MAZOMANIE -- Looking for a lake to take the kids fishing on a tank of gas, or less?

Indian Lake in Dane County is a small water encompassing fewer than 70 acres with a maximum depth of only 7 feet. But it is one of those charming waters in a beautiful location where you can take your children for a day or just an afternoon and have them laughing and catching fish.

Adults often mistakenly take children fishing for the species for which they enjoy fishing -- such as walleye or muskies (action is often limited to short bursts between long stretches of calm). That's the worst thing an adult can do.

Instead, kids should be taken to a lake, pond or stream on which they can easily and regularly catch fish. Indian Lake is one of those ideal locations where it is easy to catch fish and the kids will soon have a ball catching and releasing bluegills and the occasional largemouth bass.

Indian Lake is located about 20 miles west of Madison just off Highway 19. From Madison, drive west on Highway 12 toward Sauk City, turn left on Highway 19 and head about 5 miles toward the Town of Mazomanie. If you're coming from the north, take Highway 12, then right onto Highway 19.

There, on your left is Indian Lake Park with a small parking lot, pier and a primitive boat landing suitable for small boats and car-topper vessels. The lake doesn't allow gas motors, but electric motors are perfect for this little gem. The lake is surrounded by acres and acres of parkland suitable for hiking, nature walks, picnicking, and just enjoying the outdoors.

The lake is aerated, so it doesn't freeze over and experience much winter-kill despite its lack of depth. Though weeds, particularly milfoil, take over much of the lake in the summer, there are always openings and pockets to fish from shore where you can regularly catch fish. If you have a small boat or canoe you have even greater access and can fish the deeper water in the lake's center -- giving you the chance at a decent largemouth bass.

The minimum size for largemouths is 14 inches with a five-fish daily limit. However, I prefer to release all bass, which helps instill catch-and-release ethics to a young mind. The bluegill's size varies from small ones in the 5-inch range to greater than 8 inches.

The panfish are not hard to catch and most types of live bait (red worms, wax worms or pieces of nightcrawlers) will have you constantly watching your bobber for the hungry fish. Try to use light line in 4-pound test monofilament, a plain hook or ice jig, a small split shot and a float or bobber to balance the rig.

A mistake many people make is having too big a bobber on the line, which makes it hard to detect all the light bites. Keep moving around, whether fishing from shore or a boat, until you find the active fish.

I constantly recommend this lake to friends with children because a lake like Indian makes it easy for children to get hooked on fishing.

There are lakes with bigger fish, but when trying to introduce the young to fishing it's hard to beat Indian Lake.