Cave Run Lake Closed

The U.S. Federal Government shutdown has made an impact on a lot of areas of our lives.

However, for the outdoorsman it is no little thing to see Daniel Boone National Forest shut its doors.

The Forest Service falls under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is the U.S. Forest Service that operates and maintains Cave Run Lake, along with the campgrounds, information office and launching ramps.

All areas of the lake have remained closed for the last two weeks. Some guides left their boats in the water, so they are still operating. However, if you have a booking with one of them, I would suggest checking to make sure your date can still be completed.

All the ramps have gates closed or barricades in place along with signs stated the area is closed. We have gotten reports that the state police have been writing tickets for people that remove the barricades and use the ramps.

We hope this doesn’t last long. We will post any new developments as they become available on the Kentucky Angling message board.

One of the questions I have been asked is why this only applies to Cave Run and not the other lakes since they are all under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The answer is simple: Our state parks fall under the Kentucky State Park system and the USACE only maintains the respective dams. Cave Run, however, is operated and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

The impact on tourism and local business has been mounting during the closure. I urge you not to cancel any trips you have to Cave Run but rather to postpone them a few weeks. The fishing is really good all the way through November.

Late-season muskie fishing can be some of the best fishing all year. You won’t have nearly as much traffic on the lake, so please don’t cancel — just postpone it until the shutdown is over. I hope to see you on the lake soon.