Kentuck Lake

Kentuck Lake

Size
1,000ac
Boat Launch
Yes
Carry-in Launch
No
Toilet
No
Boat Dock
No
Species in Kentuck Lake
Crappie
Crappie
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Muskellunge
Muskellunge
Bluegill
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Pumpkinseed
Rock bass
Rock bass
Walleye
Walleye
Perch
Perch
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
Northern pike
Northern pike
Brook trout
Brook trout

Overview

Quality muskie, above average bass, muskie, perch and crappie featured.

Kentuck Lake Map

Fishing Regulations

Special Fishing regulations: This lake has special fishing regulations that differ from statewide or border water regulations for those species identified below and take precedence. Regulations listed below are currently in place. Visit the fishing regulations page for links to upcoming regulations for specific lakes.

Special Waterbody Regulations

  • This lake may be in more than 1 county. Follow the trolling regulations for the county in which you are fishing. A list of counties and waters that allow motor trolling with 3 hooks, baits, or lures per angler can be found at http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/questions/troll.html. All other waters allow motor trolling with 1 hook, bait or lure per angler, and no more than 2 hooks, baits, or lures per boat.

Special Species Regulations

  • Smallmouth bass: May 3, 2025 to June 20, 2025: Fish may not be harvested (catch and release only)
  • Paddlefish: Closed. No fishing allowed.
  • Rock, Yellow, and White Bass: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
  • Rough fish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
  • Round goby: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
  • Ruffe: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
  • Shovelnose sturgeon: Closed. No fishing allowed.
  • Trout and salmon: See Trout regulations layer.
  • White perch: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
  • Bluegill: See Panfish.
  • Bowfin: See Rough Fish.
  • Channel catfish: See Catfish.
  • Crappies: See Panfish.
  • Flathead catfish: See Catfish.
  • Hybrid, Striped, Yellow, and White Bass: See Rock, Yellow and White Bass.
  • Longnose gar: See Rough Fish.
  • Sauger and hybrids: See Walleye, Sauger, and Hybrids.
  • Shortnose gar: See Rough Fish.
  • Urban waters gamefish: This waterbody is not considered an urban water, Urban Waters Gamefish regulations do not apply.
  • Walleye: See Walleye, Sauger, and Hybrids.
  • Panfish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 25, 25 panfish may be kept, but only 10 of any one species
  • Walleye, Saugers, and Hybrids: May 3, 2025 to March 1, 2026: The minimum length is 15”, but walleye, sauger, and hybrids from 20” to 24” may not be kept, and only 1 fish over 24” is allowed. The daily bag limit is 3
  • Bullheads: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
  • Catfish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10
  • Cisco and whitefish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10
  • Lake sturgeon: Closed. No fishing allowed.
  • Muskellunge and hybrids: May 24, 2025 to December 31, 2025: The minimum length limit is 40” and the daily bag limit is 1
  • Northern pike: May 3, 2025 to March 1, 2026: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 5
  • Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: June 21, 2025 to March 1, 2026: The minimum length limit is 18” and the daily bag limit is 1
  • Largemouth bass: May 3, 2025 to June 20, 2025: The minimum length limit is 18” and the daily bag limit is 1

Features

Kentuck Lake is a smaller lake that is located in Vilas/Forest County 12 miles to the east of Eagle River. This lake provides an excellent opportunity and has a good reputation for producing a fair number of mid-sized muskie in the 40 to 46 inch range. With its quality beds of vegetation the lake also provides good fishing for anglers interested in other species such as walleye, bass or even some nice sized perch. Kentuck Lake has a great musky fishery with a decent number of fish from 40 to 46 inches taken by anglers. In a recent creel survey done by the DNR a large number of fish recorded ranged in size from 36 to 44 inches. Kentuck has the potential to produce muskie in the 50-inch range if given more conservative protection than a 40-inch size limit. A few fish around 47 to 49 inches do swim in this lake but aren’t as prevalent. Fall offers the best opportunities to catch larger size fish. Kentuck Lake offers a decent walleye fishery that has a lot of fish in the in the 12 to 14 inch range. In a recent creel survey that was conduct a fair number of walleye ranged in size from 15 to 19 inches with some over 20. The largest of the fish produced in the survey was a fish over 27 inches showing that the lake does have the potential to produce quality walleye. Since walleye numbers are up in recent years this has had an effect on the decline of the largemouth, smallmouth and crappie populations. There are still a fair number of bass in the 2 to 4 pound range with the potential to catch a bass over 5 pounds. Most crappie in the lake range in size from 9 to 11 inches but crappie that are 13 inches in size are taken.

Forage

White sucker and juvenile perch.

Seasonal Movements

Brook Trout will swim from Brule Creek down Kentuck Creek and into the lake for the winter. Muskie can be found spawning along the shallow bays near stream inlets and other flowing water. Spawning typically occurs at night between mid-April and late May.
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Fish Species

Bluegill
fish
5-13 in
Length Range
8 in
Length Range
2023
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Above Avg.
2023
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
1.3646
0Statewide Range26.8087

Kentuck Lake Bluegill abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2021
Sep
2023
Sep
Brook trout
fish
9-10 in
Length Range
10 in
Length Range
2021
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Unknown
2021
Surveyed
NA
Catch Method
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2007
Jun
2019
May
2021
May
Crappie
fish
5-13 in
Length Range
8 in
Length Range
2023
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Outlier
2023
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
1.6458
0Statewide Range1.11295

Kentuck Lake Crappie abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2021
Sep
2023
Sep
Largemouth bass
fish
5-13 in
Length Range
8 in
Length Range
2023
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Below Avg.
2023
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
0.0026
0Statewide Range0.09195

Kentuck Lake Largemouth bass abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2021
Sep
2023
Sep
Muskellunge
fish
28-45 in
Length Range
38 in
Length Range
2022
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
High
2022
Surveyed
Electro
Catch Method
2.1299
0Statewide Range6.56125

Kentuck Lake Muskellunge abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2021
Sep
2022
Sep
Trophy Potential
This lake has a history of supporting trophy sized muskellunge based on past surveys.
Survey YearLargest Fish (in)
201750
Northern pike
fish
No survey data
Abundance (CPUE)
No abundance data
Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
No Survey Data
Perch
fish
5-13 in
Length Range
8 in
Length Range
2023
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Above Avg.
2023
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
0.0469
0Statewide Range0.7271

Kentuck Lake Perch abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2021
Sep
2023
Sep
Pumpkinseed
fish
5-13 in
Length Range
8 in
Length Range
2023
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Outlier
2023
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
0.9323
0Statewide Range0.40725

Kentuck Lake Pumpkinseed abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2021
Sep
2023
Sep
Rock bass
fish
5-13 in
Length Range
8 in
Length Range
2023
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Outlier
2023
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
0.4844
0Statewide Range0.32635

Kentuck Lake Rock bass abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2021
Sep
2023
Sep
Smallmouth bass
fish
5-13 in
Length Range
8 in
Length Range
2023
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Outlier
2023
Surveyed
Trapnet
Catch Method
0.0521
0Statewide Range0.0443

Kentuck Lake Smallmouth bass abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2021
Sep
2023
Sep
Trophy Potential
This lake has a history of supporting trophy sized smallmouth-bass based on past surveys.
Survey YearLargest Fish (in)
202118
201919
201719
Walleye
fish
5-13 in
Length Range
8 in
Length Range
2023
Surveyed
Abundance (CPUE)
Low
2023
Surveyed
Electro
Catch Method
0.9602
0Statewide Range75.60845

Kentuck Lake Walleye abundance

Average range for similar lakes

Understanding Abundance

Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
Species Lengths
2022
Sep
2023
Sep
Trophy Potential
This lake has a history of supporting trophy sized walleye based on past surveys.
Survey YearLargest Fish (in)
202128
201729