Fishing at South Lake, Vigo County, Indiana

• Overview

  In Indiana, South Lake belongs to Vigo County. The land about it is open valley. With some 56 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. About 1.4 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It ranks high for size among our Vigo County listings. The town to know is West Terre Haute, 1.7 miles out. Further out sit Terre Haute (3 miles) and North Terre Haute (8.1 miles). Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on South Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Vigo County list bluegill, longear sunfish and green sunfish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read South Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 76°F in July and bottom out at 26°F in January. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. On South Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Izaak Walton Lake, 2.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish South Lake.