Additional information is available from District 2 at (260) 829-6241; or call the Fish Lake Campground at (260) 495-3081.

HARDY LAKE
Hardy is another of the Hoosier State's golden bass opportunities, and it's located just a short drive from an urban center.

Fisheries biologist Larry Lehman helped conduct the most recent survey on the lake and the bass population stacked up favorably.

"We found bass up to 16 inches during the 2003 survey, but I've heard by word of mouth that bass clubs are more satisfied with the fishing now than they were then. We also conducted a creel survey at about the same time and estimated there were 1,600 legal-sized bass harvested that year, which averages to two bass per acre, which is really pretty good. The largest bass was over 21 inches and the average size was 15 inches."

Researchers found that good numbers of largemouth bass were caught and released and that the catch-and-release rate was right around 82 percent. That's high even in bass fishing circles.

"Anglers can catch larger fish just about anywhere on the lake, but the bigger ones are tough to get," said Jeremy Cox of Scott's Hardware. The hardware store carries supplies for anglers.

"Last fall, a 6-pounder was caught in the east end of the lake in the stick-ups. It's nothing to go out on Hardy Lake on a decent day and catch 20 to 25 bass, with about half of them being keepers."

About one-half of the lake is a no-wake zone and nearly 25 percent develops thick submerged vegetation during the summer. The southeast end of the lake has some lily pads, which are bass magnets.

Eurasian milfoil has made an appearance in Hardy. The insidious invader fills in naturally occurring weedlines and edges that bass prefer and leaves a solid, dense mat of vegetation. It's been only a minor problem so far.

Hardy Lake receives heavy boat traffic. The bays are where serious anglers usually find themselves in order to get away from it.

Public boat ramps are available. On the northwest corner of the lake, the Sunnyside and Alpha Site ramps are off Sunnyside Road. The Wooster Ramp is off county Road 550 on the west side; the Caramel Ramp is off Blake Road on the lake's east side.

Hardy Lake is located in Scottsburg in Scott and Jefferson counties and covers 714 acres. The lake is six miles east of Austin and three miles north of state Route 256, southeast of Indianapolis.

For more information and maps, contact District 8 at (812) 358-4110, the Hardy Lake State Recreation Area at (812) 794-3800 or Scott's Hardware at (812) 752-2991.

LOON LAKE
Loon Lake is an easy drive for Fort Wayne anglers, but there is surprisingly little fishing pressure on bass at the lake. And the lake is one of the most promising fisheries in northeastern Indiana for nice-sized bass with a few lunkers thrown in for good measure.

A recent DNR survey of the lake determined the density, body structure and growth of Loon Lake's bass. The results look good.