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Licking River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Northern Kentucky’s muskie river: the Licking runs toothy fish and smallmouth to the Ohio.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
173 cfs
Air / High
98 / 98 F
Wind
WNW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03253500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Licking River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 173 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings a mixed sky, wind WNW around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 98. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 97 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Licking River at Catawba.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03253500.

1,0772,7574,436173 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp98 F
High / Low98 / 73 F
WindWNW 9-14 mph
Pressure1012.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain30% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset07:09 / 20:02
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 98/73 F, wind 10 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Licking River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Licking River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Licking River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 97 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Kentucky requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Kentucky license. Muskellunge 36-inch minimum and smallmouth limits per current KDFWR regulations.

Access

Road crossings and public access points on the middle and lower river; Cave Run Lake upstream.

About this water

A 300-mile river through eastern and northern Kentucky to the Ohio at Covington.

Fishing Licking River: the full guide

A river with a muskie reputation

The Licking River flows about 300 miles through eastern and northern Kentucky to the Ohio River at Covington, and it is best known among Kentucky anglers for muskellunge: the state manages it as one of its premier musky rivers, with fish holding in the deeper pools and log jams through its middle and lower reaches.

Muskie water

The musky fishery centers on the deeper pools, wood and current breaks: large rubber baits, bucktails and glide baits worked patiently, with fall and early spring the best windows. Kentucky stocks the river and manages it for size. This is specialist fishing, with long hours between bites and genuine trophies as the reward.

Smallmouth and catfish

Smallmouth bass hold the gravel riffles, ledges and rock throughout the river, taking tubes, small crankbaits and topwater on light tackle: an excellent and lightly fished summer fishery. Channel and flathead catfish work the deeper holes, and the lower river near the Ohio holds larger fish generally.

Northern Kentucky logistics

Access is via road crossings, public areas and the Cave Run Lake area upstream, which impounds the river and holds its own famous musky fishery. Falmouth, Butler and Claysville provide access on the lower river. Flows respond to rain: the river rises and colors quickly, and fishes best on the falling water.

Common questions

Is the musky fishery real?

Yes: Kentucky manages the Licking as a premier musky river, with fish in the deeper pools and log jams.

When should I target muskie?

Fall and early spring, working large baits patiently through the deeper pools and current breaks.

Is there smallmouth fishing?

Yes and it is lightly fished: gravel riffles and ledges hold good numbers through the summer.

Is fishing good at Licking River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Caesar Creek Lake58 miCave Run Lake61 miTaylorsville Lake66 miBrookville Lake67 miHerrington Lake69 miGrayson Lake81 mi
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