Waters · Lakes · KY · Tue, Aug 18

How's the bite at Martins Fork Lake today? Biting — get there by six.

Worth a cast.

7/10
Biting

Today's bite windows

12 AM6 AMNoon6 PM11 PM
Major
4:55 AM–6:55 AM
Moon underfoot
Minor
12:40 PM–1:40 PM
Moonrise
Major
5:18 PM–7:18 PM
Moon overhead
Minor
10:49 PM–11:49 PM
Moonset

Sunrise 6:52 AM · sunset 8:20 PM · tomorrow's first major 5:41 AM–7:41 AM · windows on every water

Solunar · computed updated 4:24 AM

Conditions right now

Water temp
76.6°F
USGS 03400798 updated 3:30 AM
Water level
1309.99ft
-0.04 ft in 24h
USGS 03400798 updated 3:30 AM
Pressure
30.03inHg
rising · +2.7 hPa/12h
NOAA K0VG updated 3:55 AM
Moon
36% waxing
Solunar · computed updated 4:24 AM

What this means

Largemouth bass
77°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.
Crappie
77°F is above the comfortable band. Fish deep water and the first hour of light.
Work deep.
Catfish
77°F sits in the sweet spot. Work the first few feet early.
Work shallow to mid.

Martins Fork Lake water level today

1309.99 ft down 0.04 ft in 24 hours

That sits 16% of the way up the band it has held over the last 8 days, between 1309.83 and 1310.8 ft. Over the week it is down0.00ft.

08-10 1309.83–1310.80 ft 08-18
USGS 03400798 updated 3:30 AM

The week ahead

Wed 7 Biting
Thu 7 Biting
Fri 7 Biting
Sat 7 Biting
Sun 6 Biting
Mon 7 Biting
Tue 7 Biting

Forecast days carry solunar and the wind outlook. Pressure and gauge movement land the morning of.

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

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?
7 out of 10 — biting. Worth a cast. The strongest stretch is 4:55 AM–6:55 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 4:55 AM–6:55 AM and 5:18 PM–7:18 PM, with minor windows at 12:40 PM–1:40 PM and 10:49 PM–11:49 PM. Sunrise is 6:52 AM and sunset 8:20 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?
76.6°F, read at 3:30 AM from USGS station 03400798. That is 1.0 degrees cooler than 24 hours ago.
What is the water level at Martins Fork Lake right now?
1309.99 ft, read at 3:30 AM from USGS station 03400798. Over 24 hours it is down 0.04 ft.
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.

What a Kentucky license costs, and who is exempt

Where these numbers come from

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.