Paint Creek (Johnson County, Kentucky)

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox river

| name = Paint Creek

| name_native =

| name_native_lang =

| name_other =

| name_etymology =

| image = File:Creek and cliff at Paintsville.jpg

| image_caption = Cliff along Paint Creek

| map =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| pushpin_map =

| pushpin_map_size =

| pushpin_map_caption=

| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = United States

| subdivision_type2 = State

| subdivision_name2 = Kentucky

| subdivision_type3 = Counties

| subdivision_name3 = Johnson County, Kentucky

| subdivision_type4 =

| subdivision_name4 =

| subdivision_type5 =

| subdivision_name5 =

| length =

| width_min =

| width_avg =

| width_max =

| depth_min =

| depth_avg =

| depth_max =

| discharge1_location=

| discharge1_min =

| discharge1_avg =

| discharge1_max =

| source1 =

| source1_location = Confluence of Open Fork and Little Paint creeks in Johnson County, KY

| source1_coordinates= {{coord|37|53|50|N|82|59|16|W|display=inline}}

| source1_elevation = {{convert|702|ft|abbr=on}}{{Gnis|496821|Little Paint Creek}} Retrieved on 2010-05-03

| mouth = Levisa Fork{{Cite web|url=https://apps.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |title= The National Map|website=The National Map}}

| mouth_location = Paintsville, KY

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|37|48|51|N|82|47|31|W|display=inline,title}}{{Gnis|500114|Paint Creek}} Retrieved on 2010-05-03

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|600|ft|abbr=on}}

| progression =

| river_system =

| basin_size =

| tributaries_left =

| tributaries_right =

| custom_label =

| custom_data =

| extra =

}}

Paint Creek is a {{convert|20.1|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}}U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed June 13, 2011 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.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20001018034615/http://www.johnsoncountykyhistory.com/history.html Historical Overview of Paintsville and Johnson County]}} Retrieved on 2010-05-03

Paint Creek rises in eastern Morgan County, near the community of Crockett, KY; flowing through Moon, KY; and Relief, KY. 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.DeLorme (2005). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. {{ISBN|0-89933-340-0}} Retrieved on 2010-05-03

Paint Creek is the only designated trout stream in Johnson County.[http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/08fishboat4.pdf Kentucky Trout Waters] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020101303/http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/08fishboat4.pdf |date=2009-10-20 }} Retrieved on 2010-05-8 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.