This page was last updated on JUL 11 2012 11:42 A.M.
Hovey LakeDescription:
Hovey Lake is an oxbow lake form around 500 years ago by the Ohio River. The lake is located in Hovey Lake FWA, 8.3 miles south of Mt. Vernon on SR 69. Excellent fishing opportunities exist for white crappie and channel catfish. Other species include bluegill, freshwater drum, blue catfish, redear sunfish, sauger, common carp, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, black crappie and white bass.
Fish
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: minnows, night crawlers
Depth: about 1' off bottom
Comments about fish:
Cut bait or nightcrawlers work well. Don't let the bait lay on bottom. Other catfish species such as large blue and flatheads can be caught.
White 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 white crappie has six dorsal spines, black side markings forming vertical bars rather than random spots and anal fin rays.
Bait: minnows, tube jigs
Depth: 3-6'
Comments about fish:
Fish tend to be scattered, mobilty is key to finding fish. Fisheries surveys are showing the larger crappie are suspending in the open lake away from the timber.
Comments about body of water:
Low water levels and the heat wave are starting to put serious stress on the fish. Some of the shallow bays are showing dead fish due to high tempertures and low oxygen levels. Needless to say fishing has been pretty slow. Be advised the Rail Marsh levee and the drain will be closed to fishing much of the summer due to construction and heavy equipment activity. As of April 6, 2011 the motor horsepower restrictions has been changed. The lake is now has a 10 mph speed limit with any motor size allowed.
