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Home › Waters › Kentucky › South Elkhorn Creek
Spring creek · Fayette and Woodford counties, Kentucky, the Inner Bluegrass limestone country west of Lexington · Kentucky

South Elkhorn Creek Fishing Guides

A Bluegrass limestone creek running out of the springs west of Lexington through horse farm country, and the upper arm of one of Kentucky's best smallmouth systems.

A river breaking over ledge rock between forested banks in the Appalachians

Map of the South Elkhorn Creek

22 numbered points: 1 access point, 1 campsite, 1 outfitter, 18 bridges, 1 USGS gauge. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Oct 23, 2026.

Printable version →
  • Access / boat ramp (1)
  • Campsite (1)
  • Outfitter / canoe rental (1)
  • Bridge crossing (18)
  • USGS gauge (1)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Points are curated from OpenStreetMap and state agency sources; confirm access and hours before you go.

Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.

Open the printable map
All 22 points on this map
#PointTypeLat, LonNotes
1Old Versailles Road
Residential crossing		Bridge crossing38.04224, -84.62539
2Versailles Road (US 60)
Twin trunk spans; one is mapped here		Bridge crossing38.04264, -84.62604US 60 crosses on two parallel spans about 14 m apart; only the upstream one is on the sheet.
3USGS streamgauge
Live stage and discharge		USGS gauge38.04313, -84.62633Roster coordinate; USGS 03289000, South Elkhorn Creek at Fort Spring.
4Bosworth Lane
Lane crossing		Bridge crossing38.06105, -84.63061
5Elkchester Road
Road crossing		Bridge crossing38.06668, -84.62843
6Paynes Mill Road
Residential crossing		Bridge crossing38.08043, -84.63958
7Old Frankfort Pike (KY 1681)
State secondary crossing		Bridge crossing38.10330, -84.64118
8Browns Mill Road (upper)
First of two crossings on the same road		Bridge crossing38.10888, -84.63373Browns Mill Road crosses twice, about 1.2 km apart; both are on the sheet.
9Browns Mill Road (lower)
Second of two crossings on the same road		Bridge crossing38.11175, -84.63278
10South Weisenberger Mill Road
Residential crossing		Bridge crossing38.11622, -84.64298OSM spells this way "South Weinsenberger Mill Road"; the corrected spelling is printed.
11Kayaking the Midway
Canoe and kayak livery put-in at Midway		Access / boat ramp38.12162, -84.64035The only put-in mapped on South Elkhorn. OSM tags it leisure=slipway; it is a commercial livery, so hours, fees and shuttles are not confirmed here.
12South Weisenberger Mill Road
Residential crossing		Bridge crossing38.12594, -84.63827
13Weisenberger Mill Road
Crossing at the historic mill		Bridge crossing38.12812, -84.63686
14Leestown Road (US 62 / US 421)
Primary crossing		Bridge crossing38.14132, -84.64513
15Moores Mill Road
Lane crossing		Bridge crossing38.16030, -84.64394
16Interstate 64
Twin motorway spans; one is mapped here		Bridge crossing38.16087, -84.64429I 64 crosses on two parallel spans about 26 m apart; only one is on the sheet.
17Georgetown Road (KY 341)
State tertiary crossing		Bridge crossing38.17611, -84.66901
18Fishers Mill Road
Residential crossing		Bridge crossing38.17369, -84.70611
19Woodlake Road (KY 1685)
State secondary crossing		Bridge crossing38.18529, -84.73791
20Dick's Sporting Goods
General sporting goods, about 3 km off the creek		Outfitter / canoe rental38.17561, -84.82066No bait, tackle or fly shop is mapped anywhere on South Elkhorn. This is the nearest place to buy line and lures, and it is a big-box store, not a tackle shop.
21Elkhorn Campground
Private campground at the Forks of Elkhorn		Campsite38.21032, -84.80280Tagged tourism=caravan_site. It sits at the Forks, where South Elkhorn meets North Elkhorn to form Elkhorn Creek.
22Georgetown Road (US 460)
Crossing at the Forks of Elkhorn		Bridge crossing38.21509, -84.79875The lowest crossing on South Elkhorn; below it the stream is Elkhorn Creek.

Guides on the South Elkhorn Creek

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About the South Elkhorn Creek

South Elkhorn Creek rises in the springs and sinkholes of the Inner Bluegrass, a landscape built on limestone that lies close enough to the surface to shape everything above it. The same rock that gives the region its pastures and its horse farms gives the creek its character: alkaline water, heavy aquatic life, gravel and ledge bottom, and a baseflow that holds up through dry stretches better than a surface-fed stream would.

The creek runs west and north from the edge of Lexington, dropping through a series of short falls and long pools before joining North Elkhorn to form Elkhorn Creek proper. Elkhorn is widely regarded as one of the best smallmouth streams in Kentucky, and the South Fork is where a good deal of that fishery is produced. The water here is smaller and more intimate than the main stem, wadeable through most of its length, and it rewards anglers willing to move.

Smallmouth are the reason to come. They hold on the ledge drops, the current seams below the riffles and the shaded rock banks, and they are aggressive in a way that suits small topwater plugs and crayfish patterns. Rock bass share the same water and are abundant enough to be a genuine part of the day. Longear sunfish colour the shallows, and channel catfish work the deeper pools after dark.

Land ownership is the central practical issue. This is farm country, much of it in large private holdings, and the creek runs through pasture and horse operations for long stretches. Kentucky law allows fishing from a boat on navigable water, but wading access generally requires permission or a public road crossing, and asking first is both the legal and the sensible course. Public frontage exists at bridges and a few parks.

The creek is small enough that rainfall moves it quickly. It stains after a storm and clears within a day or two, and summer low water concentrates fish in the deeper ledge pools where they can be sight fished in good light. Spring and fall carry the most reliable conditions and the most active fish.

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5. What we may do

We choose which photos to publish and may decline any submission without giving a reason. We may crop, resize, sharpen or colour-correct a photo for display, and we may remove a photo at any time. We will not alter a photo in a way that misrepresents the fish, the water or you.

6. Your details

We keep your name, email address, the credit name, the water and date you gave us, and the network address the submission came from, with the submission record, as our evidence of this license. We hold that record for as long as the photo is published and for the retention period described in our privacy policy. Location data that your camera or phone embedded in the file is removed before the photo is published.

7. Versions

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Posting to South Elkhorn Creek.

JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 12 MB. We resize it and strip the location data out of the file.

The name shown under the photo. Leave blank to stay anonymous.

Reader photo license v1.0 — the short version:

  • You grant Guided Floats, LLC a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publish, resize and crop your photo on guidedfloats.com and in GuidedFloats’ own social posts and apps. You keep the copyright and can use the photo anywhere else.
  • You confirm that you took the photo yourself, that publishing it does not infringe anyone else’s rights, and that anyone recognisable in it (or a parent or guardian, if they are under 18) is happy for it to appear here.
  • Credit is printed beside the photo wherever it appears on the site, using the credit name you give us. Leave it blank and we use your name; write “Anonymous” for no name. Your email address is never published.
  • Withdrawing is one email to hello@guidedfloats.com naming the photo. It comes off the site within 7 days.
Read the full license

Version 1.0, dated 6 September 2026. Applies to every photograph submitted to GuidedFloats through the contact form, a species page, or the community board.

1. What you give us

By ticking the box on the form you grant Guided Floats, LLC (“GuidedFloats”, “we”) a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, copy, resize, crop and display your photograph on guidedfloats.com, in GuidedFloats’ own social media accounts and mobile apps, and in material that promotes the site itself, in connection with the fish, water or community feature you sent it in for. The license lasts until you withdraw it (section 4).

You keep the copyright. The license is not exclusive, so you can use the photo anywhere else and license it to anyone else. We will not sell your photo, license it on to anyone else on its own, or use it in paid advertising for a third party.

2. What you confirm

You confirm that you took the photograph yourself (or otherwise own the rights to it), that you have the right to grant this license, and that publishing the photo does not infringe anyone else’s copyright, privacy or other rights.

If any person is recognisable in the photo, you confirm that they have agreed to its being published here, and that a parent or guardian has agreed on behalf of anyone under 18. Please do not send photographs of other people’s catches, screenshots, or pictures copied from other websites or social media.

3. Credit

We print the credit name you give us beside the photo wherever it appears on the site, and record it as the photo’s creator in the page’s structured data. If you leave the credit blank we use the name you gave us on the form. Write “Anonymous” if you prefer no name at all. Your email address, phone number and the exact spot the photo was taken are never published.

4. Withdrawing the license

You can withdraw the license at any time by emailing hello@guidedfloats.com, or by using the contact form, and telling us which photo you mean. We will remove the photo from guidedfloats.com within 7 days of receiving your message and stop using it in anything new. Copies that are already outside our control — search-engine caches, social posts that have already gone out, printed material already produced — may take longer to disappear or may not be recallable, and we are not responsible for those.

5. What we may do

We choose which photos to publish and may decline any submission without giving a reason. We may crop, resize, sharpen or colour-correct a photo for display, and we may remove a photo at any time. We will not alter a photo in a way that misrepresents the fish, the water or you.

6. Your details

We keep your name, email address, the credit name, the water and date you gave us, and the network address the submission came from, with the submission record, as our evidence of this license. We hold that record for as long as the photo is published and for the retention period described in our privacy policy. Location data that your camera or phone embedded in the file is removed before the photo is published.

7. Versions

The version of this license you accepted is stored with your submission and printed with the photo. A later version does not apply to a photo you have already sent unless you agree to it.

Flow alert

Tell me when the South Elkhorn Creek cfs

Now: 0.7 cfs, read 6:25 am CST, Mon Nov 2, 2026 (USGS 03289000, SOUTH ELKHORN CREEK AT FORT SPRING, KY).

We never use this address for anything else and never share it. See the privacy policy.

Access

Fort Spring - the small community the gauge is named for, on the upper creek.
Lexington - the city at the head of the drainage, with full services and the nearest airport.
Versailles - the Woodford County town near the middle reaches.
Midway - the village between the forks, a common reference point.
Elkhorn Creek - the larger stream formed where the South and North forks meet.
Kentucky River - the river receiving Elkhorn Creek downstream.
County road bridge crossings - the practical public entry points along the creek.

Seasons

Spring: high fertile water and the most aggressive smallmouth fishing of the year.
Summer: low clear water concentrates fish in the ledge pools and rewards early starts.
Fall: cooling temperatures and steady flows make for the most consistent conditions.
Winter: cold and clear, with fish holding deep and slow in the larger pools.

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Questions

What is the current flow on the South Elkhorn Creek?

As of Nov 2, 6:25 am, the USGS gauge SOUTH ELKHORN CREEK AT FORT SPRING, KY reads 1 cfs, with water temperature 56.5 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.

What species can you catch on the South Elkhorn Creek?

Anglers target Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Longear Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass on the South Elkhorn Creek in Kentucky.

Where can you access the South Elkhorn Creek?

Fort Spring - the small community the gauge is named for, on the upper creek. Lexington - the city at the head of the drainage, with full services and the nearest airport. Versailles - the Woodford County town near the middle reaches. Midway - the village between the forks, a common reference point. Elkhorn Creek - the larger stream formed where the South and North forks meet. Kentucky River - the river receiving Elkhorn Creek downstream. County road bridge crossings - the practical public entry points along the creek.

When is the best time to fish the South Elkhorn Creek?

Spring: high fertile water and the most aggressive smallmouth fishing of the year. Summer: low clear water concentrates fish in the ledge pools and rewards early starts. Fall: cooling temperatures and steady flows make for the most consistent conditions. Winter: cold and clear, with fish holding deep and slow in the larger pools.

Where are the fishing regulations for the South Elkhorn Creek?

Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Kentucky agency site: https://fw.ky.gov/FishBoatGuide/Pages/default.aspx