LOCATION: Approximately 60 miles South of Indianapolis and 8 miles South of Bloomington.
DIRECTIONS: SR 37 South from Indianapolis to either College Park or SR 46 exit at Bloomington. Go East on SR 46 to SR 446 and then South 6 miles to Paynetown SRA (good directional signs).
PHONE NUMBER: Paynetown Campground 812-837-9546.
LAKE INFORMATION: Monroe is a 10,750 acre reservoir (largest lake in Indiana). Monroe is the premier tournament lake in the state. with large tournaments every weekend from April to October. (please check my Tournament Page for upcoming events.All Tournaments leave from Cutright Ramp. Although Monroe has very heavy pressure, it still produces large stringers consistently. 3 years ago, a two-day open team tournament in June took 98# to win.. It routinely takes from 15#-25# to win a one day tournament.
The Upper End above the causeway is considered the shallow end and this area is 'idle only'. A large number of large bass are caught in both Pine Grove and Crooked Creek. Note: Both of these creeks are closed from approximately October 1 to April 15, as these are waterfowl resting areas. Please also note that Pine Grove can be a little tricky to navigate if the water is near or at pool.
The Lower End below the causeway has great fishing in all the bays during spring/fall and mainlake points during the summer. There is very heavy boat traffic in the summer. There is abundant cover of all types, including laydowns, brush, riprap, standing timber, some docks, and many underwater brush piles (if you know where they are). The weeds and pads have been sparse due to high water conditions the last three years.
Note: It is advised to call ahead if water conditions are high. Check my Lake Levels for up-to-date lake levels, as many of the ramps are inaccessible during high water or at best very difficult to negotiate, with the exception of Hardin Ridge.
RAMPS: There are 6 paved ramps with six lanes each and good parking. These ramps are located at Paynetown, Cutright, Moore's Creek, Fairfax, Hardin Ridge, and Salt Creek. There are smaller ramps at Pine Grove, Crooked Creek and Allen's Creek>
MARINAS: There are 3 marinas that have fuel. These are located at Paynetown, Fairfax, and Cutright.
CAMPING: Paynetown SRA has a large, modern campground with approximately 226 Class A sites, 22 Class B sites, and 74 Class C(primitive) sites. There is a camp store near the entrance and a full service gas station, mini mart, and tackle store directly across from the campground entrance. Note: This campground is extremely busy during the summer months and often fills up by 5:00pm on Fridays.
There are also electric sites available at the Hardin Ridge Campground (this campground is run by the Indiana National Forest and has separate fees and does not honor DNR Entrance Passes.)
FOOD: Some groceries are available at the campground store and the tackle shop across from the campground (The Fishin' Shed). There is a very decent restaurant on 446 between the campground and Bloomington (The Hilltop). In Bloomington, there are many restaurants and fast food joints. The favorite among Monroe fishermen seems to be Ryan's which is about 15 minutes from the campground.
MOTELS: There are numerous motels in Bloomington. I suggest you get your reservations early, as I.U. ballgames can make booking a room almost impossible some weekends. There are also a couple of private campgrounds close by.
Listed below are some area tackle shops and motels. For a complete listing of motels, tackle, restaurants, guides, marine repair, or any other facilities you might need, please click on the icon below and check out INFOSPACE. It is a yellow page directory that enables you to locate any type of business, in any city, and includes a map. This will prove invaluable to you when fishing unfamiliar areas and needing accommodations or information.
Tackle
- The Fishin' Shed
812-837-9474
- Pine Grove Bait and Tackle
812-233-6397
- Buddy Bill's Bait Barn
812-824-9361Motels
- Days Inn
812-
- Economy Inn
812
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