Fishing in Indiana
Glacial lakes, Corps reservoirs, mine pits, Lake Michigan and the Ohio River, with the 2026-2027 DNR rules for each water.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 679lakes
- 100rivers
- 680ramp pages
Pick for salmonPiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Patoka Lake: Deana Hunter, CC BY 2.0
Glacial lakes, Corps reservoirs, quarry pits and two big border waters
Indiana packs a lot of water into a small state. The north holds hundreds of glacial lakes (Wawasee, Maxinkuckee, Lake James, the Barbee chain), the middle and south have the Corps reservoirs at Monroe, Patoka, Brookville, Cagles Mill, Salamonie and Mississinewa, the southwest is dotted with old coal-mine pits the DNR stocks, and the state is bracketed by Lake Michigan salmon water in the northwest and the Ohio River along Kentucky.
This guide holds 679 lake, pit and reservoir pages (108 of them pits), 100 river and creek pages, Lake Michigan with its harbors, the Ohio River, 680 boat ramp pages, 248 bait shops, 92 counties and 316 towns, each with the 2026-2027 Indiana guide rules that apply.
For the salmon herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 Indiana's biggest lakes, by mapped acreage
Monroe Lake
10,750 acres, Monroe County
Lake pagePatoka Lake
8,800 acres, Crawford County
Lake pageBrookville Lake
4,364 acres (NHD outline area), Franklin County
Lake pageLake Wawasee
3,426 acres (NHD outline area), Kosciusko County
Lake pageGibson Lake
2,942 acres (NHD outline area), Gibson County
Lake pageSalamonie Lake
2,874 acres (NHD outline area), Wabash County
Lake pageMississinewa Lake
2,160 acres (NHD outline area), Wabash County
Lake pageLake Maxinkuckee
1,910 acres (NHD outline area), Marshall County
Lake pageIndiana rivers with the most ramps and gauges
Lake Michigan in the north, the Ohio River in the south
Coho, chinook, steelhead and yellow perch run along the 43-mile Indiana shore of Lake Michigan and up four tributaries; the Ohio River carries catfish, sauger and hybrid striped bass past the Corps dams, under rules shared with Kentucky.
The 18 statewide rows of the Indiana guide
| Fish as printed | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Unlimited | no size limit |
| Redear Sunfish | 25 | no size limit |
| Black Bass: largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass (in lakes) | 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass | 14 inches |
| Black Bass: largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass (in rivers and streams) | 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass | No fish 12 to 15 inches may be kept, and no more than two fish over 15 inches may be kept |
| Black Bass: largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass (in Lake Michigan) | 3, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass | 14 inches |
| Yellow Bass | Unlimited | no size limit |
| White Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass | 12, any combination of white bass or hybrid striped bass | No more than two fish may exceed 17 inches |
| Striped Bass | 2 | no size limit |
| Rock Bass | 25 | no size limit |
| Crappie | 25 | no size limit |
| Walleye, Walleye-Sauger Hybrid (Saugeye), Sauger | 6, any combination of walleye, walleye-sauger hybrid, and sauger | For walleye: 14 inches south of SR 26; 16 inches north of SR 26 For sauger and saugeye: No size limit |
| Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge | 1 muskellunge or 1 tiger muskellunge | 36 inches |
| Northern Pike | 3 | 24 inches; no more than one 30 inches or longer |
| Yellow Perch | Unlimited (15 only on Lake Michigan) | no size limit |
| Catfish: Channel, Blue, Flathead (in rivers and streams) | Unlimited | 13 inches; not more than one blue catfish that’s at least 35 inches, one flathead catfish at least 35 inches, and one channel catfish at least 28 inches or longer may be kept |
| Catfish: Channel, Blue, Flathead (in lakes) | 10 | None; not more than one blue catfish that’s at least 35 inches, one flathead catfish at least 35 inches, and one channel catfish at least 28 inches or longer may be kept |
| Bullhead | Unlimited | no size limit |
| Shovelnose Sturgeon | Unlimited | 25 inches (fork length) |
Statewide limits as printed, 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide (eRegulations, linked from the Indiana DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Indiana dates and stamps to know
- Free Fishing DaysMay 10, June 6-7, and Sept. 26, 2026 for residents; 2027 not printed yet.
- Trout fishingstream opener the last Saturday in April at 6 a.m.
- Lake Michigan tributariessalmon September to mid-November, steelhead most of the year
- Stocking historyDNR rows back to 1960
- Endangered fish11 fish that must go back
The heaviest Indiana record fish
- Blue Catfish, 104 lb.Ohio River, 1999
- Flathead Catfish, 79 lb. 8 oz.White River, 1966
- Grass Carp, 69 lb.Westons Pond, 2018
- Buffalo, 53 lb. 14.4 oz.Oak Hill Pond, 2002
- Bighead Carp, 53 lb. 8 oz.White River, 2000
- Common Carp, 43 lb. 4 oz.Pike Lake, 1989
Booking a guide and stocking the tackle box
- Guides and charters77 DNR-licensed guides and charters
- Bait shops248 shops and marinas
- Bluegill jigs on Amazonfor the northern glacial lakes
- Spawn sacs and floats on Amazonfor Trail Creek steelhead
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Indiana by lake, river, county or town: where to begin
- Lakes679 lakes, pits and reservoirs
- Rivers100 pages
- Countiesall 92
- Towns316 cities and towns
- Species56 fish
- Tournamentsclub, BFL and federation events
- Water levelsCorps pools, USGS and NOAA gauges
- Boat ramps680 ramp pages
Indiana rules, records and directories
- Indiana waters A to Zevery lake, pit, river, county, town and fish page on one list
- License and regulationsDNR fees, who is exempt, and the 18 statewide rows of the guide
- Special regulation watersthe 71 lakes and streams the guide singles out
- Lake Michigan rulessalmonid bag, perch cap, tributary closures and hook limits
- Ohio River rulesmain stem limits and the Kentucky license deal
- Border watersIllinois, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky arrangements
- Free Fishing Daysfour license-free days in 2026 for residents
- Indiana record fishthe DNR Record Fish Program list by species
- Stocking historyDNR dashboard rows back to 1960
- Trout fishingput-and-take streams, trout lakes and the stamp
- Levels and flowsUSGS live; Corps pools and NOAA gauges dated
- Lake Michiganthe 43-mile shore from Hammond to Michigan City
- Lake Michigan tributariesTrail Creek, Salt Creek, the Little Calumet and the St. Joe
- Ohio Riverthe southern border from Lawrenceburg to Mount Vernon
- Boat rampsDNR access sites with a page of their own
- Shore fishingpiers, urban sites and bank access
- Bait and tackleshops and marinas by DNR fisheries district number
- Guides and chartersDNR-licensed guides and Lake Michigan captains
- Tournamentsfederation club dates, BFL stops and results
A picture guide to the fish of Fishing in Indiana
Photo: Alabama Extension, CC0 1.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Richard Hurd, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
First-trip Indiana fishing questions
How old must a Hoosier angler be before buying a license?
At 18. Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents). Residents born before April 1, 1943, are exempt.
What is the largest Indiana lake on this site?
Monroe Lake, 10,750 acres.
How many bass may go home from an Indiana lake?
Five combined largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, 14 inches or longer, unless a special regulation water says otherwise.
Which days can Hoosiers fish without a license?
May 10, June 6-7, and Sept. 26, 2026 for residents; the 2027 dates are not printed yet.
Who sets Indiana fishing rules?
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, through the 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide.
Do I need a stamp for trout or salmon?
Yes, the $11 trout/salmon stamp, inland and on Lake Michigan.
Can I fish the Ohio River with a Kentucky license?
Yes on the main stem; tributaries and embayments need the license of the state they are in. The Wabash border with Illinois works the same way.
Where are Indiana tournaments listed?
Club, federation and BFL dates and results sit on the Indiana tournaments page, lake by lake.