Youth Camp Lake in Bartholomew County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Bartholomew County in Indiana is where Youth Camp Lake sits. The setting is open valley. About 6 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Our Bartholomew County list holds plenty of bigger water. Columbus sits 7.3 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Then Cordry Sweetwater Lakes, 9.4 miles, and Nashville, 11 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Youth Camp Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Bartholomew County records list longear sunfish, orangethroat darter, bluegill, golden redhorse and johnny darter among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Youth Camp Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 74°F, while January sits near 28°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. It sets the rhythm of the year at Youth Camp Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Harrison Lake, 1.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Youth Camp Lake should be assumed from this page alone.