Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Kentucky's Licking River from the Blue Licks country to its Ohio River mouth at Newport; smallmouth, sauger and catfish. The river tops out around 25 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Licking River (Lower) draws 7,101 acres inside 187.2 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 15.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 77% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 54.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 8.7 mi at the beam. The water lies in Pendleton County. For a second option, Kincaid Lake lies 3 mi south.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Channel bar / point (mile 7.5), a point in the 10 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel bar bend (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 5.6) (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.5) (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 5.6) (14 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Main-channel hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Laydown banks (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep bend pool (16 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Channel bar / point (mile 7.5), a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Laydown banks (7 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 7.5) (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.5) (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. Laydown banks is the standout, a standing timber / brush at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring flathead catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Laydown banks (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Laydown banks (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep bend pool (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep bend pool (16 ft) |
Spring puts freshwater drum in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 25 ft. Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for summer freshwater drum. Plan around the evening in the warm months. A jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel bar bend (4 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 0.6) (20 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep bend pool (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 15 ft before dropping to 8 to 25 ft for winter. Winter common carp concentrate at Deep bend pool, a prime-rated deep basin around 16 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel bar bend (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep bend pool (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.7) (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep bend pool (16 ft) |
Licking River (Lower) also holds sauger (8 to 25 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 37 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Ryland Lakes Dam Number 2 tailrace, sits near 21 ft.
Access data: Kentucky Fish & Wildlife — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Kentucky waters are set by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Licking River (Lower) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kentucky fishing regulations →
Licking River (Lower) is about 25 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, channel catfish, largemouth bass, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, sauger, rock bass on Licking River (Lower).
Channel bar / point (mile 7.5) is the top-rated area: a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Licking River (Lower) is regulated by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Kentucky regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Kincaid Lake 3 mi · A.J. Jolly Lake 11 mi · Williamstown Lake 17 mi · East Fork Lake (Harsha Lake) 20 mi, OH · Boltz Lake 20 mi · Bullock Pen Lake 21 mi · Ohio River - Markland Pool 23 mi, OH/KY · Grant Lake 24 mi, OH · Corinth Lake 25 mi · Stonelick Lake 34 mi, OH · Winton Woods Lake 37 mi, OH · Elmer Davis Lake 38 mi
See how Licking River (Lower) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kentucky · best smallmouth bass lakes in Kentucky · best sauger lakes in Kentucky · best channel catfish lakes in Kentucky
Browse all Kentucky fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.