Location:

Northeast Indiana

Steuben County, Indiana

DeLorme Page 23, Grids A & B, 8-12 (Labeled "Lake Gage", "Lake James", "Crooked Lake", "Clear Lake") and "Cedar Swamp WCA"

GPS Coordinates:

41º 43' 48.47" N     84º 54' 11.79" W – Cedar Swamp

Description:

Although any of the lakes in Steuben County can provide good birding, Lake James, Crooked Lake, Lake Gage, and Clear Lake have been the most frequently birded and the most productive. These lakes have enough size and depth to be attractive to many water birds, including species that are most at home on the Great Lakes and the oceans. At this writing (Feb. 2007), however, numbers and variety of water birds on the lakes have been substantially lower for several years than formerly.

All of these lakes are heavily developed--surrounded mostly by homes and summer cottages. Pokagon State Park on the east side of Lake James, 76 Park and the Steuben County Campground and Beach on Crooked Lake, and a few public boat launches are the only points of public access to the lakes. Therefore, in order to bird the lakes adequately, you also must bird from the roads surrounding the lakes, stopping along the roadsides and looking between houses. Nevertheless, the birding can be very rewarding in migration. Since little walking is involved (except at Pokagon State Park), the lakes are attractive for handicapped birders.

Cedar Swamp Wetland Conservation Area is a large marsh and shallow wetland that must be covered on foot and is not handicapped accessible. It is good for waterfowl in spring and nesting marsh birds in summer.

Typical Time to Bird Site: 2-6 Hours, depending on thoroughness and number of lakes visited.

Birds:

Overview:

Migrating water birds are the main attraction for birders on the lakes. Loons, grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, geese, ducks, Herring, Ring-billed, and Bonaparte's Gulls (but very rarely any other gull species) can be found with some regularity. Terns are occasional. A few residences around the lakes have feeders that sometimes attract winter finches in invasion years. Cedar Swamp Wetland Conservation Area hosts a variety of ducks in spring and marsh birds in summer.

Specialty Species:

The lakes, especially Clear Lake, are good places to look for Greater Scaup . Tundra Swans are found irregularly on the lakes. Marsh Wrens nest at Cedar Swamp. Common Moorhens are reasonably regular there in summer.

Noteworthy Records:

Red-throated Loon - Clear Lake

Pacific Loon - Lake Gage (22-26-Oct-1987) and (19-20-Nov-1995); Crooked Lake (07-10-Dec-1996) - 2 birds

American Bittern - Cedar Swamp

Least Bittern - Cedar Swamp

All three scoter species - Multiple records, most from Clear Lake and Lake Gage

Oldsquaw - Lake Gage

Glaucous Gull - Lake James

Common Redpoll - Lake Gage feeders

General:

Ownership:

Pokagon State Park (on Lake James) and Cedar Swamp Wetland Conservation Area :

State of Indiana / Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Site Phone Number: 260-833-2012

76 Park / Steuben County Campground & Beach (Crooked Lake): Steuben County Parks

Except for the above mentioned parks and the public boat ramps located at all four lakes, the remainder of the land around the Steuben County Lakes is on private property.

Hours:

None

Fees:

At Pokagon State Park, the standard state park entrance fees apply. There are no fees at Cedar Swamp or elsewhere around the lakes.

Restrooms:

The only public restrooms to be found at any of the lakes are located at Pokagon State Park (indoor facilities at the Nature Center and the Potawatomi Inn, outhouses at the picnic areas and campgrounds). Otherwise, restrooms are available at restaurants and gas stations in Angola and Fremont.

Special Considerations:

Traffic: Most of your birding will be from the roadsides--be alert for traffic when stopping! Please respect private property and do not trespass. Most lake residents are friendly but some may ask what you are doing. Cedar Swamp Wetland Conservation Area is heavily hunted during fall hunting seasons, and has not been birded at that time for safety reasons. The walking trail at Cedar Swamp is often not mowed all summer, and grows up in very tall grass and weeds.

Temporal Considerations:

The lakes are at their best during the waterfowl migration periods; the peak times are late February through March and late October through mid-December. Some waterfowl remain into April, which is the peak month for loons. Terns, when present, occur from mid-April through May and August through September. Some ducks remain until the lakes freeze over, which often occurs as late as January (Lake Gage and Clear Lake are the last to freeze completely). The more unusual birds tend to be encountered in the fall. In the summer, boaters and other recreationalists drive the birds from the lakes. Cedar Swamp is best for migrant waterfowl in March and the first half of April, often holding numbers of ducks later in the spring than anywhere else in the area. Late May into July is the best time for nesting marsh birds at Cedar Swamp.

Directions:

From the North or South: take I-69 to Steuben County.

From the East or West: take I-80/90 (the Indiana Toll Road) to I-69 south (exit #144). The following directions to each lake will be given from I-69.

Clear Lake and Cedar Swamp: From I-69 take exit 154 and turn north on SR 127. Go past the turn for Pokagon State Park, continue to SR 120 and turn right (east). Take SR 120 through Fremont. The turn for Cedar Swamp is about one mile east of Fremont; watch for a brown DNR sign on the north side of the road. Turn into the unpaved lane next to the sign. The lane soon curves to the left and immediately ends at a rough parking lot. Park here and walk east on the dirt track that is a continuation of the entrance road. This track goes along the south side of the wetland, curves left around its east side, and then curves left again onto a dike across the north part of the wetland. The open pool to the north of this dike is usually the best spot for migrant waterfowl. Retrace this route to return to the parking lot. For Clear Lake, continue east on SR 120 past the Cedar Swamp entrance to CR 700E and turn left (north).

Lake James: From I-69, take exit 154, turn north on SR 127 and then immediately left again on the entrance road to Pokagon State Park. Lake James can be viewed from two locations in the park, behind the Potawatomi Inn and at the beach. You are looking west at these spots, so light is better in the morning. For another good vantage point, return to SR 127, turn right (south) toward Angola, and then right again in about 1.5 miles on CR 275 N, which goes around the south end of the lake. After 1.4 miles, turn right on Lake Lane 280. Go straight as far as you can and then turn left. You will be on a hill affording a good view of the lake between cottages. Retrace your route to CR 275 N, turn right (west), and continue a short distance to CR 200 W. Turn right to go around the west end of the lake. You cannot completely circle Lake James along its shore, but this route allows you to see most of it.

Crooked Lake: From I-69 take exit 150, CR 200 W (this exit is not clearly shown on the DeLorme Atlas. The atlas erroneously shows the US 20 exit at Angola as exit #150; in fact, the US 20 exit is exit #148). Turn north on CR 200 W. In about 0.25-0.5 miles, turn left on Lake Lane 101--there is a sign for the Steuben County Campground and Beach at this turn. After a short distance the lane makes a right-angle turn to the left. At this turn, pull into the small parking area for 76 Park on your right. Walk through the park to its farthest point, which offers a panoramic view of about 2/3 of the lake. You may also continue down the lake lane past 76 Park to its end at the Steuben County beach, another good vantage point (the road beyond 76 Park may be closed in winter). Return to CR 200 W, turn left, then left again on Orland Road, the first road to the left. Orland Road goes part way around the north side of the lake, and by staying on roads along the shore or as close to it as possible, you may go completely around the lake.

Lake Gage: Exit I-69 at exit 150, CR 200 W. Turn north and go about 0.75 miles to Orland Road. Turn left and follow Orland Road , which goes along the north side of Crooked Lake for some time, then turns right away from Crooked Lake toward Lake Gage. When Orland Road meets the Lake Gage shoreline, you may turn right and continue on Orland Road along the east side of Lake Gage, or turn left along its south side. Either of these roads leads to other roads that circle the lake.

Links:

Indiana Department of Natural Resources - State Parks

Select Pokagon State Park to get information on activities, camping, lodging and fees, as well as trail maps and other maps of the park.

Credits: