Caldwell Lake Fishing near Winona Lake, Indiana

• Overview

  Caldwell Lake is one of the Kosciusko County listings for Indiana. The water sits 856 feet up. Surface area is around 44 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 1.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Nearest place of any size is Winona Lake, 8.2 miles away. It is 40 miles to Fort Wayne, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Caldwell Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Kosciusko County include bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass, logperch and longear sunfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Caldwell Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 72°F; by January the average is down near 23°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near late December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Caldwell Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Jamison Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Caldwell Lake may have changed since it was mapped.