LIMESTONE DRIFT KENTUCKY WATER, TOLD STRAIGHT
FIELD CARD Releases & Access · No. 07-4
Trout tailwater · KY 953 and KY 100 · the lower river to the state line

Cumberland River tailwater

Cloyds Landing off KY 61; Mud Camp Creek WMA, 572 KDFWR acres; and the C. Williams – J. L. Fox ramp in Monroe County, formerly McMillians Ferry, the only launch on the record rated for any trailerable boat.

THE LOWER RIVER · KY 953 TO CLOYDS LANDING, KY 100 TO THE STATE LINE Sites at KDFWR coordinates · river line and roads schematic
US 127 · Jamestown–dam–AlbanyKY 55 · KY 1058 · KY 379KY 3063 · Wells Bottom RdKY 61 · BurkesvilleKY 704 · KY 912KY 953 · KY 1424KY 100 · KY 214 · TompkinsvilleKY 90 · Burkesville–AlbanyParkingMud Camp Creek WMABoat access only · KDFWRBoat rampCloyds LandingNo fee · KY 953, KY 1424Boat rampC. Williams – J. L. FoxNo fee · any trailerableN02 miSchematic · sites at KDFWR coordinates · hollow discs are other corridors · gold squares are USGS gauges
Three numbers to get right
What you hearWhat the primary sources actually say
"Check the gauge for the flow."No discharge gauge below the dam. USGS 03414000 and 03414002 read stage, temperature and oxygen only; the first discharge series (00060) is 03414100 at Burkesville.
"One turbine is wadeable."KDFWR, dated: "45 means one turbine of generation and 90 means two." June 2020: near the dam, daybreak to about 10 a.m. under typical summer schedules; mark the bank and leave when it rises. Corps: releases "change without notice."
"Statewide trout rules."Not here. Brown 20 in / 1 (statewide 16). Rainbow 15–20 slot, 5, one over 20 (statewide 8, no size). Brook 15 in / 1 (statewide release). Trout permit, dam to the state line.
What the schedule does on this reach
Nothing KDFWR or the Corps publishes describes release timing this far down. KDFWR 2026 forecast: striped bass "can be found throughout the tailwater from mid-October through April"; white bass, "Fishing lower areas in the tailwater near creek mouths during the winter and early spring is a good option." The nearest discharge series is upstream at Burkesville, USGS 03414100.
Mud Camp Creek WMA is boat access. KDFWR: "No Public Road Access. Best access to WMA is by boat or by permission of private landowners." "No vehicles allowed." "Closed for modern gun deer season." River record: "The closest public access ramp is Cloyd's Landing, approximately 1.5 miles upstream." Road access: status pending. The state line and Tennessee-side access are outside this card.
LIMESTONE DRIFT
CUMBERLAND RIVER TAILWATER · LOWER RIVER Access and limits
Three sites on the lower river
SiteFeeKDFWR record, in the agency's words
Cloyds LandingNo"KY 61 S of Burkesville; right on KY 953; right on KY 1424." Light boats, paved single lane, unpaved parking, no dock, no restrooms.
Mud Camp Creek WMA (bank, by water)No"Mud Camp Creek is only accessible by boat or canoe… The closest public access ramp is Cloyd's Landing, approximately 1.5 miles upstream." 572 acres, KDFWR. No facilities, no vehicles.
C. Williams – J. L. FoxNo"KY 100 E of Tompkinsville; right on KY 214." Any trailerable, paved single lane, unpaved parking, no dock, no restrooms. "Formerly called McMillians Ferry Ramp."
Hwy 61 bridge ramp (next ramp up)YesOn the KY 61 card. The last fee ramp above this reach.
Limits — all four trout rules differ from statewide
SpeciesSizeDaily creel
Brown trout20 in minimum1
Rainbow trout15–20 in slot — release all between5, only one over 20 in
Brook trout15 in minimum1
Cutthroat trout20 in minimum1 (statewide is the same)
Trout permit required for every licensed angler from the dam to the Tennessee line, tributaries to the first riffle, and all of Hatchery Creek (KDFWR guide 2026–27). No culling: "Once an angler holds a trout in their possession on this section of the Cumberland River, it counts toward the daily trout creel limit." No chumming "with bait, corn or other attractants." Striped bass: statewide. Hatchery Creek (own record, wid 397): upper section "5 Trout aggregate daily limit", no size limit; lower section "Catch and Release only and only artificial baits may be used." Verify against the current Fishing & Boating Guide before keeping anything.
Releases: USACE Nashville District Project Hydropower Schedule, lrn-wc.usace.army.mil/preschedule.shtml · KDFWR: "45 means one turbine of generation and 90 means two turbines" · (606) 678-8697 · USGS 03414100 Burkesville, upstream (discharge 00060) · no gauge on this reach · Corps Resource Manager (606) 679-6337.
Sources: USACE Nashville District Wolf Creek Dam page and Project Hydropower Schedule (release disclaimer verbatim); LRD release NR 23-33 and Recreation.gov for Kendall; KDFWR waterbody records 186 and 397, the 16 access-site records, 2026–2027 Fishing & Boating Guide, 2026 Fishing Forecast and trout-stream classification; USFWS Wolf Creek NFH pages; USGS 03414000, 03414002, 03414100.
Conditions change. Verify the release schedule, access and regulations before you travel. Revised September 2026.
QR code: https://limestonedrift.com/waterways/cumberland-river-tailwater/#ld-alertslimestonedrift.comAlerts and the water page
Water alerts. We email when something on this river actually changes — access, rules, the schedule's home. limestonedrift.com/alerts/?w=cumberland-river-tailwater