This page was last updated on FEB 24 2012 10:40 A.M.
Summit Lake
For more information about the lake please click on the lake name above.
Description:
Located in Summit Lake State Park, Summit Lake is approximately four miles north of New Castle. Bluegill, perch and largemouth bass provide the best angling opportunities at Summit Lake. Other opportunities also exist for perch, bluegill, crappie, redear and channel catfish.
Fish
Black crappie
Description:
Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. The Black crappie has seven to eight dorsal spines, as well as some random blotches on it's sides.
Bait: small jigs and minnows
Depth: 3-15 feet
Comments about fish:
A few crappie have been caught on warm days.
Bluegill
Description:
Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. The bluegill has five to nine vertical bars on its sides, a black opercle flat (ear) with no margin and a dark spot at the rear of it's dorsal fin.
Bait: maggots, wax worms, mousies on ice jigs
Depth: 3-20 feet
Comments about fish:
Some bluegill are being caught on warm days.
Channel catfish
Description:
The channel catfish has a smooth scaleless skin and barbels on its face resembling cat whiskers. The barbels help the channel catfish taste and feel objects and enable it to locate food in dark and turbid water. The channel catfish has 24-29 rays in its rounded anal fin. The caudal fin is deeply forked and the fish has dark spots on its sides when young.
Bait: nightcrawlers, liver, soft plastics
Depth: 6-20 feet
Comments about fish:
Nothing heard about catfish lately.
Largemouth bass
Description:
Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. On the largemouth bass, the upper jaw extends beyond back of eye, differentiating the fish from the smallmouth bass. The largemouth bass commonly reached six pounds.
Bait: Slowly moved rattling and suspending lures.
Depth: 2-20 feet
Comments about fish:
A few bass, mostly below 14 inches, have been caught.
Redear sunfish
Description:
Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. The redear sunfish has an opercle flap (ear) that is tipped with a red or orange margin.
Bait: maggots, wax worms, mousies on ice jigs
Depth: 4-20
Comments about fish:
The population is low.
Walleye
Description:
Indiana anglers have long since sought perch for their tasty flavor. The yellow perch, walleye and sauger are members of this popular family. The walleye has no spots on its dorsal fin and a dusky spot at the rear of its spiny dorsal fin, lower tip of tail and anal fin are white.
Bait: jigs with plastic grubs, trolled vibrating lures, jigging spoons
Depth: 3-25 feet
Comments about fish:
Walleye prefer low light conditions and are active when there is a chop on the water.
White bass
Description:
These bass belong to the temperate bass family. Temperate basses include the true fresh water basses, white and yellow bass, and the striped bass, which originally lived in the Atlantic Ocean but can live its entire life in fresh water. Temperate basses often school far from shore and feed on schooling fish. Hybrid striped bass are a cross of white and striped bass. The white bass has a single tooth patch on back of tongue, first stripe below lateral line not complete to tail.
Bait: small light colored jigs, spoons, and lures
Depth: 5-20 feet
Comments about fish:
Nothing heard about white bass lately.
Yellow perch
Description:
Indiana anglers have long since sought perch for their tasty flavor. The yellow perch, walleye and sauger are members of this popular family. The yellow perch ranges from 6 to 12 inches long and up to one or two pounds.
Bait: small lures and jigs, minnows and other live bait
Depth: 10-35 feet
Comments about fish:
Occasionally perch have been caught.
Comments about body of water:
The lake is now open water but cold snaps could bring back ice. Exercise extreme caution when venturing out onto ice especially when there is snow which insulates and hides bad ice. It's wise to always ice fish with a buddy, let someone know where you'll be, frequently check ice depths and conditions, carry a throw rope, and carry something sharp like ice awls or 16-penny nails to help grab onto slippery ice in case of a fall-through. The office is open M-F, 8-4, phone: 765-766-5873. Please practice catch and release; remember - you can only eat them once. The campground is open but the water is turned off. Camp reservations: 866-622-6746 or
www.CAMP.IN.gov. Winter rates: 11.22/night or our min-cabin: 39.20. You can buy 2012 entrance and boat launch permits at the office.
