Forest Lake, Indiana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Indiana, Forest Lake falls inside Hendricks County. The bank is 830 feet above sea level. It covers about 7 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The closest town, Avon, is 0.7 miles distant. Indianapolis sits 13 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Forest Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Public occurrence data for Hendricks County names bluegill, green sunfish, longear sunfish, gizzard shad and smallmouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Forest Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 25°F in January up to 75°F in July. In milder years the surface never sets. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Time your trip to Forest Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Lake View at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Forest Lake in what we hold.