# Acton Water Temps/ Crappie Bite



## Willi2ch (Jun 13, 2017)

Anyone know what the water temp is for Acton right now? I was thinking about going to CC tomorrow but with Acton being shallower the temps might be better for the crappie bite. Thoughts???


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

I fished there sunday, but did not notice the temp, 2hr without a bite and I decided I had better things to do


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## bucketmouthbass (Jul 22, 2014)

Was around 73-74 last weekend


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## Acton Angler (Apr 3, 2017)

Anyone know if the marina is open today and if they have minnows. Thinking about heading down for the evening, will update if I go.


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

The marina was open last Sunday
if they don't have minneys check the Sunoco station down from Walmart


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## Acton Angler (Apr 3, 2017)

Well they were supposed to be open til 6 but didn't answer their phone all day. I got there at 7ish. Very slow night. Water was 72 on the lower end


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## flintlock (May 30, 2006)

Big carp for off there! The place reeks. I didn't see anything else but 100 carp though.


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## flintlock (May 30, 2006)

Die off- carp


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## Willi2ch (Jun 13, 2017)

flintlock said:


> Die off- carp


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## Willi2ch (Jun 13, 2017)

Was it a bunch of fish and just Carp? Anyone fish lately? How is crappie bite?


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## Cptn Spaulding (May 20, 2015)

Just carp. Spoke to DNR, they suspected it may have been a viral or bacterial infection that started in the creek that killed them.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I was there last Thursday afternoon and talked to a bass guy who said there were two distinct batches of dead fish all in same areas and he said a ranger told him that a lot of the fish all had bowfishing type holes in them but they could not confirm if a group just shot and dumped them but thought that was a distinct possibility since about 30 fish were in one floating batch moving across the lake when they checked them. If true that's very sad. Otherwise at late summer the option of a quick turnover with cold nites could easily wipe a batch of carp in an area. 
I did manage to cast net a huge gill 8.5" probably and 2 crappies right at about 9" around the docks. Sorry no water temp for ya but guess it's like everything else around here in the mid 70's.


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## sloweboat (Mar 13, 2014)

I read water temp last weekend 69-70 middle of the lake. I also saw all the carp at boat dock and several places along south shore. Must have been a hundred buzzards where 4mile creek feeds the lake. I didnt have much luck with the crappie as I spent most of my time untangling my kids' lines...


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## Betsabet (Jul 17, 2017)

Salmonid said:


> I was there last Thursday afternoon and talked to a bass guy who said there were two distinct batches of dead fish all in same areas and he said a ranger told him that a lot of the fish all had bowfishing type holes in them but they could not confirm if a group just shot and dumped them but thought that was a distinct possibility since about 30 fish were in one floating batch moving across the lake when they checked them. If true that's very sad. Otherwise at late summer the option of a quick turnover with cold nites could easily wipe a batch of carp in an area.
> I did manage to cast net a huge gill 8.5" probably and 2 crappies right at about 9" around the docks. Sorry no water temp for ya but guess it's like everything else around here in the mid 70's.


I fished the lake once a week since early April sometimes twice, It wasn't until late August or early September I saw 2 guys with bows on the front of thier pontoon that had went around me as i was anchored. This was the only time i saw bowfisherman all year.


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## Acton Angler (Apr 3, 2017)

Water 68 today. Had 10 keepers out of a dozen this morning.


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## Acton Angler (Apr 3, 2017)

Water 68 today. Had 10 keepers out of a dozen this morning.


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## Willi2ch (Jun 13, 2017)

I was out there Saturday and didn’t have much luck. Only person I talked to that had any luck was trolling. Hope to get out Wednesday, with the colder weather the bite has to be turning on soon! Any pointers for this time of year?


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

Acton Angler said:


> View attachment 246983
> View attachment 246984
> Water 68 today. Had 10 keepers out of a dozen this morning.


Can I ask how you were fishing? I might get a chance to make it to my fav crappie hole Thursday


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## Acton Angler (Apr 3, 2017)

Tom 513 said:


> Can I ask how you were fishing? I might get a chance to make it to my fav crappie hole Thursday


Tom - this was nearly two weeks ago now and we've had some cooler weather since, so I wouldn't be surprised if things have changed. But on this particular day we had a steady wind out of the south in the early morning and I was just drifting in the open water. I was marking and catching fish anywhere from 6-12 ft down, catching them both jigging and casting. Landed fish on both plastics and live minnows. The wind got a little too strong and I retreated to more shallow, protected water and had no luck shallow so called it a day.
Please let us know how you do. They should really be turning on now and unfortunately I won't have a chance to take advantage this weekend.


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

Thanks for the report, it's been awhile since I fished Acton, although I fished crappor in a 6 acre pond in central ky this past weekend and did pretty good using minnows, slip bobber 3 to 6ft down off the banks, was in my kayak so don't know how deep. I will try trolling at Acton and see what I can pick up, it seems like when they slow down there I can always find them schooled up by the dam, I have had good luck with jigs there using pink and or chartreuse colored Bobby garland lures and tipping them with crappie nibbles. Will be fishing Whitewater memorial this weekend, which is a good lake, but no one on ogf seems interested in a Indiana lake, lol


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## fishwhacker (Jul 16, 2010)

Tom 513 said:


> Thanks for the report, it's been awhile since I fished Acton, although I fished crappor in a 6 acre pond in central ky this past weekend and did pretty good using minnows, slip bobber 3 to 6ft down off the banks, was in my kayak so don't know how deep. I will try trolling at Acton and see what I can pick up, it seems like when they slow down there I can always find them schooled up by the dam, I have had good luck with jigs there using pink and or chartreuse colored Bobby garland lures and tipping them with crappie nibbles. Will be fishing Whitewater memorial this weekend, which is a good lake, but no one on ogf seems interested in a Indiana lake, lol


Liar....let me know how you do at whitewater. I love that lake and brookville


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

fishwhacker said:


> Liar....let me know how you do at whitewater. I love that lake and brookville


Liar.....? its been probably a good 6 weeks since I fished Acton


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## fishwhacker (Jul 16, 2010)

I was calling liar that no ogf members care about indiana lakes cause i do.


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

I fished Acton today 8am- 1:00 ish, I trolled dble minnow rigs, there wasnt a boat on the water when I launched, but plenty as the morning went on. The fish were scattered and hungry ones far and few between, the deeper water 12'+ yielded more fish then shallows, I ended up going through around 10 fish with 3 keepers that were released. From the talking to other crappie guys I wasnt alone. I did get the chance to talk with the Dnr guys for a good long time, and enjoyed the info they offered.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Nice Tom. Did they mention hybrid stripers? Just curious. I assume it was Justin w and his crew?


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## BrettSass844 (Apr 25, 2017)

Salmonid said:


> Nice Tom. Did they mention hybrid stripers? Just curious. I assume it was Justin w and his crew?


Hybrid stripes? Are they planning on putting some in Acton?


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

Salmonid said:


> Nice Tom. Did they mention hybrid stripers? Just curious. I assume it was Justin w and his crew?


Yes, Justin was the guy, plenty of good crappie info, and they are doing more research at Acton then most lakes. He told me they had a 2# white in one of there nets


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

BrettSass844 said:


> Hybrid stripes? Are they planning on putting some in Acton?


They were surveying fishermen this Spring about stocking stripers, most people I talked to were against it, plus I would not think Acton is deep enough for them


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## BrettSass844 (Apr 25, 2017)

Tom 513 said:


> They were surveying fishermen this Spring about stocking stripers, most people I talked to were against it, plus I would not think Acton is deep enough for them


Thank god! I hope they do not.


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## sloweboat (Mar 13, 2014)

I was surveyed about the stripers in the spring and I said that if I were tageting stripers, Id go to Eastfork... but I'd rather go to Acton for bass and crappie, even if a lot of the crappie caught were .5" shy of the length limit. I was told the stripers would help with the crappie stunting. He told me that the the stripers would reduce the shad population that were too big for the crappie to feed on, but were actually competing with them for forage. But I replied that Id be concerned about hurting the crappie and largemouth populations - but then again, Im no marine biologist...


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

Well according to the Dnr guys who study the lake, the reason for the .5" shy size crappie is due to a poor shad spawn a few years in a row. It has improved though. I was told that most of the thin undersized fish have died, and the overall sizes are improving, for example they had mentioned netting a 2# white this past week which is very promising. I myself would sooner see quality fish before quantity. Hopefully Acton crappie will strive. 


sloweboat said:


> I was surveyed about the stripers in the spring and I said that if I were tageting stripers, Id go to Eastfork... but I'd rather go to Acton for bass and crappie, even if a lot of the crappie caught were .5" shy of the length limit. I was told the stripers would help with the crappie stunting. He told me that the the stripers would reduce the shad population that were too big for the crappie to feed on, but were actually competing with them for forage. But I replied that Id be concerned about hurting the crappie and largemouth populations - but then again, Im no marine biologist...[/QUOTE


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## BrettSass844 (Apr 25, 2017)

Isn’t there a forage they could supplement the lake with that does not outgrow the Crappie and compete with food? 
Personally I think Acton is a nice little fishery for Crappie, Bass and Saugeye. I would prefer it stay that way. 
An increase in Saugeye fingerling stocking could be a long term solution. Bigger eyes love bigger shad.


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

BrettSass844 said:


> Isn’t there a forage they could supplement the lake with that does not outgrow the Crappie and compete with food?
> Personally I think Acton is a nice little fishery for Crappie, Bass and Saugeye. I would prefer it stay that way.
> An increase in Saugeye fingerling stocking could be a long term solution. Bigger eyes love bigger shad.


I know they stocked left over Saugeye this year


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Lake already been stocked with Golden shiners. They are everywhere in the lake. I wonder if that was done to help in case they did decide to stock HSB.


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## johnnywalleye (Jan 27, 2007)

acton was the perfect crappie lake. caught 263 in a 8 hr. kept 30. if odnr says saugeye is the answer to shad then so be it. we would not have the abundance of fish in our shallow lakes if it was not for odnr. fish management is crucial. whether it be east fork in the south or glsm in the north, deer creek in the east, or rf in the south. give a star to odnr. let me say that i fished cc and did not catch anything. i might try eveybodys favorite, cj brown in the morning.


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## Willi2ch (Jun 13, 2017)

johnnywalleye said:


> acton was the perfect crappie lake. caught 263 in a 8 hr. kept 30. if odnr says saugeye is the answer to shad then so be it. we would not have the abundance of fish in our shallow lakes if it was not for odnr. fish management is crucial. whether it be east fork in the south or glsm in the north, deer creek in the east, or rf in the south. give a star to odnr. let me say that i fished cc and did not catch anything. i might try eveybodys favorite, cj brown in the morning.


You caught 263 in 8hrs recently?


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Wow! You should get a Gopro and YouTube channel, I would watch someone catch a crappie every two minutes for 8hrs straight.


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## BrettSass844 (Apr 25, 2017)

Is Acton still muddy from the recent rains? I’m just getting back in town from traveling for several days. Heading to Indian tomorrow. But wouldn’t mind fishing Acton today if the water clarity is decent.


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## Cptn Spaulding (May 20, 2015)

Not sure about the lake but the spillway was pretty stained yesterday.


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