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"a mind that is stretched by a new experience can never return to its original dimensions". Oliver Holmes |
Lake Monroe and Salt Creek Excursions - Monroe County |
Lake Monroe Paddling |
There are three major areas of Lake Monroe that are idle speed only and provide fantastic canoeing and kayaking. Pine Grove, Moore's Creek, and Ramp Creek. All provide calm waters (no power boat wake), great fishing, picnicking and, best of all, great swimming on rocky shorelines in clean water of Moore's Creek and Ramp Creek. Moore's Creek has a bald eagle's nest in it and all have great fishing. This is a great trip for visitors to Bloomington and Lake Monroe. Moore's Creek is especially close to Bloomington. MHAO has special flat water boats that are extremely stable yet paddle easily. |
Lake Monroe Paddling |
North Fork Salt Creek - Upstream of Lake Monroe |
Lake Monroe is Indiana's largest lake with over 10,750 surface areas of reservoir. This does not include the fantastic Salt Creek upstream and downstream of the lake. NF Salt Creek upstream of Lake Monroe provides wild backwater paddling with moderate to low current, fantastic fishing and abundant wildlife. All of this within 20 minutes of Bloomington or 20 minutes from Brown County State Park. This is arguably, the best wild backwaters in the state for wildlife viewing. There is a bald eagle nest along the NF of Salt Creek, and the eagles will generally pose for a photo op. Our trips here range from a minimum of 4 hours to overnight trips to paddle from the Monroe County line to the Pine Grove launch ramp at Lake Monroe. Longer trips of 6 hours or more are encouraged so you can see more of the backwaters of Lake Monroe. |
Lower Salt Creek - Below Monroe Dam |
This is the "cool" trip because cold water is being released from the bottom of Lake Monroe in the summer. In the summer it feels like the air conditioning is on. The average trip length is 3 hours to the Logan Guthrie bottoms. A pair of bald eagles has been nesting about 4 miles downstream of the dam for several years now. They generally make themselves available for photos as you silently glide beneath them. The fishery includes Kentucky spotted bass, sauger, walleye, wipers, sunfish, crappies, white bass, yellow bass, and catfish. Something is always biting in lower Salt Creek. This trip is subject to closure due to the occurrence of log jams along the creek in lower flow conditions |
Most High Adventure Outfitters - Indiana |