Indiana vs Kentucky fishing license
For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Kentucky is $5 cheaper than Indiana. You need a license from age 18 in Indiana and from 16 in Kentucky.
- Free
- Official sources first
- Checked monthly
- Independent, not a state website
What visitors pay
Cheapest way for an adult non-resident to cover the trip, including required stamps, worked out from each state's price list. The cheaper state is marked.
| Trip | Indiana | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $15 | $15 |
| 3 days | $35 | $35 |
| 7 days | $35 | $35 |
| 1 year | $60 | $55 |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $23 | $23 |
| Prices for | 2026-27 | 2026-27 |
Rules side by side
| Indiana | Kentucky | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 18 | 16 |
| Senior residents | Resident senior annual fishing license: $3 (ages 64+) Resident senior fish-for-life license: $23 (ages 64+) | Senior sportsman's license (residents 65 and over): $12 (ages 65+) Senior lifetime sportsman's license (residents 65 and over): $180 (ages 65+) |
| Senior visitors | Normal visitor prices | Normal visitor prices |
| Required stamps | None | None |
| Next free fishing day | Not yet announced | Jun 5–6, 2027 Not yet announced |
| On a charter | It depends on the boat and where you fish | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license |
| License on your phone | Accepted | – |
| Annual licenses last | To 03-31 | To 02-28 |
| Last checked | Nov 5, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Indiana fishing license · Kentucky fishing license
Shared waters
Ohio River (Kentucky) (Indiana rules)
Indiana and Kentucky recognize each other's fishing licenses on the main stem of the Ohio River, bank to bank. This does not apply to embayments or tributaries, which need that state's license. When fishing from the bank, follow the rules of the state you are standing in. Secondary source: Indiana Fishing Guide (eRegulations edition)
Ohio River (Kentucky rules)
A Kentucky license is valid on the main stem from a boat or from the Illinois, Indiana or Ohio bank, but not in those states' embayments or tributaries. Bank anglers follow the rules of the state they fish from. Official source
Limits for fish found in both states
Guide only. Statewide rules; many waters have their own. Check each state's official rules before you keep a fish.
| Fish | Indiana | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) |
Largemouth, smallmouth, Kentucky (spotted) and Coosa bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) |
Largemouth, smallmouth, Kentucky (spotted) and Coosa bass |
| Trout |
Trout (inland streams and lakes) Lake Michigan trout and salmon |
Rainbow trout Brown trout |
| Walleye |
Walleye, sauger and saugeye |
Walleye, sauger and their hybrids |
| Crappie |
No size limit (9 in at Dogwood and Hardy lakes); bag 25 (Statewide; 1 more) |
Crappie (black and white) |
| Catfish |
Channel, blue and flathead catfish Bullhead |
Channel catfish Blue and flathead catfish |
| Striped bass |
Striped bass White bass and hybrid striped bass |
White bass and hybrid striped bass Striped bass |
| Muskellunge (muskie) |
Muskellunge and tiger muskie |
Muskellunge |
Questions
Is a Indiana fishing license valid in Kentucky?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Ohio River (Kentucky); Ohio River.
Which is cheaper for visitors, Indiana or Kentucky?
1 day (fresh water): Indiana $15, Kentucky $15. 1 year (fresh water): Indiana $60, Kentucky $55.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Indiana and Kentucky?
You need a license from age 18 in Indiana and from 16 in Kentucky.