Anyone know of any power plant lakes in Indiana? I think there is one South of Terre Haute.

Rand

Yes

Turtle Creek (Merom generating station)

This is a cooling lake for an electric power plant and man does it have some nice bass in it.

I have fished it many times and it is the home of my personal best and all my largest fish

The waters there generally stay above 50 and the closer you get to the plant,the  temps will rise close to 70. Usually when you launch its hard to see where you are going for all the steam coming off the water!

This place is very particular when it comes to checking in..

Shoot me a pm and I can tell you more.

Is turtle creek 10HP max or can you put a bass boat on there?

It is 10hp max. You can have any boat on there. Just have to leave motor up while on water. Believe you can use outboard to put on and take off trailer.

Major monster bass still lurk in Turtle Creek but its not even 1/10th what it used to be.  That lake used to have vegetation in the form of weeds and lilly pads for as far as the eye can see.  Now there is none.  Most think the plant killed it off intentionally which would make sense for their cooling purposes.  Not sure whether it was intentional or not but I believe it had a major part in it.  Anyways since the vegetation died the bass fishing went from catching 20 or more 5lb+ fish a day to being lucky to get 1.  The limit is 1 fish 20 inches.  The lake is hard to learn, mostly a flooded creek and cornfields and alot of the lake is only 2-3-4ft deep outside the channel so be careful and get a good map.  South end provides alot of deep almost normal lake fishing but early season you should head to the north end where its warmer.  There are still good fish to be caught, even crappie and catfish.  You just have to put alot of time in for a couple of good fish.  I believe the HP limit is actually 9.9 so unless you have one that size or a kicker you'll only be fishing the south end.  Lake is around 1500 acres with the ramp on the very south end near dam.

Thanks for the info tommybass. Sorry to hear that it has declined. Seems like one of few plasces in the state to catch real lunkers. When was the last time you were there?

Last time I fished that lake was in May of 07.  Me and a buddy won a tournament there.  Out of probably 20 boats we were the only one to turn in a fish.  As I said the limit is 20 inches, ours was around 20.3 inches and was 5lbs.  Some of the other boats caught some 18 and 19 inchers but ours was the only 20.  I dont have a kicker on my boat so I had to use the TM and stay on the south end and fish deep.  Most everyone else went up North closer to where the plants hot water dumps in.  Its a different experience and worth a try.  Talk to the guards before you go in and get the down low on current conditions and catches.  Everyyear there is usually several 8 or 9 lbers to come out and I would guarentee there are much larger ones in there.  If that lake would have stayed on course it would have destroyed the state record probably.

If that lake would have stayed on course it would have destroyed the state record probably.

x2

Tommy, it's been awhile since I have been there but last time I was there I recall the vegetation being thick, it sounds like it has changed quite a bit over the last couple years....THAT'S SAD.

I guess I will have to plan a 3 hour roadtrip to there to check it out!

Yes I would not plan on fishing any vegetation except for bad casts onto the shore. Maybe some mossy scum here or there but nothing major like it used to be. There are still several good areas of standing / lay down timber though.

I also forgot to mention that you should stray away from fishing this lake on windy days, especially in anything < 14ft long.  Strong north or south winds combined with the relative shallowness in the majority of the lake can combine for some mean waves.  Many boats have been swamped in that lake due to carelessness.