Blood River Bottoms Wildlife Management Area

A tract of Kentucky Lake Wildlife Management Area

Sun shining through the trees at Blood River Bottoms on a beautiful fall day

About Blood River Bottoms Wildlife Management Area

    Blood River Bottoms WMA is a section of the larger Kentucky Lake Wildlife Management Area and is owned by Tennessee Valley Authority and run by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

    Blood River Bottoms WMA consists mostly of bottomland hardwood forest with sections of pine forest. Several small creeks and springs including Dog Creek and Goose Creek run through the area into Blood River, which flows into Kentucky Lake within the larger area of the Kentucky Lake WMA. Wetland areas are scattered throughout Blood River Bottoms WMA as well as seasonal, temporary small ponds.

    Blood River Bottoms WMA is home to a large, diverse group of both plant and animal species. In this area, you may expect to find (among others):

Barred Owl, Mourning Dove, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-Winged Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Wild Turkey.

American Beaver, Deer Mouse, Eastern Cottontail, White-Tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Gray Fox, Southern Short-tailed Shrew.

Bluegill, Spotted Sucker, Gizzard Shad, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Skipjack Herring, Logperch, Brook Silverside, Creek Chub, Warmouth.

Marbled Salamander, Slimy Salamander, Eastern Newt, Three-lined Salamander, Cope’s Gray Treefrog, Green Frog, Northern Spring Peeper, Upland Chorus Frog, Bullfrog.

Ringneck Snake, River Cooter, Ground Skink, Eastern Box Turtle, Milksnake, Copperhead, Rough Green Snake, Brown Snake, Northern Fence Lizard.

Elevation of Blood River Bottoms WMA is 363 on average, with a range of 359-375. 

For more information on this WMA or others within Kentucky, visit the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Website at fw.ky.gov