Patoka Lake Fishing Report

[National Paylake Directory]

This page was last updated on AUG 26 2011 02:15 P.M.

Patoka Lake
For more information about the lake please click on the lake name above.

Description:

Patoka Lake is an 8,800 acre flood control impoundment in south-central Indiana located in Dubois, Orange and Crawford counties. The DNR operates four state recreational areas at the lake including the Newton-Stewart State Recreation Area with campgrounds, beach, visitors center, marina and other attractions.Fishing opportunities exist at Patoka Lake for a number of species including striped bass, largemouth bass and bluegill.




Fish


Bluegill
Description:
Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. The bluegill has five to nine vertical bars on its sides, a black opercle flat (ear) with no margin and a dark spot at the rear of it's dorsal fin.

Bait: Worms or Beetle Spins
Depth: 5-15 feet


Comments about fish:

Fishing around docks and structures is producing.
Channel catfish
Description:
The channel catfish has a smooth scaleless skin and barbels on its face resembling cat whiskers. The barbels help the channel catfish taste and feel objects and enable it to locate food in dark and turbid water. The channel catfish has 24-29 rays in its rounded anal fin. The caudal fin is deeply forked and the fish has dark spots on its sides when young.

Bait: Night crawlers, cut bait
Depth: 5-15 feet


Comments about fish:

Moderately deep flats near dusk.
Largemouth bass
Description:
Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. On the largemouth bass, the upper jaw extends beyond back of eye, differentiating the fish from the smallmouth bass. The largemouth bass commonly reached six pounds.

Bait: spinners, soft plastics
Depth: 2-12 feet


Comments about fish:

Fish have moved back into deeper water or near vegetation clumps.
Striped bass
Description:
These bass belong to the temperate bass family. Temperate basses include the true fresh water basses, white and yellow bass, and the striped bass, which originally lived in the Atlantic Ocean but can live its entire life in fresh water. Temperate basses often school far from shore and feed on schooling fish. Hybrid striped bass are a cross of white and striped bass. The striped bass has tooth patches on back of tongue in two parallel patches, first stripe below lateral line complete to tail, stripes above lateral line are unbroken.

Bait: dead shad, sthingys, cut bait
Depth: 6-20 feet


Comments about fish:

Should be in deep water near the thermocline.
White crappie
Description:
Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. The white crappie has six dorsal spines, black side markings forming vertical bars rather than random spots and anal fin rays.

Bait: minnows, jigs
Depth: 3-15 feet


Comments about fish:

Try around structure near deep water. River channel breaks and steep shore lines should be holding fish.

Comments about body of water:


Lake level is at 538.00. The Corps is releasing 200cfs. Surface temps are 84 degrees and 78 degrees at 20 feet.