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Cagles Mill Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Indiana’s first flood-control lake: Cagles Mill holds crappie, bass and catfish beside Cataract Falls.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
93 / 93 F
Wind
WNW 4 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Cagles Mill Lake stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 4 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 93. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 94 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp93 F
High / Low93 / 74 F
WindWNW 4-7 mph
Pressure1013.1 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset07:18 / 20:14
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 93/74 F, wind 7 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

The species that matter on Cagles Mill Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Cagles Mill Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Cagles Mill Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 93 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 93 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 93 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Indiana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Indiana license. Crappie, bass and catfish limits per current DNR regulations.

Access

Lieber State Recreation Area ramps, camping and beach; Cataract Falls SRA upstream.

About this water

A 1,400-acre Corps flood-control reservoir on Mill Creek, Owen and Putnam counties, Indiana: the state’s first.

Fishing Cagles Mill Lake: the full guide

A lake with a waterfall

Cagles Mill Lake, also called Cataract Lake, covers about 1,400 acres at summer pool on Mill Creek in west-central Indiana, the state’s first flood-control reservoir. Just upstream, Cataract Falls is the largest waterfall by volume in Indiana. The fishery is a standard midwestern mix: crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill and white bass, with timber and brush providing cover.

Crappie and bass

Crappie hold the timber, brush and standing cover, with spring the peak as fish move shallow to spawn and fall producing a second window. Largemouth relate to the wood and rocky shorelines, taking jigs, plastics and spinnerbaits. The lake is small enough to learn in a weekend and sees moderate pressure from local anglers.

Catfish and white bass

Channel catfish are abundant and reliable on cut and prepared baits from bank and boat. White bass school over the open water in summer and run the creek arms in spring. The upper end near the falls is shallow and stained, while the lower lake near the dam runs somewhat clearer with rockier structure.

Owen County logistics

Lieber State Recreation Area provides ramps, camping, cabins and beach access, with Cataract Falls State Recreation Area upstream worth the visit. Cloverdale and Spencer are the nearby towns, with Indianapolis about an hour northeast. Water levels vary with flood-control operations, particularly after heavy spring rain.

Common questions

Is Cataract Falls worth seeing?

Yes: the largest waterfall by volume in Indiana sits just upstream, with its own recreation area.

What is the main species?

Crappie in the timber and brush, backed by largemouth bass, catfish and seasonal white bass.

Is it crowded?

Moderately: local anglers and state park visitors, with the lake small enough that weekday mornings feel quiet.

Is fishing good at Cagles Mill Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Sugar Creek37 miLake Monroe40 miWhite River41 miGeist Reservoir60 miPatoka Lake77 miBlue River91 mi
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