Fishing Report For Webster Lake, IN

Current Report: Good To Very Good

According to the Indiana DNR, Division of Fish & Wildlife, "Webster Lake is Indiana’s premier muskie fishery". In recent Winters, ice fishing for musky has delivered some great musky action. Giant musky in the 36" t0 42" class are now being caught quite regularly, and there are bigger ones here to be caught.

WINTER. Current water temperatures are in the mid 30's, and dropping. Muskie have moved deeper and hold on structure in 15 to 30 feet of water. Points, deep weedbeds, drop-offs, channel edges and corners around the mouths of rivers are good places to find them this time of year. Ice fishing can be productive when the ice is safe, but muskie are being caught all through cold-winter season. Cold water causes muskie to be less active in winter, due to slowed metabolism. Slow moving, or motionless presentations are in order. Jigging spoons, ciscoes, shiners and suckers are favorites of muskie enthusiasts.

SPRING. Muskie move from their deep wintering habitat into shallow bays and flats for Spring spawning. They prowl 3 to 12 feet deep, once water temperatures get into the 50's. Shoreline flats and weedbeds, in the northwest section of the lake, from Yellowbanks to the Decatur Heights, are popular spawning grounds. Noisy, flashy, and bright color lures are ideal during this time as they are very aggressive. After the spawn is over and water temperatures rise, concentrate on weed lines, and drop-offs along the edges of weedy flats, 6 to 20 feet deep. Big spinners, bass assassins, and Johnson spoons will all attract hungry muskie.

SUMMER. Early and late in the day, muskie cruise shallower cover in search of food in 6 to 15 feet of water. During mid day they prefer the cooler water 10 to 35 feet deep. Ledges, reefs, weedbeds, islands and channel edges are the primary areas to find muskie during the warmer months of Summer. Some of the larger muskie may also suspend in open water, just outside these areas. Trolling or drift fishing reportedly produces some nice catches, using spoons, big spinners and deep diving crankbaits.

FALL. Considered by many avid muskie anglers to be the best time to fish for muskie, Fall finds these predators back in the shallows feeding heavily in preparation for winter. 6 to 25 feet of water is where most muskie are being caught, with warm afternoons being the best time to focus on structure 6 to 10 feet deep. Noisy, flashy, and bright color lures are ideal during this time as they are quite aggressive. Jerkbaits and bass assassins are also a good choice.

Current Report: Very Good

The bass fishing here is quite good. Even though it's not considered a trophy bass lake, there are good numbers being caught. Generally speaking, limits are easy to catch most days, except during freezing.

WINTER. Winter isolates largemouth around slightly deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. They can be found from 12 to 40 feet deep, around main-lake channel edges, rock piles, and brush piles. The main basin holds good numbers during cold months. Often, some of the larger bass will isolate from the group in 5 to 10 feet deeper water. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations with drop shots, jigs or finesse worms are often the key to getting bites. On warmer days, especially during late afternoons, bass may move a bit shallower to feed.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water nearby spawning areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 2 to 12 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 2 to 6 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 10 to 18 feet deep. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, plastic worms, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they will be caught in 6 to 10 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. Wacky-rigged stick worms always catch finicky bass when the bite is slow. During Summer, keep an eye on the thermocline to determine the maximum depth to fish, as there is very little oxygen below the thermocline. Largemouth bass here feed on shad, herring, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 12 to 25 feet deep. Some of the best reports seem to be from anglers fishing around weedlines in the central basins and the southeast section.

FALL. When Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays where crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years. Anglers typically have success in 6 to 20 feet of water, around points and shallow flats leading to deeper water, as well as weedy areas around Yellowbanks. As deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps where flutter spoons are often the ideal bait. Some of the larger bass will seclude themselves from the school, in 5 to 15 feet deeper water.

Current Report: Good

Everyone enjoys catching bluegill, young or old. Here, bluegill are a primary food source for predator fish like bass, muskie and northern pike. Locals report good size bluegill being caught.

WINTER. Cooling shallows have driven the bluegill back to deeper structure with cover, in water ranging from 10 to 25 feet deep. In areas with no cover, anglers are finding them along points and humps with sharp drops into deeper water. In areas where the lake ices over, ice fishing produces good catches. Most successful anglers are slowing down their presentation in this cold water.

SPRING. In early Spring, bluegill migrate from winter holding areas toward the shoreline areas, and are typically caught around 2 to 8 feet deep. As the water warms to the mid 70's they will begin the spawning ritual, building nests in 1 to 3 feet of water. Many of the bigger bluegill prefer to spawn a bit deeper, depending on water clarity. After the spawn, bluegill drop to 5 or 10 feet deep. Small spinners and swimbaits, or jigs tipped with small pieces of nightcrawlers are good choices for catching a lot of bluegill in Spring. A hook, line, weight and bobber, with small pieces of worms, also catches lots of bluegill.

SUMMER. Following the spawn, most of the bigger bluegill migrate to deeper water, around 4 to 12 feet deep. Mid day they often drop closer to 18 feet deep. They prefer rocky or weedy areas, often hanging out on steep, rocky banks where they can move up and down to feed without having to travel a great distance. Small spoons, underspins, and mini-crankbaits are catching some of the bigger bluegill. Earthworms are also catching good numbers. Early and late in the day, anglers catch them in 1 to 6 feet of water.

FALL. Cooling, Fall weather drops the water temperature in the shallows and bluegill move shallow to feed, around 8 to 12 feet deep. Steeper banks and shallow, weedy areas with drop-offs are holding bluegill. Later in Fall, as the shallows get colder, bluegill will move into 10 to 20 feet of water, in the same areas.