www.iFourWinns.com

I know we have a few forum members who frequent Brookville and Monroe lakes in Indiana. We normally go to Monroe, but did go to Brookville once.

Where do you launch at?

Any secrets/tips about the lake?

Good coves to anchor in for the night? Stops nearby?

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

I spent my growing up years on Brookeville Lake, and I wakeboard with friends there when I visit cincinnati.

IMO I prefer to launch at the Dam ramp. By far is the best slope, and widest to use, however is quite popular. Easiest access to Brookeville and closest to the freeways. We have launched at Kent's Harbor a few times, and did not like the ramp, very steep.

No real good stops to recommend, and there are plenty of coves etc for anchoring for the evenings. Dusk is the best for skiing! Lots of campers along the banks with their boats.


It is a nice lake for the area, relatively clean. Hope this helps!

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Rob

Present: 1999 Formula 280SS
Past: 1989 180 Horizon

http://www.robcamerondesign.com

Firecadet, as I mentioned on the other thread, Bonwell (the ramp right by the dam) is the easiest to use. It is also the most crowded, and can draw some folks with less than perfect boating ettiquette. I've put in at Garr Hill, a ramp just South of Kent's and the ramp at the Mounds campground. They are both much narrower and less accommodating. Garr Hill is also ridiculously steep. All in all, Bonwell's the best ramp, especially if you're coming from the south.

As for nice spots, as Goldfish mentioned, there's plenty of shallow coves to relax in. The main body of the lake is fairly narrow and it can get pretty hectic between noon and 5 p.m. After that, things quiet down. Before 10-11 a.m. and after 6 p.m. are perfect times to ski, cruise. The "party spot" is usually in the cove by the Mounds campground. From Memorial Day on, there's usually a decent raft-up in that area. A lot of folks in the Cincy area used to head to Cumberland. With the water down, many folks are staying closer to home and hanging in Brookville. That's a good and a bad thing.

We stay on the hook quite a bit, usually in what Brookvillers call the "camping cove". It's just slightly north of the entrance to the Mounds campground cove and on the lefthand side if you're heading north from the Bonwell ramp. On any given weekend, there will be 5-10 boats holed up in that cove, but it's generally pretty quiet. If you get in early, there's a small beach area where a lot of folks beach the boats and build a fire.

Much of the north end of the lake (as you head towards Quakertown Marina), is a no wake zone, so you can't ski up there, but it's a nice place to throw anchor and swim. Kent's harbor is a great place. Great food, beer, gas, decent crowds. The Mounds campground is also pretty nice, and fairly cheap.

Those are all the Brookville secrets I know. Let me know if you have any tips on Monroe.

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2006 Vista 258
2007 Yukon Denali

I asked my wife, and we figured out we launched at Fairfield. The dock there was horrible, and we were fighting tough waves when we were pulling out, on our first weekend with the new boat. Needless to say, I've got a 4" long gelcoat scratch I need to repair this spring. I'll have to try Bonwell next time we go there. We spent the night anchored near the Mounds campground, and it was nice and quiet, except for the howling wind...it was storming that night!

Monroe is a really nice lake. It's pretty big and there are some big cruisers at the marina there, and when they head out it can get pretty choppy. We were anchored up next to a new Cruisers 440 the last time we were there. I launch at Paynestown every time. It is a really nice ramp. If you head out of the ramp and hang a left heading towards 446, you'll run right by John Melloncamps place. We have been anchoring for the night in the big no wake zone on the east side of 446. It goes way way back there, but it does get pretty shallow.

During the day we normally anchor down by the dam. We have some pictures of a sea plane that landed next to use on the lake, and then idled into the no wake zone. The pilot casted a few lures while he was in there, just standing on his wing!

Let me know if anyone decides to go to Monroe...we'd love to have some company!

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Fire,

I don't think I can add much to Sunday's description of Brookville. Except that I have put in at the campgrund too. I Don't think it is that bad. But the same idiots can launch there as at Bonwell hill ramp. We too spend most of our time in the cove by the campground. And as you may know during the busy times the main lake can get pretty choppy. I can't say much about the other ramps as I haven't been to any others. I don't know of much to do around the lake because there is not much between Cincy and the lake. My kids always enjoy the Sunday trip to Kent's marina for the pump out because they get to get ice cream from the marina store.


We'll be there for sure this summer. In fact I might take my shake down cruise there in April.

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2008 Horizon 260 VP 8.1 Gi

We usually go to Monroe and launch at the dam. The only bad thing I can say about the ramp at the dam is that a lot of people let their kids play in the rip-rap around the ramp while they are unloading. Besides the danger of having kids that are not paying attention to their surrounding, I have seen a few instances where they were picking the rocks up and throwing them into the water on the ramp. Our prop actually hit one of these once and I couldn't figure out how the rock got all the way out into the ramp. After seeing the kids throw them there on a later occassion, I now know. We have also launched at Cutright which is just East of 446. This ramp is super wide (6 or more boats could launch at once) and has nice docks to tie up to while parking.

We also boat at Lake Lemon frequently when we want to wakeboard, ski, and tube. It is a little North of Bloomington and is private, but only costs $13 to launch. The roads to get there are very narrow, but the lake is usually like glass before noon and after 5 pm on the weekends and all day during the week.

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2001 Four Winns Horizon 180LE, VP 4.3GL/SX
2006 Ford F-150 Extended Cab 4x4, 5.4L