See all 2 routes on South Fork Kentucky River
Kentucky | Eastern Kentucky
South Fork Kentucky River
Rocky Branch Road Access to Kay Wood Road Access
Check current paddling conditions for this South Fork Kentucky River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Rocky Branch Road Access and take out about 19.0 miles downstream at Kay Wood Road Access for a long middle-to-lower South Fork Kentucky River float. KDFWR gives a good Booneville gauge band of 350 to 900 cfs, or 4.8 to 6.0 ft.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Put-in
Rocky Branch Road AccessOpen mapRocky Branch is a gravel-and-dirt canoe and kayak access with limited parking and no amenities.
Take-out
Kay Wood Road AccessOpen mapKay Wood is a carry-down-only access with roadside-style unpaved parking and no amenities.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Rocky Branch is a gravel-and-dirt canoe and kayak access with limited parking and no amenities.
- Kay Wood is a carry-down-only access with roadside-style unpaved parking and no amenities.
- The current Booneville gauge reading was above the official good band during this run, so expect faster current, muddier landings, and a longer day than the mileage alone suggests.
- Stay with the named public access points and do not assume side banks, bars, or private-adjacent ground are legal stopping points.
Watch for
- Low water below 350 cfs or 4.8 ft, when shallow shoals, rock bars, and dragging become more likely over a long day.
- High water above 900 cfs or 6.0 ft, when the broad river moves faster and muddy landings become less forgiving around bends and wood.
- Wood, strainers, mud banks, occasional riffles, private banks outside the access sites, and fatigue from repeated line scouting.
Route gallery
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville, KY |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 350 cfs to 900 cfs |
| Low threshold | 350 cfs |
| High threshold | 900 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | KDFWR recommended river levels for South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official level band350-900 cfs / 4.8-6.0 ft
KDFWR rates South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville as Low below 350 cfs or 4.8 ft, Good from 350 to 900 cfs or 4.8 to 6.0 ft, and High above 900 cfs or 6.0 ft.
- Chained public route segmentRocky Branch Road Access to Kay Wood Road Access, 19.0 miles
KDFWR lists Rocky Branch Road Access to Cedar Valley Road Access as 2.5 miles, Cedar Valley Road Access to Bishop Bend School Road Access as 4.7 miles, Bishop Bend School Road Access to Hacker Branch Road Access as 3.3 miles, Hacker Branch Road Access to Upper Wolf Creek Ramp as 2.9 miles, and Upper Wolf Creek Ramp to Kay Wood Road Access as 5.6 miles, supporting a 19.0-mile public Rocky-Branch-to-Kay-Wood float on the same access chain.
- Put-in accessRocky Branch Road Access, 37.3206, -83.6648
KDFWR identifies Rocky Branch Road Access as a gravel-and-dirt canoe and kayak access with limited parking and no camping.
- Take-out accessKay Wood Road Access, 37.4594, -83.6509
KDFWR identifies Kay Wood Road Access as a carry-down-only access with unpaved parking and no camping.
- Live-gauge supportUSGS 03281500 at 1050 cfs / 6.24 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day values of 1050 cfs and 6.24 ft at 2026-07-13 08:30 EDT for South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville during this run, above the official good band.
- Route characterBroad river, rock bars, occasional riffles
KDFWR describes the South Fork Kentucky River as relatively broad with shallow to medium depths, mud banks, rock bars, and occasional riffles.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
South Fork Kentucky River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling South Fork Kentucky River?
Paddle Today watches South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville, KY and treats 350 cfs to 900 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this South Fork Kentucky River route start and end?
This route starts at Rocky Branch Road Access and ends at Kay Wood Road Access, about About 19.0 mi on the water.
Is this South Fork Kentucky River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.