Norman Lake Fishing in Boone County, Indiana

• Overview

  Set in Boone County, Norman Lake is an Indiana water. It sits at 896 feet above sea level. This is a tiny water, and one quiet approach covers all of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Boone County list. Supplies mean a trip to Thorntown, 3.2 miles off. The big place round here is Indianapolis, 32 miles distant. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Norman Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Boone County include bluegill, longear sunfish, johnny darter and channel catfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Norman Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 74°F; by January the average is down near 24°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid March. Expect the water usable from around mid March until roughly late December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Norman Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Oxidation Pond, 4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Norman Lake locally before you travel.