Sycamore Lake in Franklin County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Sycamore Lake sits within Franklin County in Indiana. The bank is 968 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Franklin County list. Batesville lies 0.4 miles from the water. It is 40 miles to Cincinnati, the nearest city. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Sycamore Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. County-wide records name brown trout, fantail darter and rainbow darter. The county list is broader than any single water. Anyone new to Sycamore Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 74°F; the cold one sits at 27°F. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. It holds true on Sycamore Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Oser Reservoir sits 1.2 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Sycamore Lake may have changed since it was mapped.