Koontz Lake Starke Indiana - Top Sights 

• Koontz Lake Sights – an insider guide through Oregon Township, Starke County

Koontz Lake Sights – an insider guide through Oregon Township, Starke County

Koontz Lake Sights are more than an advertising slogan for me – they are the result of a history that is late 19. The century began when pioneers dried the Oregon Township Moorland and created the water reservoir for the railway. I have always wondered why a lake was built here, and the answer lies in the old maps of Starke County, which show that the area was once an important hub for wood transport. Honestly, that's not the romantic picture you find in guidebooks, but that's what makes the charm.

If you get out of the north by car, simply follow the US-30 to the exit to Starke and then follow the signs to Koontz Lake – no GPS sense, just a little road that leads you through fields that still smell hay. I stopped there for the first time because I wanted to visit a friend, and suddenly I stood on the shore where locals have been throwing their boats out for generations. The lake itself is not huge, but the water is clear enough to see the reflections of the ancient church towers of Oregon Township – a sight that I repeatedly call “unfaith Indiana flair”.

A short trip to the small Starke city centre is worth it because the old town hall still makes the same sound as a hundred years ago. I don't understand the hype around the modern amusement parks completely, but the authentic, slightly rusted fishing spots at the lake are the real highlight for me – here you feel like fishing in another time. And while I'm sitting here, I think that the best Koontz Lake attractions are not in brochures, but in the conversations that are being conducted with the people at the dock.

Koontz Lake Sights & Attractions

I must confess at the beginning that my heart for the large, glittering water by Koontz Lake suggests – yes, exactly what the locals simply call “the lake”. When you arrive there for the first time, you will be greeted by a narrow pebble beach, which is like an ungrounded jewel. I don't quite understand the hype about the “unguided nature” because the water here is a bit cloudy, but that makes the charm: You can finally sniff the real Indiana feeling here again, as you throw out your fishing and hope that a cash will bite. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem – then you fight a place between a caravan and an old pickup.

A short walk (or a short sprint, depending on the mood) leads you to Koontz Lake Park. The park is what you could call a “small but fine” leisure paradise: a playground that has more squeaking climbing stands than a amusement park, a picnic pavilion that is perfect for an improvised barbecue festival, and a small sandy beach where you can dig your toes into the warm sand while wondering why there is never an ice stand. I took a spontaneous bath there, because the weather suddenly turned around – no joke, the water was so cold that I almost heard my teeth rattle, but that was the best refreshing experience since my last sauna.

Located directly on the eastern shore Koontz Lake Marina, a place where you get the feeling of being a real sailor, although you have at most one inflatable. The marina offers Slip-Mieten, a small café (which unfortunately only serves coffee and donuts, but this is enough to save the morning) and a friendly staff that will gladly explain why local fishing in autumn offers the best chances of a pike. I once discovered an old canoe rental there that had more rust than paint – a real treasure for craftsmen, but not for beginners.

A few minutes further, hidden behind a few trees, this is Koontz Lake Golf Club. This is not a pretentious 18-hole complex, but a modest 9-hole course, which the locals lovingly call our small green area. The fairways are not perfect, the grass is sometimes a bit too short, but that makes the game really challenging. I once played with a friend who claimed that he was a “professional” and, after the third hole, already complained about the bunkers – a real laugh, because I then just sent him over the green with a long plaster.

If you're looking for a place to get a little culture, look at it Koontz Lake Community Center by. The centre is the centrepiece for local events: from bingo runners who have more drama than any reality show, to yoga classes on Saturday morning, asking why the teacher always plays the same playlist from the 80s. I took part in a “Koch-und-Kunst-Workshop” where we conjured a “Gourmet-Sandwich” from regional ingredients – the result was rather a culinary experiment, but the mood was unpaid.

A short detour to Koontz Lake Fishing Pier is worthwhile if you want to feel like being a real angler without renting a boat. The pier is not particularly high, but it offers a good overview of the water, and you can sit there for hours while you wait for a fish to bite – or until you ask yourself why you are actually here. I caught a huge carp there that was almost as big as my bike, and that was the highlight of my day, although I never got the picture clear enough to post it.

And because I don't just want to mention what's to be seen here, here's a little hint for those who really want to do everything: if you googlest to “Koontz Lake Sights”, you'll quickly realize that most people only mention the points mentioned above. This is because there are not the usual tourist magnets here, but a piece of real Indiana life that you only understand when you are in the mud and see the sun going down above the lake. So, grab your stuff, take a bit of humor and let the little but fine highlights surprise you – this is my advice, and I promise you you you will not be disappointed.

Other special sights in the vicinity of Koontz Lake, Indiana

The first stop of my little Odyssey was Strong County Historical Museum in the neighboring town of Knox – a place I repeatedly underestimate because it is in an inconspicuous brick building that was the old court building. There are old black-and-white photographs of farmers who drove with their horse cars over the dusty field roads, and a few dusty tools that put me on the hard reality of the 19th century. Remember the century. I almost moved there because parking is usually free in front of the museum, except on Saturday afternoons, when the local school class carries out a project on railway history – then the field becomes a miniature station.

A short detour of about five minutes leads to Strong County Courthouse, an imposing brick temple that says more about the ambitions of the founders than about the current jurisdiction. I once watched a legal dispute over an abandoned fishing at the lake – that was a real showdown between a retired angler and a young lawyer who knew more about paragraphs than about fish species. The courtyard is freely accessible, and parking is a children's game as long as you don't come to lunchtime when the city administration stops its weekly gathering.

A bit further north, across the border to Illinois, this is Kankakee River State Park. I must admit, I was skeptical if a “state park” near Koontz Lake really has something to offer, but the trails along the river are surprisingly well maintained. I spent a few hours stabbing over the pebbles and enjoying the quiet noise of the river – a perfect place to turn off the cell phone, because the mobile phone signal is almost never working here. Parking is free at the main parking lot, but it can be full on weekends, so it's better to be there early.

Another highlight I don't want to miss is that Strong County Fairgrounds. The annual County Fair in August is a spectacle of carousel, local artisans and a lot of corn flasks that you can hardly eat because they taste too much for dust. I remember a year when I accidentally entered the competition for the biggest pumpkin weight – I didn't bring a pumpkin, but the jury still praised my story. The terrain is well signposted, and parking is free on the edge of the grounds as long as you do not collide with the tractor of the organizers.

For those who prefer to read in a quiet environment, Strong County Public Library in Knox a underestimated jewel. I found an old diary from the 1920s that was from a fisherman from Koontz Lake who dreamed of a huge pike. The library has a small café that serves amazingly good coffee – no joke, that is better than what you find in most small cities. Parking is available directly in front of the building, and the whole is barrier-free, which I particularly appreciate because I sometimes travel with my wheelchair.

Last but not least a short trip to Lake WawaseeThe largest lake in Indiana, which is about an hour's drive south. I rented a kayak there and enjoyed the calm water surface while I thought about life in Koontz Lake. The lake is famous for its fishing, but I spent more time exploring the surrounding hiking trails, because the weather on this day was too windy to swim. Parking at the main entrance is free, but it can be filled quickly on sunny weekends – a small note I can give to every traveler.

Conclusion

When exploring the surroundings of Koontz Lake, you can quickly discover that Koontz Lake Attractions far beyond the small lake – from historical museums to lively annual markets to silent natural paradises that surprise and delight every visitor.