This piece was put together on 7 November 2026 for anyone planning the weeks from mid-November to the end of December. Three things set the month. KDFWR's own timing says "December is the start of the good sauger fishing" below the dams. The trout schedule, on the evidence of last season's archive, goes quiet, and no December 2026 schedule had been posted when we read it. And the Corps lakes run the last of their fall drawdown toward 1 December, some on pace and some, on 7 November, barely moving.
Our November article has the November stockings, the 1 November lake readings and the Cave Run winter-pool ramp notes. None of that is repeated here. Everything below was read on 7 November 2026.
The sauger run below the dams
KDFWR's clearest statement of timing is Lee McClellan's Kentucky Afield column of 2 December 2020, Sauger bite during the holiday season, still posted on the department's site. It says "December is the start of the good sauger fishing with the peak coming in February," that "the peak concentration of sauger below dams coincides with the coldest weather of the year," and that "the fishing lasts until late March when they spawn and disperse downstream." It calls sauger "the most reliable winter fish of all" and says they "readily bite in water temperatures below 40 degrees." The column is six years old. It is the agency's description of a pattern, not a forecast for this winter.
KDFWR's Sauger species page adds where the fish gather: anglers often take them "during early spring spawning runs when they congregate near swift shoals, near the mouths of streams, or in tailwaters of dams." Adults "can grow to 30 in. (8-9 lbs.), but are usually less than 20 in. (2-3 lbs.)."
The tailwaters KDFWR names. The same column names these, with the access it describes:
- McAlpine Lock and Dam, Louisville: a "highly productive sauger fishing spot," with bank fishing at Falls of the Ohio State Park on the Indiana side. Much has changed on the Kentucky bank since 2020; our McAlpine article has the Shippingport Island closures, the Indiana-bank rules and the launches, and our Ohio River at Louisville guide has the corridor cards.
- Meldahl Lock and Dam: "bank fishing structures built on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River below Meldahl Lock and Dam."
- Kentucky River Lock and Dam 2 at Lockport: "just below Lock and Dam #2 on the Henry County side of the river," the column's "best bank fishing opportunity" on that river.
- Wolf Creek Dam: "excellent bank fishing for winter sauger." That is the Cumberland River tailwater; see the bridge-construction alert under closures below.
- Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley tailwaters: "the fishing platforms and bank access" are "highly productive bank fishing spots." Our Barkley tailwater guide covers the Barkley side.
- Below Green River, Barren River and Taylorsville lakes: the column reports "quality sauger over 15 inches," and says the "public recreation areas immediately downstream" offer "easy bank access." See our Green River Lake tailwater guide.
Markland and Cannelton. Neither the column nor the species page names Markland or Cannelton. KDFWR's water record for the Ohio River from J. T. Myers Lock up to the Salt River lists a "Cannelton Town Ramp" among its access sites, filed as out of state, and gives no location relative to the dam. We found no KDFWR page in this run describing the sauger fishing or the bank access below either dam, so both are Status pending here, not a statement that there is none.
KDFWR's sauger tackle list, grubs, blade baits and jigging spoons, is set out in our McAlpine article. The species guide is at walleye and sauger.
Basis: KDFWR, Kentucky Afield Outdoors, "Sauger bite during the holiday season," 2 December 2020; KDFWR, Sauger species page; KDFWR water record, Ohio River (J. T. Myers Lock to the Salt River); all read 7 November 2026.
The limits
The regulation is 301 KAR 1:201, Taking of fish by traditional fishing methods. The legislature's page, read on 7 November 2026, gives its latest history as "eff. 9-3-2026", effective 3 September 2026.
Statewide, Section 2: "Sauger, walleye, and any hybrid thereof daily limit, singly or in combination, six (6); size limit, fourteen (14) inches." On possession: "The possession limit shall be two (2) times the daily limit," which makes twelve.
The Ohio River, Section 3: the Ohio River entry sets limits for white, striped and hybrid striped bass ("daily limit, thirty (30)," with "no more than four (4) in the daily limit" fifteen inches or longer) and for blue, channel and flathead catfish. It has no sauger or walleye line, so the statewide six and fourteen inches apply on the Kentucky side. KDFWR's own water record for the river below the Salt agrees: sauger and walleye "Must be 14 inches or over, Limit 6 per angler."
From the Indiana bank, Indiana's rules apply. Our McAlpine article covers the reciprocal agreement and Indiana's Ohio River limits; we did not re-read Indiana's guide for this piece.
Basis: 301 KAR 1:201, Sections 2 and 3, apps.legislature.ky.gov, read 7 November 2026; KDFWR water record, Ohio River (J. T. Myers Lock to the Salt River), read 7 November 2026.
Trout: no December schedule posted
On 7 November 2026 KDFWR's Monthly Trout Stocking page still showed the November 2026 schedule, ending with Nolin Lake Tailwaters and Jesse Thornton Lake on Thursday 12 November. There was no December 2026 schedule on the page.
Last season's archive, which runs September 2025 to August 2026, points the same way. Its December 2025 section has no entries. Its January 2026 section has no entries either, only the note: "Due to inclement weather conditions, the trout stocking schedule for February will be posted when weather and water conditions improve." The next month in the archive with stockings is February 2026.
That is what the record shows, not a promise that nothing goes in this December. Two standing notes on the monthly page cover waters that never appear in advance: "Stocking dates for streams on Federal Property are not announced ahead of time," and "Specific stocking dates for the Cumberland Tailwaters are also not announced in advance." If a December schedule is posted later, it will be on the same page.
Catch and release. Section 5 of 301 KAR 1:201 sets "a catch and release trout season from October 1 through March 31" on its listed streams, so trout stocked into them this fall go back until April; the list and the rules are in our catch-and-release article.
Basis: KDFWR, Monthly Trout Stocking, and Yearly Trout Stocking Archive (September 2025 to August 2026); 301 KAR 1:201, Section 5; all read 7 November 2026.
The lakes on 7 November
The winter pool in the second column is the figure each lake's page on this site prints, with its Corps source; Buckhorn's is from the KDFWR alert below and Carr Creek's from our fall drawdown article. Readings are the Corps' water-data records, feet, with the time in UTC as the record gives it. The last column is our subtraction.
| Lake | Winter pool | Corps reading, 7 Nov | Against it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barren River | 528.0 | 541.18 (06:00) | 13.18 ft above |
| Nolin River | 492.0 | 509.36 (06:00) | 17.36 ft above |
| Rough River | 470.0 | 481.03 (06:00) | 11.03 ft above |
| Green River | 668.0 | 673.81 (11:00) | 5.81 ft above |
| Cave Run | 724.0 | 729.77 (11:00) | 5.77 ft above |
| Buckhorn | 757 | 778.67 (14:15) | 21.67 ft above |
| Carr Creek | 1017.0 | 1022.54 (14:15) | 5.54 ft above |
| Taylorsville | 545.0 | 545.86 (11:00) | 0.86 ft above |
| Lake Cumberland | 700 | 690.77 (12:00) | 9.23 ft below |
| Lake Barkley | 354 | 354.55 (12:00) | 0.55 ft above |
| Dale Hollow | Status pending | 638.15 (12:00) | no figure to compare |
On 7 November none of the eight Louisville District lakes had reached its winter pool. Barkley was half a foot off its 354, the Corps' target "from December 1st until April 1st" in its 2017 Master Plan as our Barkley page quotes it. Cumberland was already below 700, the elevation the Nashville District's operating statement, as our Cumberland page quotes it, says the lake fills "from" to 723 by mid-May; the Wolf Creek Dam record labels 673 "Bottom of Power" and 723 "Top of Power" and carries no winter-pool label, and it does not say why the lake is under 700. Dale Hollow's page prints no winter pool because no Corps page it read publishes one, and the Dale Hollow Dam record carries no winter-pool label either.
Where the eight Louisville District records disagree with the schedule figures, our November article prints both: Barren's record labels "Top of Normal" 525 and Nolin's 490, against the schedule's 528 and 492. Those labels were the same on 7 November. Buckhorn's alert puts its summer and winter pool elevations at 757 to 782 ft, which matches its record's "Bottom of Normal" 757 and "Top of Conservation" 782.
Basis: USACE water data, Louisville District records barren, nolin, rough, green, caverun, buckhorn, carrcreek and taylorsville, and Nashville District records wlck2 (Wolf Creek Dam), bahk2 (Barkley Lock and Dam) and dlht1 (Dale Hollow Dam), read 7 November 2026; winter-pool figures as printed on this site's lake pages and the lake levels page, from the Corps documents those pages cite; Buckhorn from the KDFWR alert, read 7 November 2026. The Louisville District's Fill and Drawdown page failed its certificate check again on 7 November, so its schedule was not re-read.
Which are still falling
This section is our arithmetic on the Corps readings, not anything the Corps states. It compares 7 November with the readings in our November article and with what each lake needs to average to reach the winter pool in the table above by 1 December, 24 days on.
| Lake | Change since 1 Nov | Needed, ft/day | Since 1 Nov, ft/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhorn | -3.29 | 0.90 | 0.58 |
| Nolin River | -4.01 | 0.72 | 0.66 |
| Barren River | -3.79 | 0.55 | 0.63 |
| Rough River | -2.08 | 0.46 | 0.36 |
| Green River | +0.07 | 0.24 | rose |
| Cave Run | -0.02 | 0.24 | 0.00 |
| Carr Creek | -1.33 | 0.23 | 0.23 |
| Taylorsville | +0.08 | from 15 Nov | rose |
- Barren and Carr Creek were falling at or above the pace they need.
- Buckhorn had started. On 1 November it sat 0.04 ft under its 782; by 7 November it was down 3.29 ft and its record showed a 24-hour change of -0.73. It needs more than that to make 757 on time.
- Nolin and Rough were falling, a little slower than the schedule needs.
- Green River and Cave Run had barely moved in a week: Green up 0.07 ft, Cave Run down 0.02. Both records showed a 24-hour change of 0. Neither says why.
- Taylorsville holds until 15 November on its page's schedule and was 0.86 ft above 545.
A lake that is behind on 7 November can catch up, and the District's schedule, as our drawdown article read it, is titled proposed. If you are reading this in December, these figures are a month old: the lake levels page shows each lake's latest reading with its own time.
What is closed
KDFWR's Alerts page listed eight items on 7 November 2026. None of the alert pages carries a posting date, so we cannot say when any was posted or whether it has been reviewed since. In KDFWR's words:
- Buckhorn Lake Dam ramp. "Closed to all traffic and boating access," "projected to remain closed until at least February 2027," while the Louisville District rebuilds the ramp, parking and drive lanes. The alert says there is no reliable boat access at winter pool, "below 770 ft," generally November through April, and that the Gay's Creek, Marina, Leatherwood and Trace Branch ramps are generally open 1 May to 31 October. This is the closure our November article carried, and it reads the same. On 7 November the lake was at 778.67, falling. USACE Buckhorn Lake office: (606) 398-7251.
- West Point Boat Ramp, Salt River. "Due to severe damage, the West Point Boat Ramp on the Salt River is temporarily closed." "There is currently no timetable for the ramp to reopen."
- Laurel Bridge Boat Ramp, Laurel River Lake. "Currently closed due to low water levels." "Other ramps accessing Laurel River Lake are still usable"; the alert names Hightop and Flatwoods as the nearest.
- Sympson Lake, Nelson County. "Closed to all boating activity in 2026" for dam construction; "all access along and around the dam is prohibited, including bank fishing," with bank fishing along Ben Irving Road expected to close later.
- AJ Jolly Lake, Campbell County. Closed "for 2026 due to repairs for all recreational activities"; "lake access for fishing, kayaking, and other recreation has been suspended."
- Storm damage. At Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area, flooding closed KY 1638 near the main entrance, which "will remain closed until floodwaters recede." At Cane Creek WMA, "only areas open and accessible to the public are those adjacent to Highway 192." The alert is undated, and it does not mention fishing access. Otter Creek ORA was on the 10 November stocking schedule.
- Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam. The Transportation Cabinet's new US 127 bridge needs two piers in the river, about 3.4 river miles below the dam, between Kendall Ramp and Helms Landing, and the work is "likely to continue through 2026." The alert does not say whether any ramp or stretch of water is restricted.
The eighth item is KDFWR's list of regulation amendments, not a closure.
Waterfowl refuges. Our refuge closures article has the full calendar from 301 KAR 2:222. On that calendar two closures start after mid-November: Sloughs WMA's Jenny Hole Unit closes to boats on Thanksgiving Day, 26 November, and all of Boatwright WMA closes to boats on 1 December, both through 31 January. Everything else on the list was already closed by 1 November. We did not re-read 301 KAR 2:222 for this piece.
Basis: KDFWR, Alerts, and the seven linked alert pages, read 7 November 2026; refuge dates from our refuge closures article (301 KAR 2:222, read 15 October 2026).
The licence year
KDFWR's licence page: "Kentucky license year begins March 1 and continues through the last day of February." So the 2026-27 licence year ends on 28 February 2027, in the middle of the sauger peak the column describes. The page did not say, on 7 November, when 2027-28 licences go on sale.
Basis: KDFWR, Licenses, read 7 November 2026.
What we don't know yet
1. Whether any trout go in this December. No December 2026 schedule was posted on 7 November, and the archive shows none in December 2025 or January 2026. That is a gap in the record, not a negative fact. Federal-property streams and the Cumberland tailwaters are never announced in advance.
2. When the run starts this year. KDFWR's timing comes from a 2020 column. We print no water temperature and no forecast. Status pending until the river tells you.
3. Markland and Cannelton. No KDFWR page we read describes the sauger fishing or the access below either dam. Status pending.
4. Where the lakes will be in December. The readings are 7 November's. Green River and Cave Run had barely moved in a week, and the records give no reason. Status pending; the lake levels page has the latest.
5. This year's drawdown schedule. The Louisville District's Fill and Drawdown page failed its certificate check on 7 November, as it has since October, so the schedule figures are as this site last read them.
6. Dale Hollow's winter pool. No Corps page we have read publishes one. Status pending.
7. Why Cumberland is below 700. The Wolf Creek Dam record gives the reading, not the reason. Status pending.
8. Alert dates. None of KDFWR's alert pages is dated, so whether each is still current is Status pending. Whether the US 127 bridge work restricts boating below Wolf Creek Dam is not stated.
9. When 2027-28 licences go on sale. Not on KDFWR's licence page on 7 November. Status pending.
Sources and how confident we are
Check it yourself
- KDFWR monthly trout stocking: https://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Monthly-Trout-Stocking.aspx
- KDFWR trout stocking archive: https://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/trout_archive.aspx
- KDFWR alerts: https://fw.ky.gov/Alerts/Pages/default.aspx
- 301 KAR 1:201: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/301/001/201/
- Corps lake records: https://water.usace.army.mil/cda/reporting/providers/lrl/locations/ followed by barren, nolin, rough, green, caverun, buckhorn, carrcreek or taylorsville; and https://water.usace.army.mil/cda/reporting/providers/lrn/locations/ followed by wlck2 (Cumberland), bahk2 (Barkley) or dlht1 (Dale Hollow).
- Every lake on one page, with its latest reading: lake levels
Sources
Sauger and the limits
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Afield Outdoors, Sauger bite during the holiday season, Lee McClellan, 2 December 2020. Timing, the named tailwaters and their access; read 7 November 2026: fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Sauger-bite-during-the-holiday-season.aspx
- KDFWR, Sauger, species page. Spawning runs, tailwaters, size; read 7 November 2026: fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Sauger.aspx
- KDFWR, water record, Ohio River from J. T. Myers Lock to the confluence with the Salt River. Sauger and walleye lines, the Cannelton Town Ramp listing; read 7 November 2026: app.fw.ky.gov/fisheries/waterbodydetail.aspx?wid=336
- Kentucky Administrative Regulations, 301 KAR 1:201, Taking of fish by traditional fishing methods, effective 3 September 2026. Sections 2, 3 and 5; read 7 November 2026: apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/301/001/201/
Trout
- KDFWR, Monthly Trout Stocking, November 2026, and its federal-property and Cumberland notes; read 7 November 2026: fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Monthly-Trout-Stocking.aspx
- KDFWR, Yearly Trout Stocking Archive, September 2025 to August 2026. The empty December 2025 and January 2026 sections; read 7 November 2026: fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/trout_archive.aspx
Lake levels
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, water data, Louisville District location records (barren, nolin, rough, green, caverun, buckhorn, carrcreek, taylorsville) and Nashville District records (wlck2, bahk2, dlht1). Elevation, time, 24-hour change and labelled levels; read 7 November 2026: water.usace.army.mil/cda/reporting/providers
- USACE Louisville District, Fill and Drawdown. Could not be read on 7 November 2026 (certificate error): lrl.usace.army.mil
Closures and the licence
- KDFWR, Alerts, and the linked pages on the Buckhorn Lake Dam ramp, West Point Boat Ramp, Laurel Bridge Boat Ramp, Sympson Lake, AJ Jolly Lake, storm-affected public areas and the Cumberland River bridge construction; all undated, read 7 November 2026: fw.ky.gov/Alerts/Pages/default.aspx
- KDFWR, Licenses. The licence-year sentence; read 7 November 2026: fw.ky.gov/Licenses/Pages/default.aspx
On this site
- Our November article, McAlpine sauger article, fall drawdown article, catch-and-release article, refuge closures article and the lake levels page.
Stocking schedules, pool targets and closures change with weather, water and repairs. The lake readings are 7 November's. Check the agency page the morning you go.