Clear Lake Fishing Spot
- Max Depth: 107'
- Elevation: 1035'
- Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/09/09 09:13 PM
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According to the DNR's District 2 fisheries biologist Larry Koza, Clear Lake has an excellent smallmouth bass population. He recommends fishing for smallmouths in the spring when the fish are in the shallows (even big smallies). "If you want a decent chance at catching a 4- or 5-pound smallmouth bass in Indiana, Clear Lake is one of the best places to do it," Koza said. LaVigne likes to use a simple slip-sinker rig with a plain No. 10 hook and a live night crawler. "I hook a whole night crawler (or sometimes even a half night crawler) right through the tip of the nose, blow it up with air from a syringe and cast it out," he said. "You might catch six or seven smallmouths in a day. The average size is going to be 14 to 16 inches, but the 20-inchers are there," he reported. Other productive presentations for smallmouth bass here include tube jigs, twistertail jigs, crankbaits that imitate crayfish and small minnow-imitating plugs. LaVigne is partial to tube jigs when he uses artificials, but he adds a special touch: "I always put some garlic scent in there," he confessed. Most of the shoreline surrounding Clear Lake features a shallow, rocky ledge that tapers out from a couple of feet deep down to about 10 feet. That is the productive zone. Beyond the 10-foot mark, it starts dropping down to 25 feet very quickly.
Clear Lake Description
Clear Lake is an 800-acre natural lake located five miles east of Fremont off State Road 120 in Steuben County. The lake has free public access, and outboard motors are permitted. Clear Lake is known for a good selection of walleye, northern pike, small and largemouth bass, perch and extremely large bluegill and crappie. The northernmost body of water on our list of great ice-fishing lakes is the aptly named Clear Lake. Located almost straight east of the town of Fremont in Steuben County, Clear Lake covers 800 acres and boasts crystal-clear water, especially during the winter. It also boasts a fantastic fishery, which includes everything from panfish and bass to pike and trout. Who could ask for anything more? Many of Clear Lake's ice-fishermen are there for only one thing: bluegills. The lake has many bluegill hotspots, but one of the perennial favorites is near a 20-foot-deep hole along the northern shoreline. Local angler Bill LaVigne from Fort Wayne is an expert when it comes to fishing Clear Lake; he points to this spot for its consistent bluegill action. Not all of the big bass in Indiana live in the southern part of the state, and not all of the bass are largemouth bass. Smallmouth bass deserve a mention when it comes to Hoosier bass fishing, too, and one of the best places in the state to catch a trophy smallmouth is Clear Lake.
Clear Lake is a town located in the northeast corner of Steuben County, Indiana, in Clear Lake Township. The population was 244 at the 2000 census.