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Nolin River Lake Fishing Report

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

Cave country water: Nolin River Lake holds bass, crappie and clear water beside Mammoth Cave.

1/5
Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.
Flow
64 cfs
Air / High
101 / 101 F
Wind
NNW 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03310300, 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.

1/5Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nolin River Lake serves up more heat: the productive hours are the dim ones. The river is running 64 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind NNW around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 101. Water sits around 84 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: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Fair

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassSlow

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassSlow

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 102 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 Nolin River at White Mills (below dam).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03310300.

8712917164 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp101 F
High / Low101 / 73 F
WindNNW 5-6 mph
Pressure1013.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 5%
Sunrise / Sunset06:18 / 19:09
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 101/73 F, wind 5 mph, rain 5%

Slow. 101 F: be on the water at dawn and off by mid-morning, or fish after dark.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

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. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Nolin River Lake 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
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 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 Nolin River Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 101 F, wind to 4 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 100 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 98 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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. Bass and crappie limits per current KDFWR regulations; trout stamp if the tailwater is stocked.

Access

Corps ramps and campgrounds at Wax, Moutardier and Dog Creek; marina on the lake.

About this water

A 5,800-acre Corps reservoir on the Nolin River bordering Mammoth Cave National Park, Edmonson and Grayson counties, Kentucky.

Fishing Nolin River Lake: the full guide

A lake by the caves

Nolin River Lake covers about 5,800 acres on the Nolin River in central Kentucky, bordering Mammoth Cave National Park. The water runs clearer than most Kentucky reservoirs, with rocky shorelines, steep banks and standing timber in the upper arms. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass share it with crappie, bluegill, catfish and white bass.

Bass on the rock

The three black bass species split the habitat: smallmouth and spots on the rocky main-lake points and bluffs, largemouth in the brushier coves and timber. Clear water rewards finesse: shaky heads, drop-shots and natural colors, with dawn and dusk producing best. Spring pushes fish shallow into the creek arms, which warm first.

Crappie and the timber

Crappie hold the standing timber and brush in the upper arms, best in spring and fall, and locals maintain brush piles that produce year-round. White bass school over the open water in summer. Below the dam, the Nolin tailwater holds fish in the current and is stocked with trout in some years, adding a cool-season option.

Mammoth Cave logistics

Corps ramps and campgrounds serve the lake at Wax, Moutardier and Dog Creek, with the national park adjacent and a marina on site. Brownsville and Leitchfield are the local towns. Water levels vary with flood-control operations. The proximity to Mammoth Cave makes it an easy destination for families combining fishing with the park.

Common questions

Which bass species?

All three: smallmouth and spotted bass on the rocky main lake, largemouth in the brushier coves and timber.

Is the water clear?

Clearer than most Kentucky reservoirs, which favors finesse presentations and low-light fishing.

Is it good for a family trip?

Yes: Mammoth Cave National Park is adjacent, with campgrounds and a marina on the lake itself.

Is fishing good at Nolin River Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nearby waters

Barren River Lake27 miRough River Lake28 miGreen River Lake52 miBlue River69 miDale Hollow Lake71 miOld Hickory Lake71 mi
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