The US Fish and Wildlife Service has focused the majority of its Blackside Dace recovery efforts on preservation of extant populations, discovery of unknown populations, and delineation of unoccupied suitable habitats. A missing component of its recovery program has been a large-scale habitat improvement project for the species. Between 2006 and 2010, we evaluated the change in Blackside Dace abundance and distribution in response to a 739-m restoration project on Mill Branch, a second-order tributary of Stinking Creek in Knox County, KY We expected Blackside Dace abundance to increase post-restoration and predicted the species would expand its distribution within Mill Branch to include downstream reaches. The improved habitat conditions were expected to lead to increased diversity and abundance of other fishes. Fish surveys produced a total of 14,580 individuals, representing 29 species. For the overall fish community, mean (± SD) species richness in restored reaches (reach la; 21 ±1, and reach 2a; 11.3 ±0.58) was significantly greater than mean species richness in unrestored reaches 1 (12.3 ± 3.1) and 2 (7.3 ± 1.53). Reach 2a also had significantly greater diversity (1.7 ± 0.17) and evenness (0.69 ± 0.07) than reach 2 (1.05 ± 0.19 and 0.53 ± 0.04, respectively). Catch per unit of effort (CPUE) did not differ significantly between restored and unrestored reaches. Blackside Dace abundance ranged from a low of 76 in February 2006 (pre-restoration) to a high of 566 in October 2009 (postrestoration). No significant increase in Blackside Dace CPUE or abundance was detected within restored reaches. Our expectations with regard to Blackside Dace abundance and CPUE were not met, but we contend that the species has benefited from the restoration. The species’ movement within Mill Branch is no longer restricted by a perched culvert at the Walker Road crossing, the reach downstream of Walker Road no longer has intermittent flow, and the entire 739-m project area is protected from significant habitat disturbance. Unfortunately, predatory centrarchids such as Redbreast Sunfish have increased post-restoration and may be limiting Blackside Dace recovery. Nonetheless, we expect the Blackside Dace population to increase within Mill Branch as the restoration matures and habitat conditions continue to stabilize and improve.