Fishing at Hatchery Creek
Human-made stream offers conservation habitat
SINCE ITS OPENING IN 2015, the Hatchery Creek project at Wolf Creek Dam in Jamestown has provided conservation habitat and outdoor opportunities for the public.
A human-made stream, Hatchery Creek flows for more than a mile from the cold-water discharge at the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, where more than a million trout are produced each year. The rainbow, brook and brown trout raised at the hatchery are destined for streams and lakes throughout Kentucky, including Hatchery Creek, which is stocked several times a week and offers year-round fishing.
The creek was created by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to address severe erosion that was depositing sediment in the Cumberland River and threatening damage to the nearby Kendall Campground. The resulting Hatchery Creek diverted waterflow to address erosion, created aquatic habitat and provided new fishing opportunities.
Hatchery Creek has two sections. The first begins at the hatchery outflow and continues 400 feet to a waterfall. Anglers fishing in this upper section are allowed to keep up to five trout of any species, with no size limit. All anglers 16 and older are required to have a fishing license and trout stamp. The park-like upper section of Hatchery Creek offers wheelchair-accessible parking, bathrooms and a concrete pad for fishing.
The creek’s lower section—below the first waterfall—has been kept as natural as possible. The ripples and runs of the meandering water help you forget the stream is human-made. Boulders, logs and gravel bars were strategically placed, not only to create a natural and scenic fishery, but also to provide places that trout like to live. Whether in Montana or right here in Kentucky, successful anglers know where the trout like to hide. Logs and boulders create eddies and lies—areas where trout sit ready to ambush anything that comes near them, like your lure or fly.
Additional rules apply to the lower section of Hatchery Creek. Anglers must release all of the fish they catch, and can use only artificial lures or flies—no live bait. This area offers anglers an opportunity to catch trophy trout, from 20-inch rainbows to 24-inch brown trout. The creek’s lower section flows into the Cumberland River, where trout thrive. Trout migrate up Hatchery Creek and take refuge in eddies behind logs and boulders, adding one natural aspect to an artificial stream.
If you visit the creek, call in advance to schedule a tour at Wolf Creek Hatchery. Tours highlight the science and dedication that go into raising trout while also educating visitors on conservation, trout life cycle and environmental issues.
