Lake Manitou Fishing
This lake lies in Fulton County, 810 acres (NHD outline area).
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Taking stock of Lake Manitou
Lake Manitou is a lake in Fulton County; its mapped outline covers 810 acres (NHD outline area). Rochester sits about 2 miles from the lake point, the nearest place on the Census list.
You can launch from 2 boat ramps that the DNR maps. DNR hatchery releases appear here in 11 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. Census 2023 places.
What the DNR lake layer records for Lake Manitou
- Location (DNR)1.5 miles E of Rochester on SR 14, then 1 mi. S on East Shore Dr.
- Owner (DNR)DNR DFW, State
- DNR districtDNR fisheries district 1
- Public freshwater lakeon the Indiana list of public freshwater lakes
The attribute text for Lake Manitou 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 Lake Manitou
At Lake Manitou 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Manitou boat ramp (east) | boat ramp | concrete ramp, fishing pier, courtesy dock, restrooms, lights, no fee recorded | Division of Fish & Wildlife, Public Access North/ Rochester Parks Dept. |
| Lake Manitou boat ramp (west) | boat ramp | concrete ramp, fishing pier, courtesy dock, ADA access, restrooms, lights, no fee recorded | Rochester Parks Dept. |
More DNR launches that reach Lake Manitou
- Menominee PFA boat ramp on Tippecanoe RiverTippecanoe River, 5 miles northwest
- Nyona Lake boat rampNyona Lake, 6 miles south
- South Mud Lake boat rampSouth Mud Lake, 6 miles south
- Talma boat ramp on Tippecanoe RiverTippecanoe River, 8 miles north
- Germany Bridge boat ramp on Tippecanoe RiverTippecanoe River, 9 miles northwest
- Beaver Dam Lake boat ramp (north), Kosciusko CountyBeaver Dam Lake, 11 miles east
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 Lake Manitou
The DNR has published 2 contour maps for Lake Manitou.
Indiana DNR lake depth maps (PDF bathymetry by lake), read November 5, 2026.
Fingerlings and catchables added to Lake Manitou
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | December | Black Crappie | 30,200 | 1.68 |
| 2019 | December | Bluegill | 67,705 | 1.69 |
| 2019 | December | Largemouth Bass | 39 | 9.0 |
| 2019 | December | Redear Sunfish | 81,388 | 1.06 |
| 1995 | September | Northern Pike | 2,281 | 7.9 |
| 1987 | October | Northern Pike | 3,642 | 8.25 |
| 1986 | October | Northern Pike | 3,264 | 9.44 |
| 1984 | November | Northern Pike | 880 | 11.4 |
| 1980 | Multiple | Northern Pike | 3,099 | 5.97 |
| 1977 | May | Walleye | 1 | |
| 1972 | September | Largemouth Bass | 5,000 |
DNR releases into Lake Manitou, 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 Lake Manitou
| 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 Lake Manitou 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 …
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.
Bass events at Lake Manitou
The Lake Manitou tournament page lists coming events and sourced results.
Lake Manitou beside its Indiana neighbours
Beaver Dam Lake (Kosciusko County) covers the most water in this group around Lake Manitou: 155 acres (NHD outline area).
| Lake | Distance | Size | DNR ramps | Stocking rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Manitou | this lake | 810 acres (NHD outline area) | 2 | 11 |
| Barr Lake | 5 miles northeast | 25 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 0 |
| Nyona Lake | 6 miles south | 113 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 32 |
| South Mud Lake | 7 miles south | 103 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 3 |
| Beaver Dam Lake (Kosciusko County) | 11 miles east | 155 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 0 |
| McClures Lake | 12 miles east | 33 acres (NHD outline area) | 0 | 0 |
Indiana DNR lake layer, NHD outline areas, DNR Fishing Access Sites and stocking dashboard; read November 5, 2026.
A Hoosier back-road drive from Lake Manitou
Other lakes a county or two from Lake Manitou
- Barr Lake5 miles northeast
- Nyona Lake6 miles south
- South Mud Lake7 miles south
- Beaver Dam Lake (Kosciusko County)11 miles east
- McClures Lake12 miles east
Grab bait on the way into Lake Manitou
- Culver's Portside Marina, 1430 E 9th Stmarina, Rochester, 1 mile
- Malones Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Macy, 6 miles
- Schmack Em Bait & Tackle Shopbait and tackle shop, Macy, 6 miles
- Bait by the lakebait and tackle shop, Macy, 6 miles
- Cy's Tackle Shopbait and tackle shop, Rochester, 7 miles
- Splendor Boatsmarina, Silver Lake, 15 miles
Indiana towns close to Lake Manitou
- Rochester2 miles
- Akron8 miles
- Argos14 miles
The counties Lake Manitou passes through
- Fulton Countyseat: Rochester
Piscifun gear a Hoosier angler might bring to Lake Manitou
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Telling Lake Manitou fish apart from a photo
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Ray Dumas, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Lake Manitou: questions Hoosier anglers bring up
Which Indiana county is Lake Manitou in?
1.5 miles E of Rochester on SR 14, then 1 mi. S on East Shore Dr. It lies in Fulton County, about 2 miles from Rochester.
Roughly how big is Lake Manitou, in acres?
About 810 acres (NHD outline area).
Can I tow a bass boat to Lake Manitou?
The DNR maps 2 boat ramps; Lake Manitou boat ramp (east) is one.
What might bite for a Hoosier angler at Lake Manitou?
Look for bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, black crappie and walleye; the DNR names them.
Which bass rule applies at Lake Manitou?
The statewide lake row reads: 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass, size 14 inches.
Which Indiana license papers cover Lake Manitou?
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 Lake Manitou?
The access layer records no bank site for it.
Which listed shop can outfit a Hoosier trip to Lake Manitou?
Stop at Culver's Portside Marina, about 1 mile away,.
Does the DNR stock Lake Manitou?
The latest dashboard row: 81,388 Redear Sunfish, 1.06 in average (December 2019).
Take the county road out to Lake Manitou
Check the limits, then pick a ramp.