Smallmouth, rock bass and channel cats, in water you can run in a kayak and wade when it drops. The whole creek works — the question is which segment fits the time you have.
The access points, downstream
| # | Access | Type | To next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMA on the Creek | Paddle only, fee, paved parking | 4.8 mi |
| 2 | Elkhorn Creek VPA #3 | Bank, wade and paddle; limited unpaved parking | 2.6 mi |
| 3 | American Whitewater | Boating only, no bank fishing | 1.3 mi |
| 4 | T.N. Sullivan WMA | Wade and bank; 0.2 mile walk from parking | 5.8 mi |
| 5 | Pfeiffer Hatchery | Wade and float; 7 a.m.–3 p.m. weekdays only | 3.5 mi |
| 6 | Still Waters | Boat ramp, fee, camping and rentals | — |
Float pairings
The mileages above are the useful part. Turned into runs:
| Run | Miles | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| 3 → 4 | 1.3 | Short. Wade-and-drift, or a first look at the creek. |
| 2 → 3 | 2.6 | Half morning. Gorge water, Class II. |
| 5 → 6 | 3.5 | Half day on the lower creek, ramp take-out at the end. |
| 2 → 4 | 3.9 | The gorge plus the run out. Best full-day float on the creek. |
| 1 → 2 | 4.8 | Full day if you fish it properly. |
| 4 → 5 | 5.8 | Longest single leg. Start early — the hatchery gate closes at 3. |
The low-head dam is gone
The Jim Beam Distillery low-head dam was removed in summer 2021. Older guidebooks, forum threads and float descriptions still list it as a mandatory portage. It is not there.
What replaced it as the thing to watch is strainers. The channel is wide and usually clear, but wood moves after every high-water event, and a creek that holds flow well is a creek that rearranges itself regularly.
Reading the gauge
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| Below 2.5 ft | Skinny. Wade water. Expect to drag through the shallow riffles. |
| 2.5–4.0 ft | The published fishable window. Floatable throughout. |
| Above 4.0 ft | Pushy and stained. Class II becomes consequential. |
Elkhorn drains a large area, so it holds flow longer after rain than most creeks its size. That is worth knowing when everything else in central Kentucky has dropped out and you still want to float something.
The gorge run
| Put-in | Forks of Elkhorn bridge, US 460 |
| Take-out | Elkhorn Acres, below Knight's Bridge, KY 1900 |
| Distance | 7.6 miles · Class II with occasional Class III |
| Gradient | 10 feet per mile |
| Minimum flow | Above 114 cfs |
Sources: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources — Elkhorn Creek, for access sites, segment distances, species and the fishable flow range. American Whitewater — Elkhorn Gorge, for the gorge run, gradient, minimum flow and the 2021 dam removal. Check the USGS Elkhorn Creek near Frankfort gauge before travelling.