Elkhorn Creek

by John Kirkland 

Both branches of the Elkhorn offer exceptional smallmouth and  panfishing. The trick, like any waterbody, is knowing when to go, where  to access, and how to get there.  The South Fork of the Elkhorn Creek  runs from southern Fayette, Woodford, and Scott counties before joining  the North Fork at Forks of the Elkhorn in Franklin County. The North  fork runs through Northern Fayette, Bourbon, Scott and Franklin  Counties.   Having grown up in Lexington, I knew that the Elkhorn  existed, but had never considered fishing there.  It wasn’t until I was  in my 30s that I decided to check it out.  I couldn’t believe that I had  missed the Elkhorn my entire life; beautiful, serene, and so near by.

There are many places to access the creek,  whether by foot, wading, float-tubing, kayak, canoe, or motor boat.  A  couple of spots, such as Great Crossings, off 227 West of Georgetown,  offer a park-like setting with parking, picnic tables, port-a-potty, and  well-defined bank access that is largely wheelchair accessible. The  park, situated at a low-head dam, has a small, free boat ramp above the  dam.  Below are rocks and a bank where people can fish the boil from the  edge, or wade into the stream further down.  Take 460 (Main St.) west  out of town about two miles, then right on 227.  There are signs to  guide you.

Great Crossings, on the North Fork, is easy to get to and easy to  park.  As such, it is popular with locals, and is frequently crowded on  nice weekends from April to November, when the sun is out and  temperatures are decent.  I wouldn’t say the fishing there is  excellent—it is over-fished—but there are fish caught there, and if  you’re willing to get wet, you can wade to less-populated spots.  I once  saw a 10 year old boy battle a 20-pound carp. He landed it, offered it  to others fishing in the area, then threw it back finding no takers. His  rig: a Zebco combo and a piece of bread.

Of course, when the rains have been heavy, the waters rise. At times,  the area is a raging, muddy torrent.  Fishing these conditions is  pointless, and the water can be dangerous.  Kayakers take to the high  waters in the spring and late fall; canoes and float tubes are common in  the summer months.  In the drier periods from June to October, the  creek offers great wading, with many stretches no more than knee deep.

One spot, Fishers Mill, lies just west of Midway, on the South Fork.   Take 421 west from Midway, turn right on Fishers Mill Rd, about a mile  or so from town.  Half a mile down, you come to a bridge, which is  marked “Fishers Mill”.  There is no formal parking, but the right of way  is fairly generous—park off the side of the road.  You may see other  vehicles parked there.  Access to the creek is via a rough trail heading  next to the bridge, on the southwest corner of the bridge.  You will  step right into the water here, there is no beach or landing.  The first  riffle is the most treacherous.  You can move either upstream or down; both directions offer smallmouth, rock bass, sunfish, and other creek  species.

The best luck I’ve had at Fishers Mill has been floating a live crawdad, hooked once through the mid section.  Of course, this requires  catching crawdads, which is relatively easy in the shallow riffle just downstream from the bridge.  A small net helps tremendously in this  pursuit, but the task can be done entirely by hand.  Locate a medium  sized, fully submerged rock in the shallows (partially submerged rocks  at the edge may hold crawdads, but also often hold copperheads and other  snakes).  You’ll see the crawdads moving around the area.  Very slowly,  turn the rock over—wait for the dust to settle.  There might be a  crawdad staring at you.  Carefully, gently position one hand behind, and  one over top the creature, then suddenly grab with both hands.  It is  easiest when you push them straight down into the sand, then grab them  squarely by the carapace (head).  For fishing, you will need to pinch  off the claws—careful not to get pinched (they may be small, but they  definitely know how to pinch). Hook once between the head and tail.  I  find that the technique works best when you don’t add a sinker; it tends  to hang up in the rocks. To fish, cast into a moving stream, and let it  drift into a pool. Then hold on—smallmouth love this presentation, as  do rock bass and the occasional panfish.  Medium sized craws tend to be  best (about the length/width of your pinky or smaller). The small ones  tend to come off easily, and the large ones are hard for the fish to  eat.

I also have luck with yellow or chartreuse roostertails, small creek  minnow crankbaits, and live minnows or red worms.  Float the live baits,  and try casting the lures across the pools or near the grassy shoals.

An entire book could be written about fishing the Elkhorn—these are  just a couple of ideas for someone new to the area or new to creek  fishing to try.  I’ll post other reports on various spots on the Elkhorn  and other creeks in Central Kentucky, going forward.