No, You Don't Need an Indiana License to Fish in Kentucky

You've probably seen this "weird law" floating around the internet: Kentucky supposedly requires anglers to have an Indiana fishing license to fish in the Ohio River. It sounds absurd enough to be true, right? The kind of bureaucratic nonsense that makes you shake your head at government.

Except it's completely false. Not just technically incorrect or outdated—it's the exact opposite of reality.

What the Law Actually Says

Kentucky and Indiana have a reciprocal fishing agreement for the Ohio River. This agreement allows residents of either state to fish the main stem of the river with either a Kentucky or Indiana license. It's designed to make life easier for anglers, not create bizarre cross-state requirements.

If you're a Kentucky resident fishing in Kentucky waters, you need a Kentucky license. If you're an Indiana resident fishing from the Indiana side, you need an Indiana license. Simple, logical, normal.

How This Myth Probably Started

The confusion likely stems from misunderstanding what "reciprocal agreement" means. Someone probably read that Kentucky recognizes Indiana licenses on the Ohio River, flipped the logic in their head, and—boom—viral misinformation was born.

Here's what the reciprocal agreement actually covers:

• Applies only to the main stem of the Ohio River (not tributaries or embayments)
• Anglers follow the regulations of the state where they're licensed
• Exception: if fishing from the bank, you must follow that state's regulations regardless of your license
• Kentucky residents using reciprocal waters still need a Kentucky-issued license

The Real Rules for Ohio River Fishing

If you want to fish an embayment or tributary on the Indiana side, then you'd need an Indiana license. But that's true for any state—you generally need a license from the state where you're fishing. There's nothing weird or backwards about it.

The actual regulations are remarkably sensible. Two neighboring states recognized that the Ohio River flows between them and decided anglers shouldn't need to buy two licenses for the same water. That's government working correctly.

So next time you see this "fun fact" shared online, you can confidently call it out. Kentucky doesn't have some bizarro-world fishing law. It's just another internet myth that sounds too weird not to be true—but isn't.