Big Barbee Lake Fishing
A lake in Kosciusko County, 315 acres (NHD outline area).
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Big Barbee Lake, the Hoosier rundown
The lake called Big Barbee Lake spreads over 315 acres (NHD outline area) in Kosciusko County. The 2020 DNR Status and Trends visit logged a 42-foot maximum depth. Winona Lake is the closest Census place, about 7 miles from the DNR map point.
The dashboard credits it with 25 stocking rows.
Acres are the NHD outline area of the mapped lake (USGS National Hydrography Dataset via IndianaMap), not a DNR survey figure. Indiana DNR public lakes layer (county, owner, fisheries district number, location text), read November 5, 2026. Indiana DNR Status & Trends lake survey points (2020 survey), read November 5, 2026. Census 2023 places.
Ownership, district and directions for Big Barbee Lake
- DNR districtDNR fisheries district 3
- Public freshwater lakeon the Indiana list of public freshwater lakes
These lines are copied from the DNR records kept on Big Barbee Lake.
Indiana DNR public lakes layer (county, owner, fisheries district number, location text), read November 5, 2026.
Species the Indiana DNR lists for Big Barbee Lake
DNR lists, not creel counts, produced the Big Barbee Lake fish above.
DNR sampling results from Big Barbee Lake
The DNR crew that sampled Big Barbee Lake in 2020 produced these counts, a single snapshot.
Indiana DNR lake layer and Fishing Access Sites species fields, Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026; Indiana DNR Indiana Record Fish Program list (keeper: Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife (Indiana Record Fish Program); angler names left off here), read November 5, 2026. Indiana DNR Status & Trends lake survey points (2020 survey), read November 5, 2026.
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The DNR access layer shows no launch on Big Barbee Lake, so look at the neighbours below.
Ramps one cove over from Big Barbee Lake
- Kuhn Lake boat rampKuhn Lake, under a mile northeast
- Sechrist Lake (Use Kuhn or Grassy Creek Ramp)Sechrist Lake, 1 mile northwest
- Little Barbee Lake boat rampLittle Barbee Lake, 1 mile northwest
- Banning Lake boat rampBanning Lake, 2 miles northwest
- Grassy Creek boat rampGrassy Creek (Kosciusko and Whitley Counties), 2 miles northwest
- Backwater Lake boat rampBackwater Lake, 3 miles northeast
Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites layer (shown on the DNR Where to Fish map; attributes as recorded, blank where not recorded), read November 5, 2026.
Fish the DNR has stocked in Big Barbee Lake
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | November | Muskie | 4,250 | 10.61 |
| 2024 | November | Muskie | 850 | 11.33 |
| 2023 | May | Muskie | 1,662 | 10.9 |
| 2019 | November | Muskie | 1,759 | 10.45 |
| 2018 | November | Muskie | 2,250 | 8.83 |
| 2017 | October | Muskie | 567 | 10.11 |
| 2016 | Multiple | Muskie | 4,002 | 9.99 |
| 2015 | October | Muskie | 4,250 | 9.78 |
| 2014 | October | Muskie | 1,250 | 9.14 |
| 2013 | October | Muskie | 1,250 | 9.3 |
| 2012 | October | Muskie | 1,023 | 8.7 |
| 2011 | October | Muskie | 1,417 | 8.61 |
Rows for Big Barbee Lake come from the DNR stocking dashboard, newest first.
Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Creel and length limits at Big Barbee Lake
| Species as printed | Daily limit | Size limit |
|---|---|---|
| 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) |
The 2026-2027 statewide rows are the default for Big Barbee Lake.
- Walleye size lineWalleye taken from all public waters (lakes, rivers, and streams) south of State Road 26 must be 14 inches or longer. Walleye taken north of State Road 26 must be 16 inches in length or longer, except for: Bass Lake (Starke County) and Wolf Lake (Lake County); minimum size 14 inches Lake George (Steuben County); minimum size 15 inches Wall Lake (LaGrange County); minimum size 16 inches with a daily bag limit of two walleye There is no minimum size requirement for saugeye on all state waters, except for Huntingburg Lake (Dubois County), Glenn Flint Lake (Putnam County), and Sullivan Lake …
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents).
Statewide limits as printed, 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide (eRegulations, linked from the Indiana DNR), read November 5, 2026. Indiana DNR license fees (license year April 1 to March 31), read November 5, 2026.
Big Barbee Lake among nearby lakes
On size, Kuhn Lake leads the lakes near Big Barbee Lake at 140 acres (NHD outline area).
| Lake | Distance | Size | DNR ramps | Stocking rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Barbee Lake | this lake | 315 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 25 |
| Kuhn Lake | under a mile northeast | 140 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 19 |
| Little Barbee Lake | 1 mile northwest | 77 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 6 |
| Sechrist Lake | 1 mile northwest | 105 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 30 |
| Irish Lake | 2 miles northwest | 0 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 7 |
| Durham Lake | 2 miles east | 14 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 1 |
Indiana DNR lake layer, NHD outline areas, DNR Fishing Access Sites and stocking dashboard; read November 5, 2026.
A few Hoosier miles off Big Barbee Lake
Other lakes a state-road drive from Big Barbee Lake
- Kuhn Lakeunder a mile northeast
- Little Barbee Lake1 mile northwest
- Sechrist Lake1 mile northwest
- Irish Lake2 miles northwest
- Durham Lake2 miles east
Topping off the minnow bucket near Big Barbee Lake
- Number 1 Stop Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Pierceton, under a mile
- Barbee Marinamarina, Warsaw, 1 mile
- Ye Olde Tackle Boxbait and tackle shop, North Webster, 3 miles
- Socks Marinamarina, North Webster, 4 miles
- Dewart Lake Tackle Companybait and tackle shop, Syracuse, 7 miles
- Griffith's Wawasee Marinamarina, Syracuse, 7 miles
Towns with a motel near Big Barbee Lake
- Winona Lake7 miles
- Warsaw8 miles
- Syracuse10 miles
Indiana counties along Big Barbee Lake
- Kosciusko Countyseat: Warsaw
Piscifun tackle for the next run to Big Barbee Lake
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Fish to know on sight at Big Barbee Lake
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Plain answers about Big Barbee Lake
How do I find Big Barbee Lake on a map of Indiana?
Its county on the DNR layer is Kosciusko County, about 7 miles from Winona Lake.
How many acres does the mapped outline of Big Barbee Lake hold?
Size on record: 315 acres (NHD outline area); the 2020 DNR survey found 42 feet at the deepest point.
Where does a trailer boat get onto Big Barbee Lake from a DNR site?
Nearest mapped ramp: Kuhn Lake boat ramp, under a mile.
What swims in Big Barbee Lake?
The DNR lists muskellunge.
What bass may go home from Big Barbee Lake?
The statewide lake row reads: 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass, size 14 inches.
What will an Indiana license run me for Big Barbee Lake?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents). Those younger than 18 are exempt.
Which DNR shore sites line Big Barbee Lake?
No pier is recorded here.
What tackle store is closest on the drive to Big Barbee Lake?
Number 1 Stop Bait & Tackle, under a mile away, heads the shop list.
When was Big Barbee Lake last stocked?
The latest dashboard row: 4,250 Muskie, 10.61 in average (November 2025).
Rig the rods for Big Barbee Lake
Every 2026 fee and limit is one click away.