When you look at a refuge map, that paragraph makes sense. What it says, essentially, is that the refuge's North Unit -- the 40 percent of the refuge north of Highway 1 -- is open to year-round fishing, and except for the above-mentioned waters, the South Unit -- the 60 percent of the refuge south of Highway 1 -- is closed December through February.

The wintertime closure doesn't mean much in the overall scheme of things. The refuge is generally flooded at this time of year anyway. And the combination of cold weather and water temperatures, muddy water conditions and high water levels puts a damper on the bass fishing.

The flooding is important, though, because the continuing productivity of White River lakes depends largely on two things: the built-in fertility of the bottomland ecosystem, and this annual flooding that flushes the lakes and rejuvenates them. The best fishing of the year is right after the winter/spring floodwaters recede.

The timing of this varies, but in most years it happens in March or April. Sometimes the flood stays until May or June and occasionally into early July, but usually by the time the dogwoods bloom, things are looking up in the White River swamp.

RED-HOT RUNOUTS
Some of the hottest bass fishing imaginable can be found during the last stages of the receding spring floodwaters, when the water level is mostly down into the lakes and out of the bottoms. Search for places where the water is running out of lakes or sloughs and is running through pipes, over forest roadbeds and through other narrow places that cause a dramatic increase in the current. Fish these fast flows with spinnerbaits or other lures that have some flash and noise but don't get hung easily. Bass stack up in unbelievable numbers at these places, and the action can be so fast you won't believe it.

This smoking-hot fishing at the lake runouts is a fleeting thing, though, and catching it right is largely a matter of luck unless you live nearby and can keep a close eye on the situation. A particular spot may only be good for a day or two, sometimes even less. The situation is complicated by the fact that most of the refuge access roads are closed until the water recedes, so getting to these hotpots can be almost impossible.

FISHING AFTER THE FLOOD
More dependable, and longer-lasting, is the fishing in the lakes and sloughs themselves. In some of the refuge lakes, the good fishing begins while the river's floodwaters are still draining out. In most cases, these will be the lakes that have no waterways flowing into them as the water recedes. With no appreciable current flowing through the lake, the water clears and warms, triggering the bite.

In old river channel lakes and other lakes that have sloughs and bayous running in at the top end while the flood recedes out the bottom end, the bass usually don't turn on until the flow of water through the lake stops. At some point during this drain-out process, refuge personnel start opening gates to allow access to the refuge road system. Timing varies from year to year, but in general, the roads in the northern portion of the refuge are opened first, and road openings progress southward relative to the speed at which the water level is dropping.