Kentucky Lake Reciprocal Fishing License

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KENTUCKY LAKE RECIPROCAL LICENSE
AGREEMENT
by Steve McCadams
www.stevemccadams.com

Kentucky Lake anglers will be interested to know about the reinstatement of the reciprocal agreement between Kentucky and Tennessee that went into effect September 1. However, no news release went out nor did any of TWRA local wildlife officers know about it until after the fact.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife pushed the change in regulation through their wildlife commission meeting late last week in Frankfort, KY.

While most all anglers were eager to see the return of the agreement where either state’s licenses are honored between highway 68 bridge at Kenlake and highway 79 bridge here at Paris Landing, most thought the regulation change would not take place before March 1 of 2004.

In a public meeting held in Murray, KY last March, Kentucky officials indicated the change would not go into effect until the new license year when literature was printed with various changes. However, that seems to have faded as the reciprocal agreement is now in effect.

The only change from the previous agreement that was in place back in the 70’s and 80’s is that Blood River is still under the umbrella of Kentucky waters in terms of license requirements. Other than that, you fish between the bridges with either state’s tags.

Kentucky anglers still have some bugs to work out with their state agency however. The creel limit on bass in the Bluegrass state is six. In Tennessee the limit is five.

So, you could have six bass in your livewell if you were fishing Kentucky waters but if you cross back into Tennessee waters you would be in violation!

Why Kentucky didn’t go ahead and make the bass limit the same as Tennessee so anglers could more easily adhere to regulations is somewhat confusing!

*Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley Outdoor Guide- Fishing, Hunting and everything outdoors......*