Gibson Lake Fishing
Gibson County holds this reservoir, 2,942 acres (NHD outline area).
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Sizing up Gibson Lake from the Indiana map
Mapped at 2,942 acres (NHD outline area), Gibson Lake is a reservoir lying in Gibson County. Groceries and gas are nearest in Owensville, around 7 miles away.
The DNR has logged 7 stocking rows for it.
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.
DNR layer entries describing Gibson Lake
- Owner (DNR)PSI Energy, Private
- DNR districtDNR fisheries district 6
The DNR layer supplied every entry above for Gibson Lake.
Indiana DNR public lakes layer (county, owner, fisheries district number, location text), read November 5, 2026.
DNR-listed fish at Gibson Lake
Labels follow the DNR wording for Gibson Lake: its lake layer, access sites, stocking rows and record list; it is not a catch report.
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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Gibson Lake has no DNR-mapped launch; the list below gives the closest.
Other ramps if Gibson Lake is busy
- Patoka Island boat ramp on Wabash RiverWabash River, 2 miles north
- Crawleyville boat ramp on Wabash RiverWabash River, 5 miles southwest
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.
DNR stocking rows for Gibson Lake
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | June | Hybrid Striped Bass | 15,000 | 1.06 |
| 1990 | June | Hybrid Striped Bass | 29,120 | 1.42 |
| 1988 | March | Largemouth Bass | 14,633 | 4.0 |
| 1986 | June | Hybrid Striped Bass | 14,700 | |
| 1986 | Multiple | Largemouth Bass | 7,049 | 6.33 |
| 1985 | Multiple | Hybrid Striped Bass | 14,750 | |
| 1979 | November | Largemouth Bass | 30,000 |
The stocking dashboard holds these Gibson Lake releases.
Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Bag and size rules that apply at Gibson 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) |
A special regulation entry for Gibson Lake would override the statewide row.
- 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.
Nearby lakes lined up with Gibson Lake
Of the five closest lake pages, Oakland City Old Lake has the largest outline at 16 acres (NHD outline area).
| Lake | Distance | Size | DNR ramps | Stocking rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Lake | this lake | 2,942 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 7 |
| Lafayette Park Pond | 11 miles east | not printed | 0 | 42 |
| Scott Township Park Pond | 22 miles southeast | not printed | 0 | 8 |
| Harmonie State Park Big Pond | 22 miles southwest | not printed | 0 | 4 |
| Harmonie State Park Little Pond | 22 miles southwest | not printed | 0 | 47 |
| Oakland City Old Lake | 24 miles east | 16 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 9 |
Indiana DNR lake layer, NHD outline areas, DNR Fishing Access Sites and stocking dashboard; read November 5, 2026.
Around the edges of Gibson Lake
Lakes in the same part of Indiana as Gibson Lake
- Lafayette Park Pond11 miles east
- Scott Township Park Pond22 miles southeast
- Harmonie State Park Big Pond22 miles southwest
- Harmonie State Park Little Pond22 miles southwest
- Oakland City Old Lake24 miles east
Picking up nightcrawlers and minnows near Gibson Lake
- M & M Rod Shopbait and tackle shop, Princeton, 11 miles
Hoosier towns sitting near Gibson Lake
- Owensville7 miles
- Princeton10 miles
- Fort Branch13 miles
County guides tied to Gibson Lake
- Gibson Countyseat: Princeton
Piscifun picks for a day out on Gibson Lake
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Picture ID for the fish swimming at Gibson Lake
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, CC BY-SA 2.0
What the bait counter hears about Gibson Lake
Which Hoosier town sits nearest the shore of Gibson Lake?
The DNR files it under Gibson County, about 7 miles from Owensville.
Is Gibson Lake a large lake for Indiana?
2,942 acres (NHD outline area).
How many DNR ramps serve Gibson Lake?
Patoka Island boat ramp on Wabash River, some 2 miles away, is the closest on the DNR layer.
Which species does the DNR list for Gibson Lake?
DNR sources name hybrid striped bass and largemouth bass.
How many black bass may an Indiana angler keep from Gibson Lake?
The statewide lake row reads: 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass, size 14 inches.
Can I fish Gibson Lake without paying a fee to the state?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents). Youth under 18 are exempt.
Is Gibson Lake good without a boat?
No shore site is mapped; ramp areas are the usual bank spots.
Is there a bait shop by Gibson Lake?
Our list starts with M & M Rod Shop, about 11 miles away,.
Is Gibson Lake on the stocking dashboard?
The latest dashboard row: 15,000 Hybrid Striped Bass, 1.06 in average (June 1992).
Hitch up for Gibson Lake this weekend
Fees, stamps and special rules are on the license page.