East Fork of Whitewater River in Indiana above Brookville Lake – FLOAT TRIP FROM BROWNSVILLE, IN TO LIBERTY, IN
***UPDATE 8/8***
For reasons I discovered on Thursday, August 8th, we cannot do the float that I originally planned. The access I had found last year turned out to not be suitable for putting in boats (5-foot drop off into an 8-foot deep hole – even though it looked good from the road). So … here’s the new plan …
If you want, meet for breakfast at the Liberty Bell Restaurant in Liberty, IN at 6:30AM – I drove it today in 1hour and 5 minutes keeping to the speed limit + 5mph (from 10:45AM-11:50AM).
One route is I-275 to Lawrenceburg Exit, follow IN-1 north to US-52. Turn Left and proceed to/past 52-Pickup.
Another route is I-275 to I-74 West to Exit 164 (IN-1). Turn right and follow to US-52. Turn Left and proceed to/past 52-Pickup. This route is quicker than going up IN-1.
Then follow US-52 through Brookvillle to IN-1/IN-101 (a little ways on the right past the McDonald’s) and follow IN-101 into/thru Liberty.
If you do not have an Indiana Fishing License … either stop at the 52-Pickup gas station and get a daily one or get it online athttps://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/9339.htm.
Meet in J’s DAIRY BAR parking lot in Liberty (on IN-44) at 7:30AM. We will drive west on IN-44 to the RAMP on Treaty Line Road (1st left past the IN-44 bridge going west). We will unload and prep all the boats then take all vehicles/trailers to the DUNLAPSVILLE RAMP, park the vehicles/trailers and return in one vehicle to the Treaty Line Ramp to launch and float down the river to the top end of Brookville Lake. This is still only a 3-mile float with lots of shoreline to fish.
Any 4-, 5- or 6-wt will be just fine. Flies – Anything that would resemble small shad or other minnow forage (silver or grey over white, light olive over white, etc) plus some flashabou or crystal flash. Smallmouth poppers, wooly-buggers, clouser minnows, hellgrammite patterns and other big nymphs.
We’ll check the river gauge at Abington (up-river) for the current flow and gage height (normal is around 200-250 (so if it’s much above that we may cancel). If the gage height is at or below 4’ and falling as of Thursday morning – (normal is just below 4′) the trip will likely be a go. It’s going to be hot and sticky so wear lightweight nylon or polyester clothes and plan to wade wet if you beach your boat.
For more info Contact Mike Arnold at mike@nkff.org
Bookings
Registration are closed for this event.
Registered Attendees
- Michael Arnold
- Dale Stephenson
- Donald Schrantz
- John Czarnecki
- Ron Francis
- Doug Pfetzer
- Bill Mertz
I will be fishing in Wyoming at this time I hopefully !!
All … Several folks expressed interest in this trip at tonight’s meeting. For members who may not have a kayak or canoe, two of those folks each have an extra kayak available if you would want to borrow one. We also have one 4-kayak trailer and two 2-kayak trailers with an extra spot or two for a kayak … so you don’t have to trailer your own (and we minimize the number of vehicles
we have driving up and around (and parking). Contact Mike Arnold if interested in borrowing a kayak and trailering one or more.
Route 1 may not be open all the way from Greendale to Rt. 52.
US 52 is closed just N of the exit off I74 so you have to go 1 exit W to hiway 1 which will get you to 52 above the closure. I fished over there this a.m. about 3 bridges N of Brownsville and did pretty well, including an 18″ and 16″ smallmouth. I have never fished the section this trip will float but know the rest of the creek well so if anyone wants some guidance on where else you might go let me know.
Dave Votaw
Newer member Sebastian Torres is interested and would like to use one of the kayaks. I will be watching the river gage at Abington all this week to be sure the creek will be floatable. Right now it looks fine. I’ll email everyone on the participation list to setup meeting times/places and kayak use/trailering/etc. Currently we have 8 folks signed up. It would be nice to use the 4-kayak trailer, my 2-kayak trailer and another 2-kayak trailer plus one person with an old beater he/she won’t mind leaving at the put in after ferrying us all to it from the Rte 44 parking lot.
Hi There,
Unfortunately I am now double booked this Saturday with events leading up to the start of the semester at NKU and I will not be able to make this trip. I am sorry about that – next time.
Joe Cruse is attending and using his 4-kayak trailer hauling his kayak, Don Schrantz’s kayak, Don’s spare kayak & paddle for Sebastian Torres and maybe Jarold Benson’s kayak. Mike Arnold is trailering his own kayak, Doug Pfetzer is bringing his own (cartop carrier I think). John Czarnecki is trailering his and Bill Mertz’z kayaks, and Ron Francis is using his 4-kayak trailer to bring his kayak, Ken Santo’s kayak, Ken’s spare kayak & paddle (for his friend Jeff Haggedorn). WOW … Eleven on this trip.
We also found out that NON-MOTORIZED WATERCRAFT on most lakes in Indiana REQUIRE a $5 PERMIT on the port side front of the boat. Ron Francis is picking up seven of those permits for us today (Friday) and we will repay him on Saturday