Cranks Creek Lake
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout water; one stocking on the 2026 record, in October.
Harlan County · Kentucky · see it on the national map
Water temp 66 °F at MARTINS FORK LK AT MARTINS FK DAM NR SMITH, KY, 1 km away USGS site 03400798 · read 8:30 pm this evening
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 1,000 | completed |
When to fish Cranks Creek Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:11 am-12:11 pm and 10:33 pm-12:33 am | 4:27-5:27 am and 4:44-5:44 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:57 am-12:57 pm | 5:33-6:33 am and 5:11-6:11 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked yesterday
- Water 66 °F at a gauge 1 km away
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Kentucky fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 1 time here in 2026, moving water)
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
| Waders or wet-wading boots | stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Hardy Creek VA | 6.9 mi | Oct 8 |
| North Fork Powell River VA | 15 mi | Oct 2 |
| Station Creek TN | 22 mi | Apr 12 |
| Looney Creek | 22 mi | Oct 22 |
| Indian Creek TN | 23 mi | Apr 12 |
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