Pike Lake Fishing
Kosciusko County holds this lake, 257 acres (NHD outline area).
Pick for redear sunfishPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Warsaw: Brad P, CC BY 2.0
Sizing up Pike Lake from the Indiana map
Mapped at 257 acres (NHD outline area), Pike Lake is a lake lying in Kosciusko County. DNR surveyors in 2016 recorded 33 feet at the deepest point. Groceries and gas are nearest in Warsaw, under a mile away.
The DNR Where to Fish layer plots 1 boat ramp on it. The DNR has logged 40 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. Indiana DNR Status & Trends lake survey points (2016 survey), read November 5, 2026. Census 2023 places.
DNR layer entries describing Pike Lake
- DNR districtDNR fisheries district 3
- Public freshwater lakeon the Indiana list of public freshwater lakes
The DNR layer supplied every entry above for Pike Lake.
Indiana DNR public lakes layer (county, owner, fisheries district number, location text), read November 5, 2026.
DNR-listed fish at Pike Lake
Labels follow the DNR wording for Pike Lake: its lake layer, access sites, stocking rows and record list; it is not a catch report.
What the DNR survey crew measured at Pike Lake
Figures for Pike Lake date from the 2016 Status and Trends sampling, not from this year.
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 (2016 survey), read November 5, 2026.
For the redear sunfish herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Launch sites around Pike Lake
| Site | Type | Recorded attributes | Managed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pike Lake boat ramp | boat ramp | concrete ramp, courtesy dock, restrooms, lights, no fee recorded | Division of Fish & Wildlife, Public Access North/ City of Warsaw |
Other ramps if Pike Lake is busy
- Little Pike Lake (Use Pike Lake Ramp)Little Pike Lake, under a mile northwest
- Center Lake boat rampCenter Lake, under a mile southwest
- Winona Lake boat rampWinona Lake, 1 mile south
- Little Chapman Lake (Use Big Chapman Ramp)Little Chapman Lake, 3 miles northeast
- Big Chapman Lake boat rampBig Chapman Lake, 4 miles northeast
- Banning Lake boat rampBanning Lake, 6 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.
Reading the bottom of Pike Lake
You can download 2 contour maps for Pike Lake from the DNR.
Indiana DNR lake depth maps (PDF bathymetry by lake), read November 5, 2026.
Corps pool reading for Pike Lake
| NWS gauge | Reading | Flow | Flood category | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Indiana Lakes at Pike Lake at Warsaw | 4.91 ft | – | not defined | 2026-11-05 19:00:00 UTC |
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge readings (water.noaa.gov), read November 5, 2026; dated readings, not live (kcfs = thousand cubic feet per second).
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Pike Lake At Warsaw, In | 4.86 ft gage height | Nov 7 11:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 8, 2026 12:33 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
At Pike Lake, the USGS feed is provisional data.
USGS instantaneous values, provisional.
DNR stocking rows for Pike Lake
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | May | Walleye | 11,407 | 1.48 |
| 2025 | May | Walleye | 11,400 | 1.4 |
| 2024 | May | Walleye | 11,400 | 1.58 |
| 2023 | May | Walleye | 11,400 | 1.35 |
| 2022 | June | Walleye | 11,413 | 1.25 |
| 2021 | June | Walleye | 11,400 | 1.3 |
| 2019 | May | Walleye | 11,754 | 1.3 |
| 2018 | May | Walleye | 10,702 | 1.72 |
| 2017 | May | Walleye | 15,330 | 1.09 |
| 2016 | June | Walleye | 11,458 | 1.4 |
| 2015 | June | Walleye | 12,754 | 1.25 |
| 2014 | June | Walleye | 11,650 | 1.41 |
The stocking dashboard holds these Pike 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 Pike 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 Pike 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.
State-record fish from Pike Lake
| Species | Weight as printed | Year | Water as listed | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Carp | 43 lb. 4 oz. | 1989 | Pike Lake | Kosciusko |
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.
Nearby lakes lined up with Pike Lake
Of the five closest lake pages, Big Chapman Lake has the largest outline at 640 acres (NHD outline area).
| Lake | Distance | Size | DNR ramps | Stocking rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike Lake | this lake | 257 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 40 |
| Little Pike Lake | under a mile northwest | not printed | 1 | 0 |
| Center Lake | under a mile west | not printed | 1 | 0 |
| Winona Lake | 2 miles south | not printed | 1 | 29 |
| Little Chapman Lake | 3 miles northeast | not printed | 1 | 1 |
| Big Chapman Lake | 4 miles northeast | 640 acres (NHD outline area) | 1 | 7 |
Indiana DNR lake layer, NHD outline areas, DNR Fishing Access Sites and stocking dashboard; read November 5, 2026.
Around the edges of Pike Lake
Lakes in the same part of Indiana as Pike Lake
- Little Pike Lakeunder a mile northwest
- Center Lakeunder a mile west
- Winona Lake2 miles south
- Little Chapman Lake3 miles northeast
- Big Chapman Lake4 miles northeast
Picking up nightcrawlers and minnows near Pike Lake
- Fletchers Bait & Loni Florybait and tackle shop, Warsaw, under a mile
- Doc Side Mobile Boat Servicemarina, Warsaw, 2 miles
- Barbee Marinamarina, Warsaw, 7 miles
- Dewart Lake Tackle Companybait and tackle shop, Syracuse, 8 miles
- Number 1 Stop Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Pierceton, 9 miles
- Pinkys Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Milford, 9 miles
Guide services listed around Pike Lake
- Penrod & Reel Guide Service LLCcharter, (574) 551-6598
Hoosier towns sitting near Pike Lake
- Warsawunder a mile
- Winona Lake3 miles
- Milford12 miles
County guides tied to Pike Lake
- Kosciusko Countyseat: Warsaw
Piscifun picks for a day out on Pike Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Picture ID for the fish swimming at Pike Lake
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Ray Dumas, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
What the bait counter hears about Pike Lake
Which Hoosier town sits nearest the shore of Pike Lake?
The DNR files it under Kosciusko County, under a mile from Warsaw.
Is Pike Lake a large lake for Indiana?
257 acres (NHD outline area); the 2016 DNR survey found 33 feet at the deepest point.
How many DNR ramps serve Pike Lake?
The DNR shows just Pike Lake boat ramp.
Which species does the DNR list for Pike Lake?
DNR sources name bluegill, redear sunfish, catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, walleye and saugeye.
How many black bass may an Indiana angler keep from Pike Lake?
The statewide lake row reads: 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass, size 14 inches.
Can I fish Pike 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 Pike Lake good without a boat?
No shore site is mapped; ramp areas are the usual bank spots.
Is there a bait shop by Pike Lake?
Our list starts with Fletchers Bait & Loni Flory, under a mile away,.
How full is Pike Lake?
The band above carries Northern Indiana Lakes at Pike Lake at Warsaw (NWS, dated).
Which record row names Pike Lake?
Common Carp, 43 lb. 4 oz. (1989), is on the DNR record list for this water; the DNR list shown here leaves out angler names.
Is Pike Lake on the stocking dashboard?
The latest dashboard row: 11,407 Walleye, 1.48 in average (May 2026).
Hitch up for Pike Lake this weekend
Fees, stamps and special rules are on the license page.