Planned boating restrictions along Cumberland put on hold, temporary trout regulations removed
FRANKFORT A two-year moratorium on boating restrictions planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers both above and below dams on the Cumberland River took effect Monday, protecting boater access to popular fisheries on Lake Cumberland and Lake Barkley, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources officials said.
The moratorium is part of the Freedom to Fish Act which was signed into law by President Obama on Monday, June 12. KDFWR Deputy Commissioner Benjy Kinman told the Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Environment that the ban took effect immediately, preventing planned full-time restrictions while a permanent solution to the Corps of Engineers’ concerns is worked out.
“They are good partners with us,” Kinman said of the Corps of Engineers. “We just kind of agreed to disagree on this issue, and try to work it out.”
The planned restrictions were scheduled to take effect this spring above and below the Corps of Engineers dams at four Kentucky lakes—Lake Barkley, Lake Cumberland/Wolf Creek Dam, Martins Fork Lake, and Laurel River Lake. The greatest impact would have been below the dams at Lake Barkley and Lake Cumberland, Kinman said. 
Fishing and boating below the dam at Lake Barkley alone contributes about $3 million to the economy, he said. Lake Barkley is a popular spot for fishing of striped bass, sauger, catfish, paddlefish, and other fish, while the area below Wolf Creek Dam on Lake Cumberland is popular with those fishing brown, rainbow, and brook trout, said Kinman.
The proposed restrictions were opposed last winter by the Kentucky Senate with its passage of Senate Resolution 112, sponsored by Sens. Chris Girdler, R-Somerset, and Stan Humphries, R-Cadiz. They were also opposed by members of Kentucky’s congressional delegation and local officials whose economies would be negatively affected by the restrictions.
Committee co-chair Sen. Jared Carpenter, R-Berea, said he appreciates the many efforts to protect boating access. “We appreciate the federal delegation, and Sen. Girdler, and so many people’s efforts to make sure we protect that.”
The restrictions were planned by the Corps of Engineers after it faced litigation concerning boater safety in Tennessee, said Kinman. “I think we’ve educated them now on the importance of the fisheries, and I think they’re going to work with us,” he said.
Temporary rainbow trout regulations removed on Cumberland River
FRANKFORT The emergency trout regulations on the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek. Dam will be eliminated June 15.
The temporary regulations on Cumberland went into effect in September 2009 and allowed anglers to keep an additional five rainbow trout daily.
The drawdown of Lake Cumberland and its subsequent creation of high water temperatures in the Cumberland River prompted the implementation of the emergency regulations nearly four years ago. Trout stress and lose body condition when water temperatures grow too high.
“With improved water quality from the raising of water levels in Lake Cumberland, we should have better conditions for trout in the Cumberland River,” said Dave Dreves, fisheries research biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “We will revert back to the existing regulations before the temporary regulations went into place.”
On June 15, 2013 and later, anglers may keep five rainbow trout daily, but those caught between 15 and 20 inches in length must be immediately released. Only one rainbow trout in the five trout daily creel limit may be longer than 20 inches.
Anglers may keep one brown trout daily with a 20-inch minimum size limit and they may keep one brook trout daily with a 15-inch minimum size limit.
“With the return to normal densities, there is no need to harvest 10 trout anymore,” said Jeff Ross, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “A five fish limit is optimal to allow for adequate harvest, but still allow for trophy size potential.”
Roughly 10,000 rainbow trout 15 inches and longer will be stocked this fall to bring back the quality rainbow trout fishery in the river in faster fashion. Later in the fall, fisheries crews will stock an additional 10,000 to 12,000 rainbow trout ranging from seven to nine inches in length on top of the normal rainbow trout stockings in the river.
Chris can be reached by email at: trimmer308@windstream.net
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