Annual Prospects Report
Anglers can expect fair to good success fishing for most species in 2025. Flooding late in 2024 may impact abundances, but as in other years with extreme rainfall events, fish populations will recover. Fishing for black bass (smallmouth spotted, and largemouth bass) should be good on most stretches. Spotted/Kentucky bass are very abundant on the Franklin County part of the river and with the liberal daily limit of 12 fish and no length limit, anglers have the opportunity to take home several meals. In recent fall sampling, black bass densities were similar to past years, but sizes of smallmouth bass and spotted bass were noticeably larger, indicating anglers should have better chances of hooking into large bass in 2025. Channel catfish numbers and sizes should be fair in 2025; fall sampling indicated lower numbers of channels than in other surveys, but half of the channels captured were over 20 inches in length and one in 10 were over 24 inches in length. Flathead catfish were less abundant than channels, and their sizes were fair – one in eight were over 20 inches and one in 10 were over 24 inches. Several young of year flathead were found which should help the population grow in years to come. Popular methods to catch catfish include limb lines, set lines, and trotlines. Live sunfish usually work best for flathead catfish; nightcrawlers, chicken liver, and stinkbaits are good for channel catfish. Suckers are abundant and giggers should have a good season when the river is low and clear enough to identify fish properly; several species were present in good numbers, and sizes ranged from young of year to greater than 20 inches. Fishing for crappie should be fair in the many deep, slow moving pools with woody cover; crappie numbers were present in low numbers but when found were of good size.
