Licking River Fishing Spot

• Elevation: 458'
• Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/09/09 12:57 PM
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The Licking River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 320 mi (515 km) long in northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the Kentucky River to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east. It rises in the Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky, in southeastern Magoffin County. It flows northwest in a highly meandering course past Salyersville and West Liberty. In Rowan County in the Daniel Boone National Forest it is impounded to form the large Cave Run Lake reservoir. Northwest of the reservoir it receives Fleming Creek approximately 8 mi (13 km) northwest of Carlisle and flows across the Bluegrass region of northern Kentucky. It receives the North Fork from the east approximately 10 mi (16 km) northwest of Mount Olivet and the South Fork from the south at Falmouth. It joins the Ohio opposite Cincinnati, Ohio, where it separates the cities of Covington and Newport. The river was used as the south-western border of the original Mason County and is the southwest border of Fleming and Rowan counties today. The river is considered by ecologists to provide a unique ecosystem in the region. The lower river is considered to be a rare example of a native muskie stream. The river basin also supports several unique fish species including: redside dace, mimic shiner, streamline chub, slender madtom, blue sucker, paddlefish, and eastern sand. There are also more than 50 species of mussels, of which 11 are endangered. The watershed provides wetland stopover habitats for about 250 species of migratory birds, which is considered to be an unusually high number. Several state and federal agencies, as well as private organizations such as The Nature Conservancy have sought to protect the diversity of habitat in the region. The largest common carp ever taken in the state of Kentucky (54 lbs., 14 oz.) was caught in the South Fork of Licking River.

The Licking River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 320 mi (515 km) long in northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the Kentucky River to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east.