Water temp
72.9°F
USGS 03400798 updated 9:30 AM
Waters · Lakes · KY · Wed, Sep 30
Martins Fork Lake water level today 1310.68 ft, falling
Bite index 5/10 — Picky — get there by six.
Work for it.
5/10
Picky
Today's bite windows
12 AM6 AMNoon6 PM11 PM
10Peak 9 8Strong 7 6Good 5 4Slow 3 2 1Dead
Major
3:20 AM–5:20 AM
Moon overhead
Minor
11:28 AM–12:28 PM
Moonset
Major
3:49 PM–5:49 PM
Moon underfoot
Minor
9:06 PM–10:06 PM
Moonrise
Sunrise 7:27 AM · sunset 7:17 PM · tomorrow's first major 4:20 AM–6:20 AM · windows on every water
Solunar · computed updated 10:31 AM
Conditions right now
Water level
1310.68ft
-0.78 ft in 24h
USGS 03400798 updated 9:30 AM
Pressure
30.18inHg
rising fast · +3 hPa/12h
NOAA K0VG updated 10:15 AM
Moon
81% waning
Solunar · computed updated 10:31 AM
What this means
Largemouth bass
73°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Crappie
73°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Catfish
73°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Martins Fork Lake level over the last 8 days
1310.68 ft down 0.78 ft in 24 hours
That sits 20% of the way up the band it has held over the last 8 days, between 1310.1 and 1313 ft. Over the week it is up0.29ft.
09-22 1310.10–1313.00 ft 09-30
USGS 03400798 updated 9:30 AM
The week ahead
| Thu | 7 | Biting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 7 | Biting | |
| Sat | 7 | Biting | |
| Sun | 7 | Biting | |
| Mon | 6 | Biting | |
| Tue | 6 | Biting | |
| Wed | 7 | Biting |
Forecast days carry solunar and the wind outlook. Pressure and gauge movement land the morning of.
Martins Fork Lake boat ramps and public fishing access
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources lists 2 public access points on Martins Fork Lake.
- Martins Fork Lake Fishing Pier 0.9 miParking: PavedParking capacity: 25 or LessFee: No
- Martins Fork Lake Ramp 1.0 miRamp surface: PavedLaunch lanes: SingleParking: PavedParking capacity: 25 or LessCourtesy dock: YesRestrooms: Year-Round All-HoursCamping: Year-Round All-HoursFee: No
Access data from Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Distances are straight-line from our gauge, not driving distance.
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · public access inventory
Before you go
A Kentucky fishing license covers this water — $24.31 a year for residents. KDFWR sets the rules and is the one that counts.
What it costs, and who is exempt →Nearby waters today
- 5 Picky Carr Creek Lake KY · 57 km
- 4 Picky Cherokee Lake TN · 68 km
- 5 Picky Buckhorn Lake KY · 68 km
- 5 Picky Nolin Lake KY · 272 km
- 4 Picky Montauk NY · 1087 km
Questions people ask about Martins Fork Lake
Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Martins Fork Lake.
- Is it worth fishing Martins Fork Lake today?
- 5 out of 10 — picky. Work for it. The strongest stretch is 3:20 AM–5:20 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level and the water temperature.
- What time should you fish Martins Fork Lake?
- Today's major windows run 3:20 AM–5:20 AM and 3:49 PM–5:49 PM, with minor windows at 11:28 AM–12:28 PM and 9:06 PM–10:06 PM. Sunrise is 7:27 AM and sunset 7:17 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.
- What is the water temperature at Martins Fork Lake?
- 72.9°F, read at 9:30 AM from USGS station 03400798. That is 0.1 degrees warmer than 24 hours ago.
- What is the water level at Martins Fork Lake right now?
- 1310.68 ft, read at 9:30 AM from USGS station 03400798. Over 24 hours it is down 0.78 ft.
- Are water levels rising or falling at Martins Fork Lake?
- Rising. The lake is down 0.78 ft in 24 hours and up 0.29 ft over the week. Over the last 8 days it has held between 1310.1 and 1313 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.
- Can you eat the fish you catch in Martins Fork Lake?
- That is a health question and it belongs with the state, not with us. KY publishes fish consumption advisories through its health or environmental agency, and those are the ones that count. We give no eating advice.
- Do you need a licence to fish Martins Fork Lake?
- Yes. A Kentucky fishing license covers this water, required from age 16. KDFWR sets the rules and is the one that counts.
Where these numbers come from
- Solunar computed 10:31 AM
- NOAA K0VG Lee County Airport 10:15 AM
- NOAA JKL gridded forecast 7:29 AM
- USGS 03400798 MARTINS FORK LK AT MARTINS FK DAM NR SMITH, KY 9:30 AM
The smaller of the two Kentucky lakes here whose gauge carries water temperature alongside the pool level. A Corps of Engineers reservoir at Martins Fork Dam near Smith.
No one types these in by hand. If a source goes quiet, the page says so instead of showing you yesterday.