Best Fishing Times in Kentucky This Week
Near Gilbertsville, Jamestown and Burkesville: today on a 24 hour timeline and the next seven days rated Fair to Best.
Working out the moon and the sun for Gilbertsville, KY, and reading the forecast.
Fishing somewhere else? Enter any ZIP for your own spot
Photo: “Fall fishing on the Madison River at sunrise”, Jacob W. Frank, Yellowstone National Park (NPS), Public domain
Kentucky at a glance
Solunar windows plus the agency calendarWhen fish bite in Kentucky
Kentucky's fishing year turns on late winter sauger and walleye below river dams, trophy largemouth in late winter and early spring, sunfish spawning in May and June, and crappie in fall and winter.
Each entry below is from Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources or its published guides, quoted word for word and linked. Line the season up with the week above: a run in its prime and a Great day with a window at first light is the morning to take off.
- Late winter
Sauger and walleye
In late winter, sauger and walleye fishing peaks in the tailwaters below dams on the Ohio, lower Kentucky, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers.
“During late winter, Sauger and Walleye fishing peaks in tailwaters below dams on the Ohio, lower Kentucky, Cumberland, and Tennessee rivers.”
Fishing Forecast, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, read October 9, 2026 - Late winter and early spring
Largemouth bass
Trophy largemouth bass, especially females, are at their heaviest weight of the year in late winter and early spring.
“Trophy Largemouth Bass, especially females, are at their heaviest weight of the entire year during late winter and early spring.”
Fishing Forecast, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, read October 9, 2026 - May and June
Bluegill and redear sunfish
Many anglers associate bluegill and redear sunfish with their spawning season in May and June.
“Many anglers associate bluegill and redear sunfish with spawning season in May and June.”
Fall Fishing Festival - Three Productive Options for Colder Weather, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, read October 9, 2026 - Fall and winter
Crappie
Fall and winter are excellent times to fish for crappie, and live minnows are hard to beat.
“Fall and winter are excellent times to chase crappie and it’s hard to beat a bait bucket full of live minnows.”
Fall Fishing Festival - Three Productive Options for Colder Weather, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, read October 9, 2026
Reading the Kentucky timeline
Each day has two major solunar periods of about two hours, centered on the moon overhead and underfoot, and two minor periods of about an hour at moonrise and moonset. A window within an hour of sunrise or sunset is marked in gold. The rating adds the moon phase, the gold windows and a capped nudge from the National Weather Service forecast for each town. Every factor and its points.
Dawn and dusk are the reliable part; the moon windows are the old angler’s rule.
