. and those fish do not count towards your possession limit (though they must be taken from your legal possession limit), and you can continue to fish & catch fish to replenish the ones you ate (as long as you don't have more than your 2days creel, in your possession, in TENN ... while in KY, your cleaned fish don't count towards your total possession limit, and neither does the fish you have in your home freezer !! )

Kinda makes that 30/day -60/possession Tenn law sound a little less inviting, now .... don't it :p

... cp

Originally Posted by crappiepappy

Ky's daily Crappie limit is 20/person .... for KY/Barkley Lakes
Tenn's daily crappie limit is 30/person ... for KY/Barkley Lakes

Sounds a bit unfair, don't it

Well ... take heart !! And don't let the extra 10fish/day send you running for Tenn, just yet. Here's why :

KY's Possession Limit is 2days creel limit, after 2 or more consecutive days afield ... BUT, processed (cleaned) fish do NOT count towards your possession limit.

Tenn's Possession Limit is 2days creel limit, after 2 or more consecutive days afield ... BUT --- well, no "but's" about it :p ... that's it, you're done. AND, this applies to fish that are in your home freezer (Tenn residents).

Now, you "can", in both states ... clean & EAT some of the fish you catch, while "afield" .. and those fish do not count towards your possession limit (though they must be taken from your legal possession limit), and you can continue to fish & catch fish to replenish the ones you ate (as long as you don't have more than your 2days creel, in your possession, in TENN ... while in KY, your cleaned fish don't count towards your total possession limit, and neither does the fish you have in your home freezer !! )

Kinda makes that 30/day -60/possession Tenn law sound a little less inviting, now .... don't it :p

... cp

thanks, for the info. I bass fish most of the time, and never keep any bass. I do keep and eat striper, walleye, and a few cats I catch on limb lines. was thinking of fishing ky lake again, for bass and one day for some crappie, haven't been their in a very long time. will be staying at the hillmans ferry campground. so I have another question. how does it work when you move around on the lake fishing, say part of the day in ky waters and part of the day in tn waters. say if you catch your crappie limit in the big sandy area, and you get checked back down around the dam while bass fishing in the after noon. you are in trouble even though your crappie came from tn. if you can clear this up for me. thanks, in advance.

You are good with a Kentucky fishing license on any fishing done to the North side of the 79 bridge at Paris Landing, regardless if it is in Kentucky or Tenessee. But if you go South of the bridge you have to have a Tennessee license. It is called the reciprocal agreement. Here it is:

Section 4. The Kentucky Lake. (1) Pursuant to a reciprocal agreement, Kentucky and Tennessee shall recognize the sport fishing licenses of the two (2) states on the portion of Kentucky Lake south of the Eggners Ferry Bridge (U.S. 68 and Hwy 80) in Kentucky and north of the Governor Ned McWhorter Bridge (U.S. 79 and Hwy 76) in Tennessee.

(2) Embayments and tributaries within this portion of Kentucky Lake, except Blood River embayment, shall be included in the reciprocal agreement.

(3) The Blood River embayment shall be defined as a straight line between opposite points where the embayment connects to the main body of Kentucky Lake.

(4) A sport fishing license holder from either state may fish from the bank or attach legal sport fishing trot or limb lines in the reciprocal portion of Kentucky Lake.

(5) Sport fishing license holders shall abide by the administrative regulations of the state in whose waters they are fishing.

(6) Wildlife enforcement officials of either state shall have the right to inspect the licenses, permits, catches and equipment of any person on the reciprocal portion of Kentucky Lake subject to the laws of either Kentucky or Tennessee.

Originally Posted by waterdog101

say if you catch your crappie limit in the big sandy area, and you get checked back down around the dam while bass fishing in the after noon. you are in trouble even though your crappie came from tn. if you can clear this up for me. thanks, in advance.

Given that scenario, you would most likely be in trouble.

Originally Posted by waterdog101

say if you catch your crappie limit in the big sandy area, and you get checked back down around the dam while bass fishing in the after noon. you are in trouble even though your crappie came from tn. if you can clear this up for me. thanks, in advance.

I would say that you'd be fined, but I bet the conservation officers would get a big laugh out of you trying to explain. Why not just drop your fish off on your way north? Oh and by the way, the reciprical agreement only goes from bridge to bridge so unless you have FL from both states, someone is in trouble.

Originally Posted by Quackrstackr

Given that scenario, you would most likely be in trouble.

thats what I thought, but how would it work. if I'm camping at hillmans ferry, and run the lake to crappie fish at big sandy. and catch my limit in tn waters. do I need to travel without stopping back to hillmans ferry, and unload my crappie. then go bass fishing in ky waters. would this work. I really don't know how to ask, what I need to know. try this, I will be camping and lunching my boat in ky water. but will be crappie fishing in tn water. if I catch my limit in tn water. when I leave tn water heading back to camp. I will be in ky water with 10 crappie more than ky's limit. if I should get checked, say at the boat ramp. and the limit of crappie was from tn. and me being checked on ky water. it would look as though I caught 10 over the limit. hope you see the mess, I'm trying to not get into. thanks, for the info.

Originally Posted by mepperson

I would say that you'd be fined, but I bet the conservation officers would get a big laugh out of you trying to explain. Why not just drop your fish off on your way north? Oh and by the way, the reciprical agreement only goes from bridge to bridge so unless you have FL from both states, someone is in trouble.

I must have been typing, when you posted the info. thats what I was thinking, stop and unload the crappie. if I should have over 20. makes sense, but ya don't know. if ya don't ask. new some one on here could straighten me out . and thanks, very much.