Little Center Lake in Steuben County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Little Center Lake in Steuben County, Indiana. Height above sea level is 1,010 feet. At roughly 7 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Steuben County list. Nearest town is Angola, 0.6 miles off. Fort Wayne sits 36 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Little Center Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Steuben County include bluegill, yellow perch and largemouth bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Little Center Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 22°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and late March brings it back. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Little Center Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Middle Center Lake, 0.3 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Little Center Lake for certain.