Cottons Little Pine Lake in Owen County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Owen County, Indiana, is where Cottons Little Pine Lake sits. Everything around it is open valley. About 12 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Spencer is the closest town at 5.3 miles. Worthington lies 11 miles off, Ellettsville another 12 miles. Nearest other option: Thomas Lake after 0.5 miles, 6.1 miles out stands Timber Ridge Lake, Amazon Lake after 8.9 miles, 9.3 miles out stands Dyer Lake and Beechwood Lake after 11 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Cottons Little Pine Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Fish documented in Owen County include smallmouth bass, bluegill, orangethroat darter and golden redhorse. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Treat Cottons Little Pine Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 75°F, while January sits near 27°F. Some winters cap it and some do not. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Cottons Little Pine Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Thomas Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Cottons Little Pine Lake in what we hold.