Fishing Hogback Lake in Steuben County, Indiana

• Overview

  The Steuben County entry here is Hogback Lake, in Indiana. Height above sea level is 948 feet. It measures about 148 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Few waters listed in Steuben County are bigger. For supplies, Angola is 4.7 miles out. The big place round here is Fort Wayne, 34 miles distant. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Hogback Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass and warmouth. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Hogback Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 22°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. Climate figures give an open season running late March to mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Time your trip to Hogback Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. A marina sits half a mile off, so fuel and a proper ramp are close. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Bass Lake, 1 mile out. Confirm before you fish Hogback Lake.