Jenny Gilbert

This administrative regulation establishes size limits, daily limits, and possession limits for sport fish that may be taken from Kentucky waters.

This administrative regulation is necessary to properly manage the sport fish populations of Kentucky.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to promulgate administrative regulations regarding the buying, selling and transporting of fish and wildlife, the restriction of places where taking is permitted, and the application of administrative regulations to a limited area or to the entire state. KRS 150.470(1) authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations regarding daily limits, and size limits for fish.

This administrative regulation will assist in the effective administration of the statutes by limiting the number and size of fish that may be taken from Kentucky’s waters. This will ensure that Kentucky’s valuable sport fish populations are maintained at high levels.

This amendment will remove the special catch and release regulations on Clear Fork in Logan and Warren counties and return all sport fish to statewide regulations. This amendment will also remove the special 4-fish daily limit on Channel Catfish and 15-fish daily limit on sunfish for all ponds on the Kentucky River WMA, Boone Tract and place these species under statewide regulations. In addition, this amendment will increase the current 9-inch crappie size limit at Nolin River and Rough River lakes to 10 inches and add the Rockcastle River to the list of waterbodies with an 18- to 26-inch slot limit and 2-fish daily limit for walleye. As cleanups, "Barkley Lake" and "Cumberland Lake" were changed to "Lake Barkley" and "Lake Cumberland".

Special catch and release regulations were placed on Clear Creek following a substantial fish kill in 2019 to protect the remaining fish populations. These populations have rebounded well, and the special regulations are no longer needed. The restricted daily limits placed on Channel Catfish and sunfish on the Kentucky River WMA, Boone Tract ponds were enacted when this area was first obtained. Since that time, the populations have remained strong and there is no longer a need for special regulations. Based on biological data and public interest, improvements in the crappie populations can be realized by allowing the fish to grow another inch before harvest is allowed. This should result in larger fish for anglers to catch. Finally, there are regulations in place that protect Kentucky’s native strain walleye at several bodies of water across the state where efforts are being made to expand the population. The Rockcastle River is home to this native walleye, but currently does not have the protection the other water bodies have.

See 1(c) above.

See 1(d) above.

All anglers fishing at the water bodies referenced in (2)(a) above will be affected.

All anglers fishing at the water bodies and for the species identified in 2(a) above will have to follow the new regulations.

There will be no cost incurred by the anglers identified.

At both Clear Creek and the Kentucky River WMA, Boone Tract ponds, anglers will now be allowed increased harvest opportunities and simplified regulations. At Nolin River Lake, Rough River Lake, and the Rockcastle River, anglers will benefit in the long run from a higher quality sport fishery due to protection to larger sizes for the crappie populations and potential increased reproduction for the Walleye population.

There will be no initial cost to implement this administrative regulation.

There will be no additional cost on a continuing basis.

The source of funding is the State Game and Fish Fund.

It will not be necessary to increase fees or funding to implement this administrative regulation.

This administrative regulation does not establish any fees, nor does it indirectly increase any fees.

Tiering was not applied because all individuals fishing in Kentucky must abide by the same requirements.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to promulgate administrative regulations regarding the buying, selling and transporting of fish and wildlife, the restriction of places where taking is permitted, and the application of administrative regulations to a limited area or to the entire state. KRS 150.470(1) authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations regarding daily limits, and size limits for fish.

The promulgating agency is the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The agency’s Divisions of Fisheries and Law Enforcement will be impacted by this amendment.

There will be no cost to implement this administrative regulation for the first year.

It is unknown if this administrative regulation could indirectly increase any fishing license sales during the first year.

There will be no cost savings in the first year.

There will be no additional costs, revenues, or cost savings in subsequent years.

There will be no cost to local entities in the first year as a result of this regulation amendment.

It is unknown if this regulation amendment will result in any tourism revenue increase in the first year due to higher quality fisheries in these locations.

There will be no cost savings to local entities in the first year as a result of this regulation amendment.

There will be no increased expenditures or cost savings as the result of this regulation amendment in subsequent years. It is unknown if this regulation amendment will result in any tourism revenue increase in subsequent years due to higher quality fisheries in these locations.

There are no other regulated entities other than those listed in questions (2) and (3).

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All anglers are required to purchase a fishing license to fish public lakes in Kentucky. The cost of the license is not based on existing fishing regulations, but more so on the age of the angler or the license package they are purchasing (ie. Sportsman’s License, combined hunting and fishing license, etc.). Changes to fishing regulations will not have a bearing on fishing license cost or other associated fees.

This fiscal impact narrative was based on the statutes and administrative regulations pertaining to license fees and traditional fishing regulations.

This administrative regulation will not have a negative major economic impact to the entities identified in question (2) – (4).

The primary entities affected by this regulation amendment are Kentucky anglers. Since changes in size and daily limit regulations do not impact the cost of purchasing a fishing license, there will be no major economic impact to these entities.