Small stream trout in the bluegrass
_________________________________________________________________________
Sponsored By
And
________________________________________________________________________
On The Fly Freshwater
March 2026
Article and photos by Jimmy Jacobs
In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, most of the attention around trout fishing centers on its number of tailwater fisheries. Foremost among those is the world-class action on the Cumberland River downstream of Wolf Creek Dam. But the Bluegrass State has 13 other tailwater sections as well. Additionally, 14 streams in Kentucky now are managed under delayed-harvest regulations. Those two classifications compose the bulk of the state’s trout water, and get most of the publicity.
On the other hand, there are more than two dozen other flowing waters that tend to get overlooked. These are streams that are stocked either as put-grow-and-take or put-and-take fisheries. In some instances, these creeks are in less accessible areas that offer some interesting angling. One such, stream is Craney Creek.
Craney Creek is a tributary of the North Fork Licking River, due south of the city of Morehead. The creek’s entire length is contained in Rowan County from where it rises near Elliotville until it enters the North Fork upstream of Cave Run Lake. Additionally, the stocked area on the creek lies within the northern reaches of the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Along its course Craney is composed of broad, shallow, sandy riffles emptying into deeper pools. Near its mouth it becomes a rather slow-moving bottomland flow. Access to the creek is available by parking the a gate where Forest Service Road 947 fords the creek. From there, only foot traffic is allowed upstream.
Craney Creek is stocked with only catchable-sized rainbow trout by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Two releases take place with the first in October and the other in November each year. A total of 1,400 fish are planted in the stream.
Most of the stream in the 1.2 miles of stock water is open enough for limited fly casting. The fact that it requires walking in and is basically a fall to spring fishery tends to limit the number of anglers on the creek.
Moving upstream from the gate, you first pass through Shop Hollow, then Black Cave Hollow, before reaching the mouth of Minor Creek on the east side. Farther up Slabcamp Creek enters from the northwest, marking the end of trout water. It is interesting to note that both of those tributaries once received brown trout fingerlings on a put-grow-and-take basis, but now they are no longer stocked.
To reach Craney Creek, take KY 519 south from Morehead for 9.5 miles. Turn left onto what is marked on Google Maps as Tunnel Road, but also Paragon-Craney Road. Follow that road for 4.8 miles as it runs along the shore of Cave Run Lake. At the end of the pavement, continue onto FS 947 to the parking area at the site of the gate.
Be aware that Paragon-Craney Road is just feet above the high-water mark of Cave Run Lake, and could be flooded during periods of heavy rain. It is best to check on the area weather conditions prior to heading out.
