Hovey Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area – Mount Vernon
Today we will visit Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area.
From the Book
Southwest Indiana Day Trips
Greetings, today we will visit Hovey Lake Fish and Wildlife Area.
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Native tribes ceded the area to the United States in the Treaties of Vincennes 1803 and Fort Wayne in 1809. This area at the junction of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers was mainly wetland not suitable for farming and received the designation as swampland. The Wabash and Erie Canal Company received the land as a grant from the Congress on March 2, 1827. The canal company failed. A man named Charles J. Hovey received ownership of the land in the 1880’s.
Charles J. Hovey (January 8, 1850 – December 15, 1923)
Native to Mount Vernon, Indiana his parents were Alvin Peterson and Mary Ann James Hovey. He attended elementary and high school in Evansville, Indiana and later enrolled at Northwest Christian University in Indianapolis. His father had received appointment as the ambassador to Peru. In 1867 he visited his father and went on an extensive South American tour. He next toured Europe, staying there 3 years while studying at the Polytechnical School in West Baden, Germany. He returned to Mount Vernon in 1870 and acquired 1/4 interest in the Mt. Vernon Banking Company. He started work there as a teller. He and Elizabeth “Lillie” Rachel Jaquess married in 1871. The couple would have 5 children. He also ran a shoe shop, continuing this line of work until 1876. He next traveled to Paris at a time when the Franco-Prussian War was going on. He had to negotiate his way through three armies to reach Paris. His voyage had passed through the treacherous Straits of Magellan at the tip of South America. He attended school in Paris for 3 years, graduating with degrees in medicine and chemistry. He returned to Mount Vernon and became a farmer. It was during this period that he probably acquired the property that would become Hovey Fish and Wildlife Area. He would serve a 5 year term as Justice of the Peace and two terms as postmaster of Mount Vernon. He also worked for a year as a railway mail clerk. He retired in 1900. After his death he was interred at Bellefontaine Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Posey County, Indiana.
Visitor Center
The Visitor Center is the first place to start, as it has maps, photos and much other information about the site. During office hours there are public restrooms.
Hovey Lake
This 1400 acre oxbow lake provides numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation. These include fishing, boating and sightings of waterfowl and other birds. Motor boats of all sizes are permitted on the lake, however there is a strictly enforced 10 MPH speed limit. The lake is ideal for canoists and kayakers, also. The lake’s size can vary, due to seasonal fluctuations in water levels. The shallow waters of the lake provide anglers with many varieties of fish, including crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, largemouth bass, flathead catfish, sauger, sunfish and white bass. A wild life veiwing platform provides excellent opportunities for bird and wildlife viewing. Hunters may hunt waterfowl on the lake and ply the surrounding forestland for deer, squirrels and rabbits. Bald cypress trees thrive in the shallow waters of the lake.
Ohio River
The site also provides access to the Ohio River via an concrete ramp. This provides addtional fishing and boating opportunities. Very near the site of the ramp the Wabash River ends its journey from near Fort Recovery, Ohio, through Indiana to its final destination in the OHio River. There is no direct access to the Wabash River from the site. The ramp is also very near the southernmost point in the State of Indiana.
Trapping in season is also allowed in the facility. Hunters and trappers must sign in to obtain a one day visitor permit, which is free. Hovey Lake will be closed for fishing from late October until mid-February. Contact property for the exact date each year. There are several other small lakes in the Area.
For more information, contact:
Hovey Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area – Mount Vernon
15800 Raben Road South
Mt. Vernon, IN 47620
The episode is based upon my book, South Central Indiana Road Trips, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is the first book in the 9 volume Road Trip Indiana Series. The books include all the historical markers, as of 2022, in Indiana with the text and back story. The books also include a nearly complete listing of virtually every tourism destination in the state. The destinations include parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys, wineries and much, much more. I encourage you to visit the web site and subscribe to it.
You can find my books locally at the at the Romweber Marketplace in downtown Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.
The Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife began acquiring the first tracts of this land in 1939. They have added additional acrerage in the following years. It currently consists of 7404 acres.
This 7400 acre wildlife refuge located in the Ohio/Wabash River floodplain offers multiple opportunities for wildlife veiwing, fishing, picnicking, hunting and trapping.
For more information, contact:
Hovey Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area – Mount Vernon
15800 Raben Road South
Mt. Vernon, IN 47620
Mossy Feet Books - Author Paul R. Wonning 