Fishing on Lake Maxinkuckee  

Location

Fishing in Lake Maxinkuckee has been a favorite past time for years. Many of the longtime old fisherman are gone - David Burns, "Bob" Hodges, Dale Sensibaugh and many others.





The fishing is of all variety's - ice; summer fishing: from the lake edge, boats and piers; fly fishing; and fishing clubs have came into style and bass clubs from all over come to fish the waters of Lake Maxinkuckee.

The fishing holes and area's are represented by this map.

Here is stats on size of lake, types of fish etc. from Lake_Link takes you directly to Lake Maxinkuckee and map of te area; also from this link is 2004 Fishing Reports

An interesting article ont the wetlands of Maxinkuckee by Frederick Karst.

1879 - May 8 - The FIshing CLub of Plymouth has contracted with the governement for 75,000 fish spawn to be used in stocking Lake Maxinkuckee - - - Indiana State Sentinel

1879 -May 21 - Land locked salmon will be supplied to Lake Maxinkuckee this spring and other species as soon as the spawn may be shipped with safte y - - - Indiana State Sentinel

1882-17 June - Maxinkuckee must be regaining its excellenceas a fishing ground. The SalmonFishing Club of Indianapolis, reports the following catch in five days' fishing: bass.150, average weight 2 3/4 pounds; wall-eyed salmon or pike, 35; croppies and red eyes 27; total, 212; total weight a little over 500 pounds.- Logansport Pharos Tribune

1890 - Feb 14 - Trout for Lake Maxinkuckee - Indianapolis Journal: Mr. Fred Baggs recently wrote the United States Fish Commissioner asking for a lot of fish for Lake Maxinkuckee. Today he received replay hat a shipmen of trout has been made. They will be received in a day or two, and will be taken to the lake. A year ago a similar batch was put into the lake they have grown nicely - Logansport Pharos Tribune.

1896 - May 27 - An epidemic is said to prevail among the blue-gilled sunfish in Lake Maxinkuckee, and bushels of these fish have been washed ashore along the north bank - Logansport Pharos Tribune

1899 - apr 6 - It is claimed that a special deputy fish commissioner is now in this part of the state, looking up violations of thelavr, and will visit Maxinkuckee and other northern lakes. - Logansport Pharos Tribune

From: One Township Yesterday's - Corwin:

Old Time Fishermen

Not much is said about the old time fisherman needing the old time doctor. On the Contrary, fishing was said to cure a m ultitude of ancient ills. Many in these parts were "born with a fishing pole in their hands." Very little is said about, fish ague, but many were afflicted with tales of fish that towed dug-out canoes around the lake (with passengers) and several monsters of assorted shapes and sizes that lurked in the waters of Maxinkuckee, and even in smaller nearby bodies of water.

One of the local fishermen of considerable renown and recognized prowess, who fished in later days, but not so very much later than the pioneer anglers, was James McGuire. Some thirty years ago, he was known as "Grandpa McGuire," and later yet as "Old Grandpa McGuire." He lived in what is one of the oldest dwell­ings in Culver , a low-built house, the second west of the Evangelical Church.

Old Grandpa McGuire fished and fished, and kept on fishing until he was past eighty years of age. At the age of eighty, in October, 1905, he caught a big straw bass, one of the largest bass ever taken from Lake Maxinkuckee up to that time. He got it at the depot pier on the second of October. And it was guaranteed and accredited and bona fide and true. The fish was 24 inches long, 15 inches around, and weighed seven pounds. He took it with an ordinary cane pole and, medium sized hook.

1900 - Jan -19 Local fishermen at Lake Maxinkuckee are reported as gathering a fine harvest of fish through openings made in the ice, Most of the fish caught are bass and some of them quite large. Logansport Pharos Tribune

1900 Mar 23 - The government fish commissioners have notified Maxinkuckee parties that about the first of next month a carload of salmon from Lake Michigan will be put in Maxinkuckee. - Logansport Pharos Tribune

1900 Mar 27 - Stocking Lake Maxinkuckee - Culver, Ind. - March 27 - The governement fish commissioners have yielded to the request of the cottage holders at Lake Maxinkuckee, and during the coming month a car load of young salmon will be placed in the lake to be brought from the fisheries in Michigan - Palladium Item (Richmond, Indiana)

1901 - Aug 29 Fish Commissioner's Car No. 1 transferred 500 black bass to Lake Maxinkuckee Saturday. - Weekly Republican, Plymouth, Indiana

1903 - May 23 - The United States Fish Commission last week placed 10,000,000 wall-eyed pike in Lake Maxinkuckee. The fish were brought here from the government hatcheries at Toledo - White County Democrat, Monticello Indiana.

1903 - May 29 - Lake Maxinkuckee Stocked With Pike

Thursday the United State fish commissioer's special car arrieved at Culver with 10,000,000 pike perch, commonly called wall-eyed pike, on board.

Of this number 8,200,000 pr 85 tanks full, were put in old Lake Maxinkuckee under the direction of Capt. Ed. Morris.

They were dumped in water from 20 to 40 feet deep and an average temperature of 54 degrees.

These small fish came from Put-in-Bay on Lake Erire, and were about one-fourth of an inch long and from a spectator's standpoint seem to consist chiefly og eyes.

Maxinkuckee is chief of the few stocked lakes if Indiana.

It is stated that a number of bass will be sent to the lake later this season.

THe small fish put in Thursday were forty-eight hours old and it will be three years before they are old enough to be used for food. - White County Democrat, Monticello Indiana.

1906 - Jan 5 - ICE AT MAXINKUCKEE. Culver Citizen: "The ice on the lake is at present an uncertain quanity and rather treacherous.... J. F. Cromley was fishing near the edge of the ice when a large cake became detached and began drifting to the center of the lake. He was very much frightened, although in no great danger. A boat was secured and a resucue made in short order. - Logansport Daily Pharos

1906 - Jan 11 - There is no fishing through the ice at Maxinkuckee this winter because there is no ice on the lake. - Logansport Daily Pharos

Water Mold kills fish.

It has been determined by the state officials who have examinded the water of Lake Maxinkuckee, that water mold has caused the death of the many fish that have been discovered on the lake. this mold is known to have killed many fish in the lakes of the state, but the epidemic that is visiting Lake Maxinkuckee this time is the worst ever known. aithorities state that fish taken out of the lake may be eaten without any ill res ults.

Wednesday, May 28, 1919 Logansport, Indiana Logansport Pharos-Reporter

28 June 1933 - Three separate parties claim to have seen a fish in Lake Maxinkuckee with a side as broad as a boat;

• one party said it was 16 feet long;
• one said it towed his boat before the line broke;
• another is sure it's a sturgeon.

If anyone sees the fish,, they are encouraged to contact the citizen.


1935 - Oct 16 - Argos Hatchery Places Bass In Lake Maxinkuckee - 9,000 small mouth bass were placed in Lake Maxinkuckee last week bu the Izaak Walton League FIsh hatchery of Argos...

1935 - Oct 23 - Fish added to lake from Rochester Hatchery - 3,000 six inch large moth bass were placed in Lake Maxinkuckee this week ny the Fereral hatcher at ROchester. With these and the fish from the Argos Hatchery and Macinkuckee fish and Game ponds the lake has been well restocked for next year, all of which should be goog news to the fishermen

From an issue of the 1939 Culver Citizen:

Thaw Stops Ice Fishing on Lake Maxinkuckee

Ice fishing on Lake Maxinkuckee has been pop ular for several weeks with blue gills and red eyes and an occassional bass, biting the best on live minnows. But a sudden thaw and high winds cleared the lake of ice on SUnday and spolied the sport that had kept a large number of men of the ice through all kinds of weather. Left to right in front of the puicture: James Drake, William Benner, Gene Hisey and Earl Croco.

1939 Stocking Lake Maxinkuckee is Game Warden Herbert Slaon wearing hip boots dumps the small fish in their new home, Lake Maxinkuckee

Dentist and Physician from Fulton featured in unique fish story

Rochester, July 27 - two Fulton county doctors, a physician and a dentist, were featured in the column, 'names in passing' in today's indianapolis star. the story follows:

Dr. J. A. Hafert, Fulton dentist, got hooked uyesterday, but he has a bass to show for it. he was fishing in front of his summer home on Lake maxinkuckee, cool water running between his toes when a bass grabed his plug. Dr. hafert heaved in and threw the fish on shore by the waters edge. seeing his prize flopping back toward lake Maxinkuckee, dr. hafert attempted to step on it wiht his bare feet.

Instead, he landed on the plug. which had dislodged. it tool Dr. J. J. Kraning, a kewanna physician, who lives in a nearby cottage, to separate his neighbor and his bait.

Logansport Press
Friday, July 28, 1950 Logansport, Indiana

Of course the fisherman's friend - was the local bait shop - George's Place it was owned and ran by George Franz and was located on S. Main St. across from the Culver Masonic Cemetery - several other place over the years carried bait for fisherman too Hansen's; Don Neidlinger started a bait shop on Lakeshore drive for a few years and years before that Sperry's and Bill Anderson carried bait amongest many other who are those probably long forgotten

Catch Summary - May 19, 2007

			Length
Species	Number	percent	Min	Max
Rick Bass	84 1	9.7	2.6	11.1
Bluegill	50 1	8.7	2.2	9.2
Smallmouth bass	44	10.3	1.8	18.4
Largemouth bass	43	10.1	1.9	15.8
Walleye	35	8.2	3.4	20.5
Yellow Perch	34	8.0	2.7	12.3
Spotted Gar	26	6.1	24.6	48.1
Gizzard Shad	11	26	13.2	2.0
Brown Bullhead	10	2.3	8.0	14.3
Bowlin	8 1	1.9	21.0	25.0
Shortnose Gar	8	1.9	17.4	28.0

Fish Stocking

Year	Species	size	# realeasd
2007	Walleye	Fingerling	189,235
2008	Walleye	Fiingerling	110,392
2009	Walleye	Fingerling	186,633
2010	Walleye	Fingerling	256,666
2011	Walleye	Fingerling	370,920
2012	Walleye	Adult	27,183
2012	Walleye	Fingerling	3.627
2013	Walleye	Fingerling	271,086
2014	Walleye	Adult	18,920
2015	Walleye	Fingerling	199,031

Fishing Index