Rockcastle River Fishing Spot

• Elevation: 721'
• Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/09/09 03:46 PM
• Ask about Rockcastle River in our Fishing Forums

KY 192 W of London to Rockcastle River bridge. The Rockcastle River watershed is in southeastern Kentucky and covers part of five counties: Laurel. Jackson, Rockcastle, Clay and Pulaski. The Rockcastle is classified by the Kentucky Division of Water as both a High Quality Water and an Outstanding Resource Water, having many tributaries. Some of them flow through the towns of London, McKee, Livingston and Mt. Vernon, crossing under I-75 and paralleling US 25 and a hundred other roads. Many of the tributaries like Horse Lick Creek, Crooked Creek or Raccoon Creek are relatively isolated and have historic and colorful pasts. The relatively clean water found in the Rockcastle allows it to host a diverse fish and mollusk fauna including several federally listed species. Water quality problems do exist in the form of excess siltation due to mining and poor farming and logging practices. The Rockcastle River was once a tributary to the Cumberland River, but now Lake Cumberland begins at the confluence of the Rockcastle and Cumberland Rivers.

The Rockcastle River is a river primarily in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. In 1750 it was discovered and named the Lawless River by Dr. Thomas Walker and his exploring party. It was soon renamed for its castle-like rock formations by hunter Isaac Lindsey. It is about 60 to 80 feet wide throughout its length. The river has an important native walleye population that has stabilized in recent years. This river is the ultimate whitewater canoe river in Kentucky despite the Cumberland's claim to such. A trip down the lower Rockcastle is one of the most remote trips into the Appalachian wilderness you can have without hiking the Appalachian Trail.