Bass fishermen in the northern half of our state are a bit different from their counterparts down south. The northern lakes tend to be much smaller than the huge southern reservoirs like Monroe, Patoka and Brookville. But what the lakes north of Indianapolis lack in the way of acreage, they more than make up for in sheer numbers.

There are numerous lakes for bass anglers to choose from in northern Indiana. As a matter of fact, the northeast region of the state is called the "natural lakes region," simply because it is dotted by so many small and mid-sized natural lakes. Of course, they aren't all small, and they aren't all natural lakes. But there is no denying that there are plenty of them to choose from!

Obviously, the season starts a little later in this half of the state because of the colder weather "up north," but by May, the fishing gets better every day. As the water warms and bass become more active, excellent catches can be made at literally hundreds of lakes. Here are some waters in the northern part of the state that look especially promising this year:

J.C. MURPHEY LAKE
Most fishermen living in the northwest part of the state are familiar with J.C. Murphey Lake. This shallow 1,200-acre impoundment is located inside the Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area (FWA) in Newton County, and in the last couple of years, it has become a favored destination for local anglers.

The lake was drained and renovated in 2004, and once it was restocked, the fish populations really took off. According to Mike Schoonveld, the assistant property manager at Willow Slough FWA, all of the lake's fish (including bass) are growing like crazy. "There are bluegills up to 10 inches and redear sunfish up to 11 inches," he said. "The fish are growing so fast since the renovation that I wouldn't be surprised if we have 18-inch bass that were born here!"

Bob Robertson, the District 1 fisheries biologist for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), also reports that the bass are doing well at Murphey. "We stocked a lot of bass there after the renovation. One of the stockings included 27,000 bass that averaged 10 inches in length. Some were adults, too, so immediately there were some big fish. We also stocked fingerlings, so we have a real variety there."

The Slough, as locals know it, is a shallow-water bass fisherman's dream come true. The lake's average depth is only about 3 feet, and bass can be found almost everywhere. Largemouth bass are structure oriented, and this lake is absolutely loaded with structure. There are weed edges, sunken trees, flooded willows, small islands, shallow flats and dense cattail stands. "It's a great place to fish, and I think the bass fishing will be really good this spring," Robertson said.

A creel survey was performed here in 2008, and although the results were not ready by press time, Schoonveld had some preliminary data.