Bank Fishing at Barren

[GoBigBlue]

Taking the kids to Barren April 4-9 for spring break. Staying at the State park, no boat so we will be bank fishing. Not picky about species just like to catch fish, anyone have any suggestions for the best places to bank fish around the state park? It looks like the water is up higher than it has been before when we were down there this time of year. Thanks for the help!

[Dizzle]

If you leave the State Park Heading back towards Glasgow, follow the signs to the Narrows. Turn left onto that road (There's a cell tower on the corner). Go all the way to the stop sign. It's a 4 way stop. Take a left. It will take you to a fishing pier. I know there are submerged trees and stake beds all around the pier. The only problem is high water.. I don't know if it will be usable or not.

[jpm537]

I have bank fished there before. The best two spots I've found are: the north side of the dam there is a park area where you can fish from a point that goes out. Ive caught a 3lb largemouth there before and I've seen lots of other fish around the rocks there. There is also a pier there that if the water is high enough you can fish from. The best bank fishing that I've found is the tailwater area. Get jig/minnow (fake) and fish it against the flow right next to the rocks. I've caught many hybrids, crappie and even a few spotted bass. My 9 year old caught a 17 inch trophy crappie doing the jig fake minnow trick. We were using Berkely realistix minnows. We were catching one almost every other cast. It was the same time of year and with the dam flowing wide open. Good Luck. I may see you there.

[GoBigBlue]

Thanks for the replies. I have fished the rocks below the dam before it seems to be hit or miss. Last year caught a bunch of yellow bass there but not a lot of size to them. Have never been to Barren when the water was up high enough to fish from any of the "fishing piers" but from the photos I have seen it might be TOO high instead of not high enough. Was watching the weather and looks like they got rain again today, best we can hope for is warm overcast days with southern winds! We always take 500 crawlers and a bunch of wax worms, and will go to ranger bobs for minnows. Would like to find a place where I could luck into some channel cats but will take anything we can get!

[jpm537]

I have fished off of the golf course at the State Park. I walked from the Resort to the entrance of the golf course and turned left. It is the point/peninsula across from the dock at the Resort ramp. I have dead sticked there with night crawlers and caught channel cats in the later part of the day (same time of year but with lower water and much warmer than it is now). Only experience I've had with cats there. Good luck!

[Carter1]

I fished below the dam one time. I was throwing a big ol' Bagley crankbait. Why? Cause I had no idea what the water was like there. I cast it out and started to reel it back slowly. Then my bait stopped. I thought I was hung up on a log until it began fighting back. After a few minutes I landed a 20+ pound flathead.

[Bobby Headrick]

If cats is your main target you would have best luck fishing under some of the bridges that span Barren. The river, and Peter creek bridges have parking spots, the banks a climb to get to but there is plenty of room to fish. The bridges at Walnut creek, Browns Fords and also the Beaver creek bridge on Siddens road are all good spots. I have caught several good sized cats at siddens bridge. The lake is only 2.5 ft high so you can bank fish those spots. Good luck and have fun, and use cation when going down the banks.

[smashdn]

Port Oliver boat ramp area. It has a sidewalk going around the point that would be good to fish off of.

The narrows fishing pier has been mentioned. Off the rip rap near the state park marina too. It will be too early to be open but down past the swimming area at the state park there is bank fishing access. It would be a walk with the gate closed though.

[GoBigBlue]

Anybody know what the water level is like at the fishing piers?

[smashdn]

Anybody know what the water level is like at the fishing piers?

At summer pool (552) there is about 1.5 foot clearance under the narrows pier. Check the COE website to see what the lake level is.

[GoBigBlue]

Thanks for all the help, we had a great trip and brought home two coolers full of fillets. We spent 1/2 of one day up by the dam but did no good at the pond or below the dam. The water is way up and running too hard to have any luck there. Where we caught most of our fish was right at the state park ramp area. All on live bait, despite throwing spinner baits, crank baits, and plastics. Crappie on small minnows purchased at Ranger Bobs, Bass on nightcrawlers purchased before the trip, and a bunch of bluegill on wax worms. I caught my limit of black bass 3 days of the trip all on nightcrawlers hooked thru the nose with very little (and sometimes no) weight. My sons and father all had full stringers each day and my wife and mom caught fish as well. All from the bank and all within walking distance of the state park ramp. The water is way up, look for brush right at the edge of the water and fish 10-15' off the bank in 6-10' of water and hang on. Took two 4 pounders, a bunch of 2-3lbs and kept one fish under 15" each day per the rules. The crappie were all 9-11 inches but only got about 10 total in the four days we fished. The gills ran from puny to palm sized but were abundant.

Thanks again for the info from the board, and hope someone else can have as much fun as we did.

[Fisher4life]

was up there yesterday and the sidewalk around the port oliver ramp was under water. the back side of Peninsula parking lot can be good at times. good luck and good fishin!