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Title 301 | Chapter 006 | Regulation 015REG

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TOURISM, ARTS AND HERITAGE CABINET
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
(Amended at ARRS Committee)

301 KAR 6:015.Boat and motor restrictions.

RELATES TO:

KRS 150.090, 150.625, 150.990, 235.010(4), 235.990

STATUTORY AUTHORITY:

KRS 150.620, 235.280

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT:

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, pursuant to statutory authority to promulgate administrative regulations to carry out the provisions of KRS Chapter 150 and KRS Chapter 235 as established in KRS 150.025, KRS 235.280 and KRS 235.290 and as an independent department of state government within the meaning of KRS Chapter 12 as established in KRS 150.021(1) and KRS 235.030, promulgated by the Commissioner with approval of the Commission in accordance with KRS 235.280 and KRS 150.010(1), does hereby certify this administrative regulation is promulgated in compliance with Section 8 of 2025 RS HB6.

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY:

KRS 150.620 authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations governing lands and waters the department has acquired. KRS 235.280 requires the department, with approval of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission, to promulgate administrative regulations to govern the fair, reasonable, equitable, and safe use of all waters of this state. This administrative regulation establishes size limits of boats and motors on small lakes for safety reasons and to minimize interference with other users.

Section 1.

Definition. "Idle speed" means the slowest possible speed at which maneuverability can be maintained.

Section 2.

 

(1)

On a lake established in subsection (2) of this section, a person shall not operate a:

(a)

House boat;

(b)

Monohull boat with a center-line length exceeding twenty-two (22) feet; or

(c)

Pontoon boat with a float or decking exceeding twenty-two (22) feet, except on:

1.

Guist Creek Lake, where a pontoon boat with a float or decking up to twenty-four (24) feet or a monohull boat with a center-line length up to twenty-four (24) feet and seating for at least eight (8) passengers may be operated; or

2.

A lake established in clauses a. through c. of this subparagraph, where a pontoon boat with a float or decking up to thirty (30) feet or a monohull boat with a center-line length up to twenty-four (24) feet and seating for at least eight (8) passengers may be operated:

a.

Cedar Creek Lake;

b.

Lake Beshear; or

c.

Lake Malone.

(2)

List of lakes:

(a)

Ballard WMA lakes, Ballard County;

(b)

Beaver Creek Lake, Anderson County;

(c)

Bert Combs Lake, Clay County;

(d)

Boatwright WMA lakes, Ballard County;

(e)

Boltz Lake, Grant County;

(f)

Briggs Lake, Logan County;

(g)

Bullock Pen Lake, Grant County;

(h)

Carnico Lake, Nicholas County;

(i)

Carpenter Lake, Daviess County;

(j)

Carter Caves Lake, Carter County;

(k)

Cedar Creek Lake, Lincoln County;

(l)

Corinth Lake, Grant County;

(m)

Dennie Gooch Lake, Pulaski County;

(n)

Elmer Davis Lake, Owen County;

(o)

Fishpond Lake, Letcher County;

(p)

Goose Lake, Muhlenberg County;

(q)

Greenbo Lake, Greenup County;

(r)

Guist Creek Lake, Shelby County;

(s)

Island Lake, Ohio County;

(t)

Kentucky River WMA, Boone Tract lakes, Henry County;

(u)

Kincaid Lake, Pendleton County;

(v)

Kingdom Come Lake, Harlan County;

(w)

Kingfisher lakes, Daviess County;

(x)

Lake Beshear, Caldwell County;

(y)

Lake Chumley, Lincoln County;

(z)

Lake Malone, Muhlenberg County;

(aa)

Lake Mauzy, Union County;

(bb)

Lake Reba, Madison County;

(cc)

Lake Washburn, Ohio County;

(dd)

Lebanon City Lake, Marion County;

(ee)

Lincoln Homestead Lake, Washington County;

(ff)

Marion County Lake, Marion County;

(gg)

Martin County Lake, Martin County;

(hh)

McNeely Lake, Jefferson County;

(ii)

Metcalfe County Lake, Metcalfe County;

(jj)

Pan Bowl Lake, Breathitt County;

(kk)

Pikeville City Lake, Pike County;

(ll)

Shanty Hollow Lake, Warren County;

(mm)

South Lake, Ohio County;

(nn)

Spurlington Lake, Taylor County; or

(oo)

Wilgreen Lake, Madison County.

(3)

Length restrictions in this section shall not apply to a canoe.

(4)

A person shall not operate a personal watercraft, as defined by KRS 235.010(4), on Cedar Creek Lake, as established in KRS 235.010(4).

Section 2.Section 3.

 

(1)

A person shall not operate a boat:

(a)

Motor without an underwater exhaust; or

(b)

Faster than idle speed while passing a boat with an occupant actively engaged in fishing, except in a designated skiing zone.

(2)

The requirements established in subsection (1) of this section shall apply on:

(a)

Beaver Lake, Anderson County;

(b)

Boltz Lake, Grant County;

(c)

Bullock Pen Lake, Grant County;

(d)

Carnico Lake, Nicholas County;

(e)

Cedar Creek Lake; Lincoln County;

(f)

Corinth Lake, Grant County;

(g)

Elmer Davis Lake, Owen County;

(h)

Greenbo Lake, Owen County;

(i)

Guist Creek Lake, Shelby County;

(j)

Kincaid Lake, Pendleton County;

(k)

Lake Beshear, Caldwell County;

(l)

Lake Malone, Muhlenberg County;

(m)

Pan Bowl Lake, Breathitt County;

(n)

Shanty Hollow Lake, Warren County;

(o)

Swan Lake, Ballard County; and

(p)

Wilgreen Lake, Madison County.

Section 3.Section 4.

A person shall not operate an electric or an internal combustion boat motor on:

(1)

Dennie Gooch Lake, Pulaski County;

(2)

Kingdom Come Lake, Harlan County; or

(3)

Lake Chumley, Lincoln County.

Section 4.Section 5.

A person shall not operate an internal combustion boat motor and shall only be allowed to use an electric trolling motor on:

(1)

Bert Combs Lake, Clay County;

(2)

Briggs Lake, Logan County;

(3)

Carpenter Lake, Daviess County;

(4)

Carter Caves Lake, Carter County;

(5)

Fishpond Lake, Letcher County;

(6)

Kentucky River WMA, Boone Tract lakes, excluding Benjy Kinman Lake, Henry County;

(7)

Kingfisher Lake, Daviess County;

(8)

Lake Mauzy, Union County;

(9)

Lake Reba, Madison County;

(10)

Lake Washburn, Ohio County;

(11)

Lebanon City Lake, Marion County;

(12)

Lincoln Homestead Lake, Washington County;

(13)

Marion County Lake, Marion County;

(14)

Martin County Lake, Martin County;

(15)

McNeely Lake, Jefferson County;

(16)

Metcalfe County Lake, Metcalfe County;

(17)

Mill Creek Lake, Wolfe County;

(18)

Pikeville City Lake, Pike County; or

(19)

Spurlington Lake, Taylor County.

Section 5.Section 6.

A person shall not operate a motorboat faster than idle speed on:

(1)

Ballard WMA lakes, Ballard County;

(2)

Benjy Kinman Lake at Kentucky River WMA, Henry County;

(3)

Beulah Lake, Jackson County;

(4)

Boatwright WMA lakes, Ballard County;

(5)

Carnico Lake, Nicholas County;

(6)

Goose Lake, Muhlenberg County;

(7)

Greenbo Lake, Greenup County;

(8)

Island Lake, Ohio County;

(9)

South Lake, Ohio County;

(10)

Pan Bowl Lake, Breathitt County; or

(11)

Wilgreen Lake, Madison County.

Section 6.Section 7.

A person operating an internal combustiona boat motor greater than ten (10) horsepower, or an electric motor exceeding ten (10) horsepower and six (6) kilowatts input power, shall not exceed idle speed on:

(1)

Beaver Lake, Anderson County;

(2)

Boltz Lake, Grant County;

(3)

Bullock Pen Lake, Grant County:

(4)

Corinth Lake, Grant County;

(5)

Elmer Davis Lake, Owen County;

(6)

Herb Smith-Cranks Creek Lake, Harlan County;

(7)

Kincaid Lake, Pendleton County;

(8)

Martins Fork Lake, Harlan County; or

(9)

Shanty Hollow Lake, Warren County.
FILED WITH LRC: February 9, 2026
CONTACT PERSON: Jenny Gilbert, Legislative Liaison, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 1 Sportsman’s Lane, (502) 564-3400, fax: (502) 564-0506, email: fwpubliccomments@ky.gov.

7-Year Expiration: 12/7/2025

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