Riley Lake, Indiana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Indiana holds Riley Lake, in Fountain County. Height above sea level is 676 feet. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Fountain County. Attica is the closest town at 0.6 miles. Beyond it, Williamsport at 3 miles and Veedersburg at 13 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Riley Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Fountain County, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, black redhorse, longear sunfish, golden redhorse and white sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Riley Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 74°F for July and 24°F for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Once it clears, about mid March, the fishing comes on quickly. The lid tends to go about mid March and return around late December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Riley Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Shawnee Lake at 2.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Riley Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.