Morse Lake in Indiana - Fishing Reports

[BigFlatty]

Ok guys went out for first time sunday, it was beautiful, we fished the north end of the lake near the creek head, had alot of misses boated one 12" channell, water was muddy and flowin and as warm as 51degrees. Most bites were on night crawler. They didn't seem to be hittin cutbait fresh or stinky.

Started this thread to give reports till winter returns. For those who don't know where Morse is its about 30 minutes north of indy. About the same size as Geist.

Anyway feel free to post updates for Morse if you fish it yourself.

goodluck and it was great to finally catch a cat this year:)

[treddinwater]

I love fishing Morse. I have fished it many times with my Aunt that lives up around there and we really teer up on the panfish, white bass, largemouths, carp, and bullheads. I've tried catfishing there a few times, caught a couple decent ones below the spillway and I had something huge bust my line fishing off the docks there in the park using a small live white bass fished out in the main channel. Last fall we tried night fishing near the spillway in the park and caught about 6 bullheads on livers, cut chubs, and nightcrawlers, but no channels. I don't have a boat so all of the fishing I do is bank or wading. I know there are some big cats in there due to the one that broke my line there and I saw a guy catch about a 12lber in the park once. If anybody could point me in the right direction for catching channels or flatheads in the lake without the use of a boat, I'd appreciate it.

[BigFlatty]

hey treddin, as we move into spring and the water is warming up a good bank spot to try would be Red Bridge Park, it sits right next to the channel on the north side of the lake, guys fish it all the time and usually do good for channel's and blues. If you would like directions just pm me and i'd be happy to help ya out.:cool:

[treddinwater]

Thanks for the tip, we've driven over near there before, but we didn't have time to stop and fish. I'll have to give it a try sometime this spring.

[vhull_5]

I used to fish on morse many moons ago,the catfishing was some of the best in the state.We almost always fished the north end on the Seventh Day Adventists property. I hear now that they run people off,and won't let anybody fish from the bank.If anybody knows for sure,I would really like to know before I waste a trip up north.It's been about 10 yrs. since I have been there

[rairdog]

I fish some North of Olio bridge in the back water. There is a new dock they put in by my sisters house. Its private for lot owners but thet don't monitor it much. I was there last late spring one afternoon and caught a couple channels, some gills and crappie. There is an Island or Penisula by the dock that has some shallow feeding areas. The night I was there right at dark something big and lots them started chasing gills or baitfish up in those shallows. It was almost scarry because it wasn't expecting that in Indiana. I couldn't tell what they were but they seemed 10 lbs plus buy the wake and noise they were making. I figure it had to be largemouth ot flatties. My sister was out on their pontoon so I couldn't get to close to them. It reminded me of the schools of bluefish chasing crabs when I was working near Cheasepke bay. I plan on going over there this weekend and taking out the pontoon to check it out.

[rairdog]

My, bad. It is East of Olio Bridge. It is marked in the pic as Anitas Dock

[flathead20000]

I have lived in the Lafayette area all my life and love fishing. I find It crazy that I have never heard of this lake, being that it is only 30 minutes from Lafayette if it is 30 miles north of Indy. Please help me, does it have boat access, and where is the launch public, or private. Any info would help!!!

[metalman]

rairdog,
isn't that Geist heading up to Luxhaven? ...W

[rairdog]

I have lived in the Lafayette area all my life and love fishing. I find It crazy that I have never heard of this lake, being that it is only 30 minutes from Lafayette if it is 30 miles north of Indy. Please help me, does it have boat access, and where is the launch public, or private. Any info would help!!!

There is a boat ramp right next to Olio bridge. You can see it on the South side of the pic I just posted. Its up to $20 this year to lauch I think.

[metalman]

Rick,
Morse Reservoir is in the town of Cicero just north west of Noblesville. The ramp is privately owned and I think costs $10 on week days, $20 on weekends. I don't know if it's different this time of year. In summer it gets really busy with skiers and jetskiers but there is some good catfishing there. If I lived as close to the Wabash as you do I would fish that instead!!!...W

[rairdog]

Morse is in Noblesville. I live 10 min from it. My mom lives on the lake. Giest is in Fishers 20 min from my house. Both my sis live on it. I live on the White river. I fish all 3. The pic I posted is of Giest lake. They all have public ramps but its expensive to launch. Most of the bridges have embankments that can be fished. I also have a small ramp in front of my house (free). It will take most jons and pontoons. I have about 5 miles of boatable water here. I grew up in Lafayette and all my buddies come down here on weekends and fish. From Lafayette its 1:15 to my house.

[buckeater]

geist right now costs 11 bucks to launch until i think may when they start getting the heavier boat traffic, then it'll go to 27 or something like that on the weekends. ive been going out there a couple times every week but not for cats yet been trying to get a bunch of crappie.

[rairdog]

Fished the dock I mentioned earlier at Giest (with pic). Caught 35 crappie in 3 hours. Me and my buddy from Lafayette found them under a boat canopy. We fished for an hour up and down the dock with no strikes and he said lets try under here in the shade. Bam!! first cast as soon as it his the water. After that it was double headers and then it slowed down.

[treddinwater]

Geist is full of crappies, below the dam is a great place to fish for them at, I would still fish their if my car wouldn't have gotten broken into last time I was there. The marina there off the Fall Creek Causeway is another good place, just go there during a weekday when they won't really care that your there.

[buckeater]

me and a buddy was out there yesterday started out bass fishing but only caught little ones then switch to the crappie about 3 oclock. caught to many to count but only caught 16 keapers between the both of us. seen a bunch of carp working i think the next time i go im going to give them a try, fun to catch.

[treddinwater]

Welcome to the BOC Jake. I've caught some nice carp fishing the main lake side of the causeway, I've tried in the marina, but they are so easily spooked there.

[catfishernick33]

I fished Morse this past saturday night and caught a 17 pound channel on cut bluegill. Other than a few more bites that i missed there wasn't much more activity than that. That channel sure was fun to catch though. I will probably go back again this weekend to see if i can't catch anymore.

[treddinwater]

Welcome to the BOC Nick. I was up at Morse Saturday morning from about 7:30-11 and caught tons of slab gills and white bass. I found a couple of fresh dead shad and cut them up for bait and I had one solid tug on my cat line but whatever it was got me under a log before I could react. I intend on getting my first cat of the year sometime this weekend. A 17lb channel is a nice one, way to go.

[catfishernick33]

I went to Morse again Monday night. We didn't even get a bite. Seems the last 2 weeks they haven't been bitin very well.

[buckeater]

im going to try to stay out of giest on the weekends now unless we get a ton of rain because this past weekend ramp fees went to 27 bucks but still 11 on weekdays

[BigFlatty]

well if we get rain the next 10 days like they are forcasting the bite should definately turn on at both lakes!! incidentily i fished geist yesterday for crappie caught 60 for the day and lucked into one 7lb channel while bobber fishin with minnows, also heard from a fellow crappie guy on morse that said they caught a dozen nice cats while crappie fishin with minnows.....gonna have to get out there soon and hit just the cats......good luck and tight lines:lol:

[buckeater]

i have to go to rockville this weekend for a wedding so i am thinking about wabash or raccon. i have been on giest when ever it has been to wet to be in the fields and caught to many crappie to count, but a buddy told me that two weeks ago they caught 150 anywhere from 8-14 inches. to bad that had to be a week that we worked non stop. last couple times i have been out two of us have only came home with about 25 together so they might be turning off some, but i am no crappie expert just like to eat'em. if anyone has info on the wabash or racoon lake let me know. i never have been to racoon so any help would be good

[BigFlatty]

Went out last night from 6 till bout 10, caught my biggest channel to date, 37 inches long and 24lbs, caught the cats we caught up close to the bank in 4 to 5 feet of water on cut bait there was a cold front on its way in and stormin. water temp was 66degrees. good luck everybody!

[treddinwater]

That's a big cat Randy, there's some huge ones in there.

[catfishjohn]

Went out last night from 6 till bout 10, caught my biggest channel to date, 37 inches long and 24lbs, caught the cats we caught up close to the bank in 4 to 5 feet of water on cut bait there was a cold front on its way in and stormin. water temp was 66degrees. good luck everybody!

Congrats on the big ol channel! Did ya get any pics???

[BigFlatty]

i've got a couple camera phone pics, when i get the chance i'll try to get them on here, thanks for the props guys. my buddy i was with went back last night and the water temp dropped to 59!!!!, we had a bad cold front come thru with bunch of hail. its a waiting game now till the water warms back up.

[buckeater]

i gave in and paid the 27 bucks to put in on giest and went yesterday. the ICA had a tournament and we should have entered it the way they were biting. we cuaght alot of channels. anywhere from the 3 to 8 lb range. i know that they werent huge but on giest that about what everyone else was going to get. all in all it was an awesome night

[treddinwater]

Late on this week I'm either hitting up Morse or most likely fishing off the causeway on Geist, or both! haha, I'll let everybody know if I do any good.

[treddinwater]

I was able to hit the Fall Creek causeway on Geist yesterday for about an hour and a half from 6:30-8. I was using cut chub and nightcrawlers on the bottom and caught 2 cats on the cut chub, one was 8.2lbs and the other was 2.6lbs. Also caught a few sizeable white bass on the nightcrawlers on my ultra-light. It was fun for a quick fishing adventure.

[catseeman]

congrats , iam glad somebody is catching cats . This is the worst year I have ever had. Iam going to start using my old outfits again none of the new ones can cach a fish yet. How many times do you have to take a new outfit to water before it catches fish ? iam going to post tht as a question.

[buckeater]

was out on giest this morning doing a lil bass fishing. seen tons and tons of cats and most of them looked to be over ten lbs up in the weeds chasin the bluegill around. i had one hit my topwater lure and it straightend two of the hooks on the front treble and came off