John Hay Lake Fishing
Public lake fishing in Washington County, 212 acres (NHD outline area).
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John Hay Lake, sized up for Indiana anglers
Look for John Hay Lake, a lake of 212 acres (NHD outline area), in Washington County. Count on roughly 6 miles to reach Salem, the nearest town.
DNR access data shows 1 boat ramp. It shows up in 18 stocking rows on the stocking dashboard.
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.
The DNR file card on John Hay Lake
- Location (DNR)Near Salem
- Owner (DNR)Salem Parks Department, Municipal
- DNR districtDNR fisheries district 6
Each row above repeats a field from the DNR lake layer for John Hay Lake, unedited.
Indiana DNR public lakes layer (county, owner, fisheries district number, location text), read November 5, 2026.
Fish the DNR names at John Hay Lake
Each fish shown for John Hay Lake carries a DNR label or a DNR stocking or record row.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Hay Lake boat ramp | boat ramp | boat ramp, fee: Entry Fee, Electric only | Salem Parks Dept. |
Neighbouring launches around John Hay Lake
- White-Muscatatuck boat rampMuscatatuck River, 6 miles north
- Milport boat ramp on Muscatatuck RiverMuscatatuck River, 6 miles northeast
- Spurgeon Hollow Lake boat rampSpurgeon Hollow Lake, 6 miles east
- Delaney Creek Park LakeDelaney Creek Park Lake, 7 miles northeast
- Sparksville boat ramp on East Fork White RiverEast Fork White River, 7 miles northwest
- Low Water Bridge boat ramp on Muscatatuck RiverMuscatatuck River, 8 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.
Stocking at John Hay Lake
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Multiple | Channel Catfish | 3,381 | 8.48 |
| 2011 | October | Channel Catfish | 3,280 | 8.9 |
| 2009 | October | Channel Catfish | 3,360 | 8.5 |
| 2007 | October | Channel Catfish | 3,360 | 8.6 |
| 2005 | October | Channel Catfish | 3,360 | 8.1 |
| 2003 | October | Channel Catfish | 3,360 | 8.42 |
| 2001 | October | Channel Catfish | 3,360 | 8.9 |
| 1999 | November | Channel Catfish | 2,722 | 8.14 |
| 1997 | October | Channel Catfish | 3,360 | 8.5 |
| 1995 | October | Channel Catfish | 3,360 | 8.7 |
| 1992 | October | Channel Catfish | 5,250 | 8.3 |
| 1978 | November | Channel Catfish | 6,300 |
The DNR dashboard dates releases at John Hay Lake by year and month only.
Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Keep rules for John Hay 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) |
At John Hay Lake, start from the statewide table and then read any local entry.
- 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.
Indiana lakes clustered near John Hay Lake
For more elbow room than John Hay Lake, Lake Salinda spans 76 acres (NHD outline area).
| Lake | Distance | Size | DNR ramps | Stocking rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hay Lake | this lake | 212 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 18 |
| Plattsburg Pond | 5 miles east | not printed | 0 | 4 |
| Spurgeon Hollow Lake | 6 miles east | not printed | 1 | 26 |
| Delaney Creek Park Lake | 7 miles east | not printed | 1 | 27 |
| Potter Lake | 8 miles east | not printed | 0 | 23 |
| Lake Salinda | 9 miles southeast | 76 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 22 |
Indiana DNR lake layer, NHD outline areas, DNR Fishing Access Sites and stocking dashboard; read November 5, 2026.
A short haul from John Hay Lake
More Indiana lakes within reach of John Hay Lake
- Plattsburg Pond5 miles east
- Spurgeon Hollow Lake6 miles east
- Delaney Creek Park Lake7 miles east
- Potter Lake8 miles east
- Lake Salinda9 miles southeast
Stores stocking hooks and line around John Hay Lake
- Red Barn Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Salem, 4 miles
- Anglers Denfly shop, Scottsburg, 20 miles
- Four Seasons Market & Baitbait and tackle shop, Borden, 23 miles
Places to eat and sleep near John Hay Lake
- Salem6 miles
- Brownstown15 miles
- New Pekin15 miles
County pages that take in John Hay Lake
- Washington Countyseat: Salem
A Piscifun lineup sized for John Hay Lake
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Hardwood shorelines around John Hay Lake through a lens
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Scott Weingart, CC BY 2.0
Photo: William Alden, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: LunchboxLarry, CC BY 2.0
Sorting out John Hay Lake before the cooler gets packed
Where in Indiana is John Hay Lake?
Near Salem. Head for Washington County, about 6 miles from Salem.
How big is John Hay Lake?
The figure on file is 212 acres (NHD outline area).
Which ramp is best for John Hay Lake?
The DNR layer has a lone ramp there: John Hay Lake boat ramp.
Which fish does the DNR name at John Hay Lake?
DNR labels name bluegill, redear sunfish, common carp, catfish, crappie, largemouth bass and channel catfish.
Is there a size limit on bass at John Hay Lake?
The statewide lake row reads: 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass, size 14 inches.
May an out-of-state visitor wet a line on John Hay Lake?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents). No license is needed under age 18.
Has the DNR mapped a pier or shore site on John Hay Lake?
No dedicated shore spot is on the DNR layer.
Which Indiana bait counter is handiest to John Hay Lake?
Nearest in our shop list: Red Barn Bait Shop, about 4 miles away,.
Which hatchery fish has the Indiana DNR put in John Hay Lake?
The latest dashboard row: 3,381 Channel Catfish, 8.48 in average (Multiple 2025).
Spend a cool Hoosier morning on John Hay Lake
Buy the Indiana license online before you go.