Enjoy the beauty and recreation of more than 101 lakes

If you like boating, Steuben County is for you! With more than 101 lakes and three navigable creeks and rivers, there are water activities for everyone.

People wanting to bring their speedboats to Steuben County will find opportunities to fire up their engines on a handful of lakes where high speed boating is allowed by Indiana law. Those lakes include Clear Lake, Hamilton Lake, Lake James, Snow Lake, Jimmerson Lake, Lake Gage, Crooked Lake, Lake Pleasant, Big Turkey Lake and Lake George. (Be advised on Lake George, boat operation at speeds greater than 10 mph is not allowed between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 10 a.m.)

These lakes either have public access sites where people may launch boats for free or privately-owned ramps where boat launching is available for a fee.

There are a number of small lakes, such as Fox, Pigeon, Ball, Loon, Big Bower, Golden, West Otter, Fish, Marsh and Beaver Dam, where there are public access sites.

However, speeds are either limited to less than 10 mph or no gas-powered motors are allowed. On Fox Lake, where there is a public access site, skiing is allowed between 1 and 4 p.m.

There are a number of points where people can drop canoes or row boats in Fish Creek, Pigeon Creek and Fawn River in Steuben County. In the heat of the summer, these bodies of water meander their way to where they feed into larger rivers.

Power boats are available for rent from some marinas. There are pontoon and small boat rentals available at Pokagon State Park on Lake James. Canoe rentals are available on Pigeon Creek from Pigeon River Canoe-n-Camp on County Road 325 West near Golden Lake.

The county’s lakes and streams are regulated by Indiana laws, which are enforced by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Steuben County Marine Patrol Division of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department.

In addition, many of the county’s more populous lakes have associations that actively monitor things such as water quality, boating and building activity.

For information on lake associations, contact the Steuben County Lakes Council, which monitors environmental issues on a county-wide basis, at (260) 665-1730.

Fishing

With more than 101 lakes, the county offers a virtual fishing paradise. Fishermen are quick to praise area waters and even give away a few secret fishing tips.

“There is good variety of structure and quality of fish in Clear Lake,” said Brad Moore of Angola, “but it is also the most difficult to fish because of the clarity of the water. The best time to fish on Clear is when there is low light or on a cloudy day.”

Clear Lake is known for a good selection of walleye, northern pike, small and largemouth bass, perch and extremely large bluegill and crappie.

Of the other major lakes in the county, area fishermen agree even though they are often busy in the summer months, Lake James and Crooked Lake are still good fishing sites.

“There are still a few good places you can duck into,” said Jerry Hall of Angola.

Lake James is best for large and smallmouth bass, pike, perch and bluegill.

Crooked Lake also has a variety of bottom terrain with moderate depths.

The Fawn River State Fish Hatchery stocks Fawn River, Clear Lake, Lake Gage, Ball Lake and the Pigeon River with a variety of fish.