Wolf Creek Dam on the Cumberland River
The Cumberland River gets its start where the Clover Fork, Martin’s Fork and Poor Fork Creeks meet in Harlan Kentucky. The upper Cumberland Basin, from Harlan to Celina, Tennessee, drains roughly 6,400 square miles of land and gathers water from over 7,900 miles of tributary streams and rivers. Cumberland Lake covers 65,530 acres and has 1,255 miles of shoreline. It is impounded by Wolf Creek Dam. The construction of Wolf Creek Dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938 and the River Harbor Act of 1946. Construction began in 1941 and was completed in 1951. Our area of focus is the seventy five mile stretch of river flowing from Wolf Creek Dam to the Kentucky / Tennessee State Line. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife stock somewhere between 200,00 and 250,000 Trout Annually in the Cumberland River. Rainbows, Brown, Cutthroat and Brook Trout are distributed all along this amazing seventy-five mile Tailwater.
Fly Fishing the Cumberland River
In my opinion, the Cumberland River is one of the best Trout Fisheries in the Eastern United States right now. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife has done a spectacular job of managing this fishery over the years and it never ceases to amaze me as to the quantity of quality trout that we catch each year in this watershed. The Cumberland is one of the hardest rivers to fish due to its large fluctuation in flow rates, so a good fly fishing guide is a great start to wrap your head around this amazing trout fishery. The primary hatches on the Cumberland River are Caddis, Blue Wing Olives, and Sulphurs. There is also a prolific Stone Fly population and what may be one of the best Terrestrial Bites you will see in the South. I guide this river out of my Lowe 1760 Jet boat. On any given day we may cover ten to twenty miles of river so if the fishing isn’t enough, I promise the boat ride will add to the adventure! If you want to fish one of the best kept secrets in South Central Kentucky please feel free to CONTACT ME!
Access Areas, Lodging and Dining
The Fly Fishing on the Cumberland is as good as it is for several reasons. The biggest is the location. Burkesville is the epicenter for fly fishing the Cumberland River. The 2022 Census reported a population of 1,420 people calling Burkesville, KY home. This is small town living at its finest. The most exciting things to do in Burkesville are enjoying the area lakes, Dale Hollow and Lake Cumberland or playing a round of golf at Dale Hollow State Park. Burkesville also hosts an annual Bluegrass Festival and every year they put on River Festivus which offers a five 5-K road race as well as a Trout fishing tournament. If you want to see more about places to stay , eat or access the Cumberland River in or around Burkesville, just CLICK the map to the left.