Etown area info

[toporanger]

I am moving to Elizabethtown next month and I would like info about the best boat ramps etc in the area. Is there a club or someone who can help me out? I don't plan on fishing any tournaments and doing a lot of multi species fishing.

Lake info Im interested in Rough River, Nolin, Green River, Cumberland and Dale Hollow. Really all I need is info on good boat ramps that are closest to Etown. They are easy enough to find online but some local knowledge is always helpful.


Any info on musky would be appreciated also.

Thanks in advance. And if you see a blue gator trax around...Its me

Eric

[B.Combs]

I’ll give you my insight on ramps and what I know. Rough: state and laurel branch are good ramps. They have some ongoing dam issues on that lake right now so do some research before you go there. I believe it’s going to be normal until 2024 from what I’ve heard. Nolin: moutidier and wax are good. Usually are busy during the summer but good ramps to use until you familiarize yourself with the lake. Green has several. Site 1 and lone valley are good options. Easy access and nice ramps. Cumberland and Dale are a lot bigger of your choices so I would highly recommend research the lake and find a ramp near the area you will focus on while on the water. The dam ramp at Cumberland and also Conley Bottom are good ramps. Different ends of the lake so choose where you may want to be. I’m not real familiar with dale so hopefully someone will come along and give you some insight. Good luck! All of your choices have a good variety of species. Just do a little homework before you go and you should be able to find the right direction to head.

[Slig]

Here is a helpful link to water levels for Rough, Nolin and Green. Winter pool can be a little sketchy on all 3, if you don't know your way around.

https://www.lrl-wc.usace.army.mil/reports/lkreport.html

[spec]

PM sent.

[FishFryKY]

For musky in Kentucky, Green River Lake and Cave Run Lake will be the best two options. I am not a musky fisherman and have never been on Cave Run so I am not much help. B.Combs gave you some good info and I will add that all those lakes have a good crappie population. Dale and Cumberland are full of smallmouth and there are quite a few in Green River. I would try to avoid all the ramps mentioned on the weekends in the summer unless you start really early and leave before lunchtime. For Dale Hollow, the majority of the lake is in Tennessee so you'll need a TN license if you stray across the border.

[toporanger]

Thanks for all the info. I had heard about the Rough dam, I want to say some predictions said the lake may not be back to full pool till like 28. But I haven't looked into it to much.

I have been on Dale 3 times and it definitely benefits you to find a ramp near where you want to fish.

In the summer I'm a 4 am on the water type of guy and off before lunch or wait till the afternoon crowd leaves.

Understood on the winter pool warnings, we dont draw down as far here in Kansas. But one of the reasons I got the Gator Trax was to not fear trees to much other than lower unit. I mean I broke it in on Caddo like a maniac.

[JR19]

Rough...I have zero experience and as previously mentioned it will be experiencing some low water levels. I heard mixed stories that vary from it will remain at winter pool until the repair is done and it will be filled some but summer pool will not be as high as normal until repair is done. I have no idea other than the pool level will not be normal.

Nolin...The dozen or so times I have fish that lake I have always used the ramp at Wax. The only thing I have negative to say is it will get a lot of debris on the ramp after a big rain event. On two different occasion I launched at early AM with little or no debris on the ramp but by late afternoon the ramp was covered with debris. Otherwise I can't recall no issue with that ramp and I know its a popular ramp.

Green River Lake...coming from Elizabethtown your best choices of ramps are going to be Lone Valley, Green River Marina or Site #1. FYI when talking to some one and they refer to the ramp at the State Park they need to be specific. There is the Green River Marina (formerly know as State Park Marina before it sold about 15-20 years ago) and Lone Valley ramp. Both are located in the State Park, hence why when someone says the ramp in the State Park ask them to be specific as to which one. Site #1 is a very popular ramp at winter pool up to a few feet over summer pool. There is a point when the water gets over summer pool they close down site #1 because its to flat to launch. With high water you will want to use Lone Valley...one note of caution at ramp #1. Don't park near the trash cans or near an area where it looks like a person would throw away a fish carcass. Reason being black vultures do frequent that area looking to scavenge. They have learned to look in trash cans and dumbasses who clean fish and dispose of them in the edge of the grown up areas are unknowing attracting black vultures throwing away fish carcass. This may sound odd and I know some people have never heard of it but a black vulture will destroy a vehicle...just ask fishin is life. I'm thinking he had 4-5K in damage and I also know another person with a big insurance claim because the vultures walk all over their vehicle and eat at all the rubber gaskets. I know this sounds crazy but google search black vulture destroys vehicle. It is a real thing and it has happen at site #1 on multiple occasions but its still probably the most used ramp on the lake. Its somewhat centrally located on the lake and can hold probably hold 100 boat/trailer/trucks. On up the lake Holmes Bend is a vey nice ramp with good parking and a restroom.

Cumberland...Halcomb's Landing at the dam is a good ramp with lots of parking and a nice restroom. Its also a popular ramp. Pumpkin Creek in the State Park is a nice ramp with decent parking but you have to go through a MASSIVE no wake zone to get to the main lake. You can fish a couple side creeks about half way through the no wake zone but to get to the main lake and some of the creeks near the main lake area of the State park you got the massive no wake zone. Alligator is a good ramp for Wolf and Caney. I would avoid Lilly creek ramp because it on a dead end road and you can't see the parking lot from the water. This attracts thieves and vandals and its been know to happen at that ramp. Cumberland Point is a good mid lake ramp. On up the lake Lee's Ford and Burnside are good ramps. There is several ramps I did not mention but I kept in mind the "good" ones and your coming from Elizabethtown.

Dale Hollow...The dozen or so times I used the State Park it was the "go to" ramp for a lot of people coming from the North down to Dale. I've used Sulphur creek a handful of times but that's been many years ago.

A few things I will add...go buy a Corps Of Engineers Daily boat ramp pass. Most ramps on the lake your inquiring about you can launch for free if you have the yearly pass. I'm thinking its $35 or $40 for the yearly pass but if you don't have one and pay the daily fee at the collection area it $3 a day. I fish enough that the yearly pass is the least expensive option. There is a few ramps in KY that will have a private fee but the vast majority will be covered with the corps of engineers pass...musky, Green has a good population. The one and only person I knew who was solely a musky fisherman is no longer alive. He had massive sucess trolling offshore. Green also has walleye but finding someone willing to talk about musky or walleye on Green is not going to happen. Crappie are a dime a dozen on Green. No size but you can catch a limit of 9"ers no problem. Although not on your list if musky is your game then look at Cave Run Lake. Its nickname is "the musky capitol of the south".

[toporanger]

Gene thanks for the great info. That's exactly what I was hoping for. If nothing else its a starting point

I grew up chasing musky and walleye so It will be interesting to see how I do at Green River if I take the time. We had the black vulture problem in Tampa also, very specific locations that were easy to avoid if you knew about them though.

One of the adjustments I will have to make is my expectations of crappie. My local lake here in KS is going through an amazing crappie period where if Im on a spot and not catching 12"+ fish I just move (which you normally dont have to move), its been absolutely crazy since the floods a few years ago.

[JR19]

I bass fish with artificial bait 95% of the time. Occasionally if I want some fish to eat I will do a crappie trip at Green or go to Cumberland and chase some huge bluegill. When I catch a musky or walleye at Green it is buy accident. I rarely catch an eye but I know they are in there. I do have some inside info on eyes but its not on the lake. Musky on the other hand are pretty common. In October if you find shad in a pocket the chances of a musky being a fish of 1000 cast goes to a fish in a couple hundred cast. Granted these are the juvenile ones I'm talking about that are more easy to catch in the fall. The true hog 50" plus stay out deep. As I said earlier I only knew one person who was a dedicated musky fisherman and they are no longer alive. He would troll main lake areas and he was targeting the big ones. Every year in the spring and fall I will catch a couple musky per year buy accident. PM me your cell number and I'll send you a video of a good one I caught in the summer of 2021 in 3 ft of water. It's not the biggest I've ever caught but its definitely the biggest I ever caught in shallow water.

[HH45cal]

i bet live scope be the bomb for muskies-- would even cast unless u seen a target, and with the 34 bet u could see their teeth . I fished green 4 x years ago for musky think I had 1 follow. I ve caught a bunch at buckhorn lake in east ky but that was a lifetime ago

[toporanger]

Yeah musky with the livescope can be great and also frustrating. Not sure what is worse, casting all day hoping there is a musky in the area.... or casting at a musky that wont eat but you know is there!

They actually made some bans of live sonar on some musky tournaments after one team dominated by running like 6 or 8 livescopes at once in every direction. I want to say they caught 6 fish in a day and only casted when they saw fish. Seems like a major over reaction but us musky guys aren't known for our brains though.

[spec]

Yeah musky with the livescope can be great and also frustrating. Not sure what is worse, casting all day hoping there is a musky in the area.... or casting at a musky that wont eat but you know is there!

They actually made some bans of live sonar on some musky tournaments after one team dominated by running like 6 or 8 livescopes at once in every direction. I want to say they caught 6 fish in a day and only casted when they saw fish. Seems like a major over reaction but us musky guys aren't known for our brains though.

You raise a good point sir.

[HH45cal]

I’ve got a buddy who catches some fine ones up south fork of Cumberland -I don’t recall if their natural up there or if their stocked but probably not very pressured

[Mattyb23]

Barren River Lake is another good one that isn't as close as Nolin or Green, but not as far as Dale or Cumberland. Port Oliver is a great ramp to put in at. Wide Ramp, great parking. Sight fishing at Dale Hollow when the bass are spawning is some of the most fun fishing I have ever done, although tons of people going there and pretty much exclusively fishing with livescope.

Also if you just want to play around for a couple hours Freeman Lake in Etown has some fish in it. I live just a few miles away and have trolled for crappie in there before. loaded with eating size ones.

[toporanger]

I just flew out to Etown/Louisville teus-thurs. Looks like a nice area cant wait to get there permanent. I have fished Barren a few times and done well in the past.

"eating sized" is what in KY? LOL, my current lake I put back the 11 inch and smaller as they are the little ones. Can you put any boat on Freeman? Just idle I assume?

[Mattyb23]

I just flew out to Etown/Louisville teus-thurs. Looks like a nice area cant wait to get there permanent. I have fished Barren a few times and done well in the past.

"eating sized" is what in KY? LOL, my current lake I put back the 11 inch and smaller as they are the little ones. Can you put any boat on Freeman? Just idle I assume?

actually, I don’t think there is a size limit on crappie there… that said, the ones I have caught there have mostly been 8-11” ones, occasionally you’ll catch one bigger. I mainly bass fish, but have a coworker who likes to go over there every so often and he likes to troll for the crappie.

you can put any size boat in there, and the ramp and courtesy dock will accommodate such. I do think there is a launch permit you have to buy, but I think it’s pretty cheap. The lake is idle only, and just became that way last spring, was trolling motor only before that. There is a good amount of offshore brush in it, but i’ve never done much good bass fishing there

[KYRANGERMAN]

I just flew out to Etown/Louisville teus-thurs. Looks like a nice area cant wait to get there permanent. I have fished Barren a few times and done well in the past.

"eating sized" is what in KY? LOL, my current lake I put back the 11 inch and smaller as they are the little ones. Can you put any boat on Freeman? Just idle I assume?

Hey there. I live in E'town. You've gotten some good information on ramps, etc. from other guys. Yes you can put any boat on Freeman Lake but only run the engine at idle speeds. You need a City Permit (available at the ramp) and of course a KY Fishing License. It has large mouth, bluegill, crappie and catfish. The Wax ramp is the closest to E'town. There are different size limits based on different lakes. If you see a red Ranger R83 behind a Magnetic Gray Metallic Toyota 4Runner, that's me.

[toporanger]

I will keep my eye out for your Ranger. I'm going out on a limb that you will notice me before I notice you, I have an electric blue gator skin gator trax behind a white f150. The boat tends to stand out, still mad the family thought a chartreuse colored boat would be to loud.