Big Long Lake Fishing
This lake lies in LaGrange County, 392 acres (NHD outline area).
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Taking stock of Big Long Lake
Big Long Lake is a lake in LaGrange County; its mapped outline covers 392 acres (NHD outline area). Wolcottville sits about 7 miles from the lake point, the nearest place on the Census list.
You can launch from 1 boat ramp that the DNR maps. A special regulation entry in the guide covers it. DNR hatchery releases appear here in 1 stocking row.
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. Census 2023 places.
What the DNR lake layer records for Big Long Lake
- Location (DNR)Pigeon River FWA
- Owner (DNR)DNR DFW, State
- DNR districtDNR fisheries district 2
- Public freshwater lakeon the Indiana list of public freshwater lakes
The attribute text for Big Long Lake above is as the DNR stores it.
Indiana DNR public lakes layer (county, owner, fisheries district number, location text), read November 5, 2026.
Species on the DNR list for Big Long Lake
At Big Long Lake the list mirrors DNR labels; no angler reports went into it.
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.
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| Site | Type | Recorded attributes | Managed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Long Lake boat ramp | boat ramp | concrete ramp, ADA access, restrooms, no fee recorded | Pigeon River Fish & Wildlife Area |
More DNR launches that reach Big Long Lake
- Pretty Lake boat rampPretty Lake, 2 miles northwest
- Little Turkey Lake boat ramp (west)Little Turkey Lake, 3 miles northeast
- Big Turkey Lake boat rampBig Turkey Lake, 3 miles northeast
- Cree Lake boat rampCree Lake, 4 miles southwest
- Adams Lake boat rampAdams Lake, 4 miles west
- Appleman Lake boat rampAppleman Lake, 5 miles north
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.
Mapped depths at Big Long Lake
The DNR has published 1 contour map for Big Long Lake.
Indiana DNR lake depth maps (PDF bathymetry by lake), read November 5, 2026.
Fingerlings and catchables added to Big Long Lake
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | June | Walleye | 39,192 | 1.7 |
DNR releases into Big Long Lake, as the dashboard prints them.
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 limits in force on Big Long 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) |
Those statewide guide rows govern Big Long Lake unless a special regulation line says otherwise.
- 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 …
Guide regulations written for Big Long Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Big Long Lake (LaGrange) | Largemouth Bass | 12- to 15-inch slot size limit, no more than two bass larger than 15 inches |
Special regulation waters as printed, 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide (eRegulations, linked from the Indiana DNR), read November 5, 2026.
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 Long Lake beside its Indiana neighbours
Big Turkey Lake covers the most water in this group around Big Long Lake: 470 acres (NHD outline area).
| Lake | Distance | Size | DNR ramps | Stocking rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Long Lake | this lake | 392 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 1 |
| Pretty Lake (LaGrange County) | 1 mile northwest | 185 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 0 |
| Lake of the Woods (LaGrange County) | 2 miles southeast | 133 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 0 |
| McClish Lake | 3 miles southeast | 36 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 24 |
| Little Turkey Lake | 3 miles north | 139 acres (NHD outline area) | 2 | 7 |
| Big Turkey Lake | 3 miles northeast | 470 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 19 |
Indiana DNR lake layer, NHD outline areas, DNR Fishing Access Sites and stocking dashboard; read November 5, 2026.
A Hoosier back-road drive from Big Long Lake
Other lakes a county or two from Big Long Lake
- Pretty Lake (LaGrange County)1 mile northwest
- Lake of the Woods (LaGrange County)2 miles southeast
- McClish Lake3 miles southeast
- Little Turkey Lake3 miles north
- Big Turkey Lake3 miles northeast
Grab bait on the way into Big Long Lake
- Angler Enterprises Incfly shop, Hudson, 4 miles
- Country Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Wolcottville, 7 miles
- West Lakes Boat Martmarina, Kendallville, 10 miles
- Jones Lake Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Rome City, 10 miles
- Marina Giftsmarina, Angola, 12 miles
- Diamond Marine Servicesmarina, Angola, 13 miles
Indiana towns close to Big Long Lake
- Wolcottville7 miles
- Rome City8 miles
- Kendallville8 miles
The counties Big Long Lake passes through
- LaGrange Countyseat: LaGrange
Piscifun gear a Hoosier angler might bring to Big Long Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Telling Big Long Lake fish apart from a photo
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Heath Alseike, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Big Long Lake: questions Hoosier anglers bring up
Which Indiana county is Big Long Lake in?
Pigeon River FWA. It lies in LaGrange County, about 7 miles from Wolcottville.
Roughly how big is Big Long Lake, in acres?
About 392 acres (NHD outline area).
Can I tow a bass boat to Big Long Lake?
The DNR maps one: Big Long Lake boat ramp.
What might bite for a Hoosier angler at Big Long Lake?
Look for bluegill, redear sunfish, yellow perch and walleye; the DNR names them.
Which bass rule applies at Big Long Lake?
The statewide lake row reads: 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass, size 14 inches. Its own guide line sits in the limits band.
Which Indiana license papers cover Big Long Lake?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents). Under-18 anglers are exempt.
Can a bank angler without a boat work Big Long Lake?
The access layer records no bank site for it.
Which listed shop can outfit a Hoosier trip to Big Long Lake?
Stop at Angler Enterprises Inc, about 4 miles away,.
Does the DNR stock Big Long Lake?
The latest dashboard row: 39,192 Walleye, 1.7 in average (June 1990).
Take the county road out to Big Long Lake
Check the limits, then pick a ramp.