Blue catfish Description: Like other catfish, the blue catfish has a smooth scaleless skin and barbels on its face resembling cat whiskers. The barbels help the blue taste and feel objects and enable it to locate food in dark and turbid water. The blue catfish has 30-35 anal fin rays, its anal fin margin is straight and the caudal fin is deeply forked.
Bait: Worms Depth: Bottom
Catfishes rank second only to Buffalos as freshwater commercial fish. Catfishes take a wide variety of food, including clams, insect larvae, and crustaceans. They are also scavengers. Worms seem to be the most productive bait here at Cecil M. Harden Lake. The South end of the beach, off of the South point is one of the more productive areas in the lake for catfishes. If success is limited you may try an alterative bait such as a commerical blood bait, or some tainted chicken livers.
Sunfish Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. On the largemouth bass, the upper jaw extends beyond back of eye, differentiating the fish from the smallmouth bass. The largemouth bass commonly reached six pounds.
Bait: Various Crank Baits Depth: Varies
Comments about fish: Often called on of the finest fresh-water game fish of Indiana. The largemouth Bass often feeds upon crayfish and other smaller fish.
Redear Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. The redear sunfish has an opercle flap (ear) that is tipped with a red or orange margin.
Bait: Jiggs or bee moths Depth: Shallow Water
Comments about fish: Also know as the "Shellcracker" grows to a length of about 7" in Cecil M. Harden Lake. This fish is a transplant from the Mississippi basin from Illinois south, and is most abundant in the south where it grows to near 10 inches.
Smallmouth bass The last rays on the dorsal fin of the smallmouth bass are separated from the rest of the fin. Also, the upper jaw does not extend beyond back of eye, as it does with the largemouth bass. The smallmouth bass commonly reaches 3-4 pounds.
Bait: Various Crank Baits Depth: Varies
Comments about fish: Smallmouth bass are not typically associted with Cecil M. Harden Lake to a great extent. Although we do have a Smallmouth bass population
Striped bass These bass belong to the temperate bass family. Temperate basses include the true fresh water basses, white and yellow bass, and the striped bass, which originally lived in the Atlantic Ocean but can live its entire life in fresh water. Temperate basses often school far from shore and feed on schooling fish. Hybrid striped bass are a cross of white and striped bass. The striped bass has tooth patches on back of tongue in two parallel patches, first stripe below lateral line complete to tail, stripes above lateral line are unbroken.
Bait: Various Crank Baits Depth: Below 15' Comments about fish:
Comments about fish: Striped bass were introduced to Cecil M. Harden Lake in 1995 as a means to control a exploding Gizzard Shad population. Striped bass seem to be one of the more popular sporting fishes as they will fight aggressively to get off of an angler's line. As the summer temperatures sky rocket the Striped bass will typically seek out the deeper, cooler waters. Fishing Hint: try fishing straight out off of points into deep channels. Raccoon has the Indiana State record for Striped Bass @ 39.08 lbs (caught in 2010).
Walleye iana anglers have long since sought perch for their tasty flavor. The yellow perch, walleye and sauger are members of this popular family. The walleye has no spots on its dorsal fin and a dusky spot at the rear of its spiny dorsal fin, lower tip of tail and anal fin are white.
Bait: Various Crank Baits Depth: Varies
Comments about fish: Walleye is not commonly fished for at Cecil M. Harden Lake. Although Walleye are no longer stocked at the lake, biologist netted walleye that have naturally reproduced.
White Bass These bass belong to the temperate bass family. Temperate basses include the true fresh water basses, white and yellow bass, and the striped bass, which originally lived in the Atlantic Ocean but can live its entire life in fresh water. Temperate basses often school far from shore and feed on schooling fish. Hybrid striped bass are a cross of white and striped bass. The white bass has a single tooth patch on back of tongue, first stripe below lateral line not complete to tail.
Bait: Jiggs or minnows Depth: Varies
Comments about fish: White bass are often over looked at Cecil M. Harden as a sporting opportunity. In the spring and fall of each year White bass can be found in the upper Big Raccoon Creek entering the lake at Portland Mills. White bass will also school with the crappie throughout the entire lake.
White Crappie The white crappie has six dorsal spines, black side markings forming vertical bars rather than random spots and anal fin rays.
Bait: Jiggs or minnows Depth: Varies
Comments about fish: Two species, the Black crappie and White crappie inhabit about the same regions.