The Gorge isn't just cliffs and trails — the Red River and its tributaries hold genuinely good fishing, and it's an easy, low-key day for a couple or a few friends. Here's what's biting, where to find it, and what you need before you cast.
What you'll catch. Smallmouth bass are the star of the Red River, thriving in its cool, rocky stretches, alongside spotted (Kentucky) bass and sunfish like longear, rock bass, and bluegill. Several tributaries — Swift Camp Creek, the East Fork of Indian Creek, and the Middle Fork of the Red — are stocked with rainbow and brown trout by Kentucky Fish & Wildlife each spring and fall.
Where to fish. The middle section of the Red, between the Copperas Creek canoe launch and the iron bridge on KY-77, is widely considered the best water — clear and productive, roughly 15 miles east of our cabins. Good access points include the Sky Bridge area (wade-friendly), the Gladie Visitor Center (easy parking with deep pools nearby), and the clear, shallow streams of Copperas and Indian Creek for fly fishing.
An easier day — Mill Creek Lake. In Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Mill Creek Lake is a 41-acre lake stocked with rainbow trout by Kentucky Fish & Wildlife, plus natural populations of bass, bluegill, and crappie. It allows electric trolling motors only, and the banks are steep and the water deep — so a kayak or small boat beats bank fishing here. Note you'll need a trout permit on top of your license if you plan to keep any trout.
You'll need a license. Kentucky requires a valid fishing license for all anglers, buyable online through Kentucky Fish & Wildlife or locally in Slade or Campton. A separate trout permit is required if you intend to keep trout.
When to go. Spring (March–May) is peak smallmouth season and lines up with trout stocking; fall (September–November) brings low, clear water that's great for sight-fishing. In summer, fish early mornings for topwater action; winter is slow, deep-pool fishing for the patient.
How to fish it. The water is clear and the fish are wary — downsize your line, wear drab colors, and throw small, subtle lures: 4-inch finesse worms and 3-inch boot-tail grubs for bass, red inline spinners for sunfish. Fly anglers do well with pheasant tails, caddis nymphs, and small woolly buggers.
One safety note. Past ice storms dropped a lot of timber into the river, and floods push it into strainers — wade carefully, test your footing, and don't wade alone in pushy current.
Cast a line without leaving the property
Our guests can also fish a shared pond on the property, a short walk from the cabins. It isn't stocked, but the fishing is good — bass and bluegill on a quiet evening. It's catch-and-release only, and like the rest of the property, you fish at your own risk. Make a weekend of it: spend the day on the Red, then throw a few casts at the pond before the fire. Lakeview Hideaway, Simply Irresistible, and Great Expectations are favorites for a couple. Browse all our cabins →