Post by sam on Jul 17, 2010 16:06:17 GMT -5
This page was last updated on JUL 17 2010 11:41 A.M.
Salamonie Reservoir
bweber@dnr.state.in.us
Description:
Salamonie Reservoir is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) flood control project on the Salamonie River to control flood waters in the Wabash River. During summer months, the reservoir is maintained at about 2,665 acres. A majority of anglers target white crappie on the Salamonie Reservoir. However, anglers will find channel catfish and white bass are quite abundant. The tailwaters downstream of the dam provide excellent walleye fishing, especially during spring. These fish most likely come from the reservoir during fall drawdown.
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: Marabou jigs, flies, bee moths, worms
Depth: Shallows near the bank <7 feet
Comments about fish:
Public property ponds on Salamonie Reservoir property provide good fishing opportunity for panfish such as bluegill, redear sunfish, and largemouth bass. Hominy Ridge Lake in the Salamonie River State Forest provides good opportunity for bluegill, redear sunfish, and largemouth bass. Bluegill and largemouth bass can also be caught infrequently in the Salamonie Reservoir. Anglers will need to obtain a motorized or non-motorized lake permit to fish from a boat on the Salamonie public property ponds and Hominy Ridge Lake. Special fishing regulations apply and are posted at sign-in stations throughout the property.
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: Frozen chubs, night crawlers, chicken livers, and cut shad
Depth: In reservoir on bottom (10-20 feet), holes in river
Comments about fish:
When the Salamonie Reservoir is at summer pool, good fishing for catfish can be found near the shoreline near the Pirates Cove Marina. Many anglers walk down the Lost Bridge West Boat Ramp and along the shoreline to their fishing spots. Catfish anglers can also be successful in other coves and fingers of the lake. The Salamonie River upstream of the lake is a good fishery for channel catfish. Anglers are more successful in stretches of the river that are slow and deep. Fisherpeople have been having good luck catching catfish at Salamonie this week.
Walleye
Description:
Indiana anglers have long since sought perch for their tasty flavor. The yellow perch, walleye and sauger are members of this popular family. The walleye has no spots on its dorsal fin and a dusky spot at the rear of its spiny dorsal fin, lower tip of tail and anal fin are white.
Bait: artificial baits or your secret weapon
Depth: regular body of water in the reservoir
Comments about fish:
Walleye can be caught in the tailwater all year long. Walleye are rarely caught in Salamonie Reservoir.
White 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 white bass has a single tooth patch on back of tongue, first stripe below lateral line not complete to tail.
Bait: Jigs with minnows (most effective), bee moths
Depth: Throughout
Comments about fish:
White bass fishing is sporadic in the lake. Fishing for white bass can be good at certain times. Populations often fluctuate due to flood events and cyclic shad populations. White bass fishing is good in the tailwater throughout the warmer months.
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: Tube jigs tipped w/ minnows
Depth: In 18 ft. of water, fish 6-8 ft. deep
Comments about fish:
Salamonie Reservoir offers excellent crappie fishing throughout the year. There has not been much fishing activity due to extremely high water and muddy lake conditions. Boating conditions poor due to floating debris. Crappie fishing has picked up since lake levels have stabilized. Crappie are being caught between 8 and 12 feet deep and in abundance.
Comments about body of water:
Lake levels tend to fluctuate widely during February, March, and April and water is frequently turbid. Water clarity is the best from July to October. Current tailwater flows and reservoir levels can be obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website (www.lrl.usace.army.mil/sal/). Boaters need to be aware of driftwood floating freely in the lake from Late April through early June. Dora ramp is the deepest ramp and the only ramp that can provide boat access through December when the reservoir is at winter pool. Shallow water markers are taken out of the water during late fall so be aware of shallow areas. Though ice fishing can be hazardous at times due to fluctuating water levels and sloped ice, it usually provides excellent opportunity for white crappie.
Salamonie Reservoir
bweber@dnr.state.in.us
Description:
Salamonie Reservoir is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) flood control project on the Salamonie River to control flood waters in the Wabash River. During summer months, the reservoir is maintained at about 2,665 acres. A majority of anglers target white crappie on the Salamonie Reservoir. However, anglers will find channel catfish and white bass are quite abundant. The tailwaters downstream of the dam provide excellent walleye fishing, especially during spring. These fish most likely come from the reservoir during fall drawdown.
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: Marabou jigs, flies, bee moths, worms
Depth: Shallows near the bank <7 feet
Comments about fish:
Public property ponds on Salamonie Reservoir property provide good fishing opportunity for panfish such as bluegill, redear sunfish, and largemouth bass. Hominy Ridge Lake in the Salamonie River State Forest provides good opportunity for bluegill, redear sunfish, and largemouth bass. Bluegill and largemouth bass can also be caught infrequently in the Salamonie Reservoir. Anglers will need to obtain a motorized or non-motorized lake permit to fish from a boat on the Salamonie public property ponds and Hominy Ridge Lake. Special fishing regulations apply and are posted at sign-in stations throughout the property.
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: Frozen chubs, night crawlers, chicken livers, and cut shad
Depth: In reservoir on bottom (10-20 feet), holes in river
Comments about fish:
When the Salamonie Reservoir is at summer pool, good fishing for catfish can be found near the shoreline near the Pirates Cove Marina. Many anglers walk down the Lost Bridge West Boat Ramp and along the shoreline to their fishing spots. Catfish anglers can also be successful in other coves and fingers of the lake. The Salamonie River upstream of the lake is a good fishery for channel catfish. Anglers are more successful in stretches of the river that are slow and deep. Fisherpeople have been having good luck catching catfish at Salamonie this week.
Walleye
Description:
Indiana anglers have long since sought perch for their tasty flavor. The yellow perch, walleye and sauger are members of this popular family. The walleye has no spots on its dorsal fin and a dusky spot at the rear of its spiny dorsal fin, lower tip of tail and anal fin are white.
Bait: artificial baits or your secret weapon
Depth: regular body of water in the reservoir
Comments about fish:
Walleye can be caught in the tailwater all year long. Walleye are rarely caught in Salamonie Reservoir.
White 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 white bass has a single tooth patch on back of tongue, first stripe below lateral line not complete to tail.
Bait: Jigs with minnows (most effective), bee moths
Depth: Throughout
Comments about fish:
White bass fishing is sporadic in the lake. Fishing for white bass can be good at certain times. Populations often fluctuate due to flood events and cyclic shad populations. White bass fishing is good in the tailwater throughout the warmer months.
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: Tube jigs tipped w/ minnows
Depth: In 18 ft. of water, fish 6-8 ft. deep
Comments about fish:
Salamonie Reservoir offers excellent crappie fishing throughout the year. There has not been much fishing activity due to extremely high water and muddy lake conditions. Boating conditions poor due to floating debris. Crappie fishing has picked up since lake levels have stabilized. Crappie are being caught between 8 and 12 feet deep and in abundance.
Comments about body of water:
Lake levels tend to fluctuate widely during February, March, and April and water is frequently turbid. Water clarity is the best from July to October. Current tailwater flows and reservoir levels can be obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website (www.lrl.usace.army.mil/sal/). Boaters need to be aware of driftwood floating freely in the lake from Late April through early June. Dora ramp is the deepest ramp and the only ramp that can provide boat access through December when the reservoir is at winter pool. Shallow water markers are taken out of the water during late fall so be aware of shallow areas. Though ice fishing can be hazardous at times due to fluctuating water levels and sloped ice, it usually provides excellent opportunity for white crappie.