Lake Monroe Paddling

The east portion of Lake Monroe is a now wake zone for motor boats and a fantastic kayaking area that are idle speed only. We launch from 3 areas of Lake Monroe depending on the direction the winds are blowing and the type of adventures you desire!

Moore’s Creek/Cartop

The Moore’s Creek area of Lake Monroe is a water playground for kayaking, swimming, picnicking, fishing, and relaxing. We call this our “Total Chill” trip. On a hot summer day, or night, nothing beats kayaking and swimming in the Moore’s Creek area. There is a bald eagle’s nest nearby, and in the summer the catfish are easy to catch.

Moore’s Creek is especially close to Bloomington. Kayaks are best for this trip, and there is, also, a picnic area at the parking lot. This is a family favorite summer fun trip!

Pine Grove Recreational Area/North Fork Salt Creek Backwaters

The 2 trips we offer here includes and out-and-back from Pine Grove up into the wildlife refuge and  North Fork Salt Creek from Kent Road to Pine Grove upstream of Lake Monroe which provides wild backwater paddling with low current, good fishing and abundant wildlife. All of this within 20 minutes of Bloomington or 20 minutes from Brown County State Park. The primitive launch points is steep and muddy on the trip from Kent Road to Pine Grove.

There is a bald eagle nest along the North Fork of Salt Creek, and the eagles will generally pose for a photo op. Our trips here range from a minimum of 3 hours to 6 hours of fishing.

 

Pine Grove Out-and-Back

Challenge Level: 1
Duration: 3-4 hours
Wilderness Experience: 2
Age Suitability:  3 yrs and up
$60 per Solo
$105 per Tandem

Kent Road to Pine Grove

 

Middle Fork/Hoosier National Forrest

The Middle Fork of Salt Creek trip starts from Cutright SRA and traverses the Middle Fork Waterfowl Resting Area and along the shoreline of the Deam Wilderness area of Hoosier National Forest. You can pull up on the shore fir a hike or picnic! Also, if you are feeling more adventurous, there is always the option to camp overnight in the Hoosier Nation Forest.

This is one of the best places in Indiana to spot bald eagles and other wildlife. In a nutshell, this area is simply beautiful and a magical place to paddle, April through November. For a real wilderness experience this trip is among the best in Indiana.

Up to 4 hours

$60 for Solo
$105 for Tandem

Up to 7 hours

$75 for Solo
$130 for Tandem

Overnight

$120 for Solo

Hoosier National Forest/Patton Cave

Up to 7 hours

$75 for Solo
$130 for Tandem

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.