Gooseneck Lake in Steuben County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Steuben County, Indiana, sits Gooseneck Lake. What surrounds it is pine and birch. It covers about 24 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The edge runs 1.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Indiana listings. For supplies, Angola is 4.6 miles out. The big place round here is Fort Wayne, 31 miles distant. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Gooseneck Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Steuben County: bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass, warmouth and pumpkinseed. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Gooseneck Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 22°F to 72°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between late March and mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Gooseneck Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. 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. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Meserve Lake is 0.5 miles distant. Nothing on Gooseneck Lake should be assumed from this page alone.