JULY
Lake Michigan
Steelhead Trout
Steelhead fishing on Lake Michigan during the summertime is a bit different than it is in March on the St. Joe. The weather is noticeably warmer, and the fish are just beginning their annual spawning migration rather than completing it. These summer-run fish are Skamania-strain steelhead; they are longer and more slender than their Michigan-strain cousins. They also grow quite a bit bigger!

Returning Skamania-strain steelhead home in on the two major Indiana tributaries where they were stocked: Trail Creek in Michigan City and the Little Calumet River (Burns Waterway) near Portage. When steelhead are staging at the creek mouths in late June and early July, fast action is on tap for trollers (and shore-fishermen at Michigan City).

Trollers use large spoons and stick baits when pursuing summer steelhead, and these lures have one thing in common: color. Steelhead love orange or red lures, so be sure to use the right color. Silver/orange and gold/orange are often as good or better than solid orange, so try both. Shore-fishermen use orange lures, too, but they also use natural baits like salmon eggs, shrimp and night crawlers.

Skamania are big, powerful fish. Be sure your tackle is in top condition. Summer-run fish average 9 to 14 pounds, but 20-pounders are not unheard of. The state record was caught at the beginning of the run at Trail Creek in 1999. It was 38 inches long and weighed more than 26 pounds!

AUGUST
Summit Lake
Channel Catfish
Catfish anglers living near New Castle in Henry County have a favorite place these days. That place is Summit Lake inside Summit Lake State Park. This 835-acre impoundment is home to an excellent channel catfish population, and many anglers come here just for the whiskerfish action.

Summit Lake is relatively small when compared with many reservoirs, but its fish population is extremely healthy and diverse. Channel catfish are just one of many popular species here. Besides good numbers of channel cats, Summit is also home to some really big fish. Catfish pushing 10 pounds are definitely possible.

The lake has many good places to fish for catfish, but the shallow flats at the northeast end are hard to beat. Keep in mind that there are numerous underwater branches and snags, so be ready to lose some terminal tackle.

SEPTEMBER
Clear Lake
Smallmouth Bass
Clear Lake in northeast Indiana’s Steuben County is a great place to chase bass. More specifically, it is a great place to catch smallmouth bass. There aren’t many places where Hoosiers can go to catch smallies weighing 5 pounds or more, but Clear Lake is one of them.

Bill LaVigne, a local angler from Fort Wayne, fishes Clear Lake for a variety of species, and smallmouth bass are one of his favorites. “There are some dandy smallmouths in Clear Lake,” he said. “At this time of the year, you can catch them suspended out over deep water, underneath schools of shad.”

Bass fishermen can troll small spoons or crankbaits to catch those suspended fish, or they can fish the rocky shoreline edges near the deep water. There are many areas that have stone and gravel on the bottom, and smallies are drawn to them like a magnet.