Paint Creek (Johnson County, Kentucky)

Paint Creek is a 20.1-mile-long (32.3 km)[3] tributary of the Levisa Fork in Johnson County, Kentucky. The stream is formed at the confluence of the Little Paint and Open Fork creeks. It is named for the colorful Adena Indian ideographs that were painted on white birch trees and rocks that once lined the stream.[4]

Paint Creek
Cliff along Paint Creek
Location
CountryUnited States
StateKentucky
CountiesJohnson County, Kentucky
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationConfluence of Open Fork and Little Paint creeks in Johnson County, KY
 • coordinates37°53′50″N 82°59′16″W
 • elevation702 ft (214 m)[1]
MouthBig Sandy River[2]
 • location
Paintsville, KY
 • coordinates
37°48′51″N 82°47′31″W
 • elevation
600 ft (180 m)

Paint Creek rises in extreme western Johnson County and begins to flow southeast. In 1983, part of Paint Creek was impounded, forming Paintsville Lake. After passing through the Paintsville Lake dam, the stream passes through the city of Paintsville, where it joins the Levisa Fork.[5]

Paint Creek is the only designated trout stream in Johnson County.[6] The water level of the creek is dependent upon rainfall, and can vary from very shallow to deep and rapid depending on recent weather conditions. Fishermen can expect to catch brown trout, rainbow trout, small mouth bass, bream, rock bass, crappie, catfish, white sucker and many other species as well as creek chubs, freshwater mussels and mud eels.

See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Paint Creek Retrieved on 2010-05-03
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Paint Creek Retrieved on 2010-05-03
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed June 13, 2011
  4. Historical Overview of Paintsville and Johnson County Retrieved on 2010-05-03
  5. DeLorme (2005). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-340-0 Retrieved on 2010-05-03
  6. Kentucky Trout Waters Archived 2009-10-20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2010-05-8


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