Rainbow Trout in Indiana
Indiana rainbow trout: bag, record, stocking and waters.
- no statewide rowbag
- 18 lb. 8 oz.record
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rainbow trout from Lake Michigan to the Ohio
No statewide Indiana row is written for rainbow trout. A water with a special regulation line can still set a rule that reaches it.
The Hoosier rainbow trout record reads 18 lb. 8 oz., Clear Lake, 1988. The DNR names it at 60 waters with pages here, starting with Mississinewa Lake, Clear Lake (Steuben County) and Oliver Lake. From 2016 forward, stocking rows add up to 571,694 in 53 waters.
Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Salmonidae (trouts and salmons).
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| Where | Row as printed | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| inland waters | Inland trout | 5, any combination of brook, rainbow, or brown trout; no more than one may be brown trout | 7 inches (no minimum size for trout caught from lakes, except 18-inch brown trout waters) |
Statewide limits as printed, 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide (eRegulations, linked from the Indiana DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Heaviest Indiana rainbow trout on file
| Weight as printed | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 lb. 8 oz. | Clear Lake | Steuben County | 1988 |
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.
Places to try for Indiana rainbow trout
- Mississinewa Lake2,160 acres (NHD outline area), Wabash County
- Clear Lake (Steuben County)815 acres (NHD outline area), Steuben County
- Oliver Lake390 acres (NHD outline area), LaGrange County
- Worster Lake337 acres (NHD outline area), St. Joseph County
- Lake Gage337 acres (NHD outline area), Steuben County
- Adams Lake302 acres (NHD outline area), LaGrange County
- Bixler Lake129 acres (NHD outline area), Noble County
- Shriner Lake126 acres (NHD outline area), Whitley County
- Sechrist Lake105 acres (NHD outline area), Kosciusko County
- Olin Lake103 acres (NHD outline area), LaGrange County
- Ball Lake89 acres (NHD outline area), Steuben County
- Sand Lake55 acres (NHD outline area), Noble County
- Little Cedar Lake47 acres (NHD outline area), Whitley County
- Clare Lake42 acres (NHD outline area), Huntington County
- McClish Lake36 acres (NHD outline area), Steuben County
- Pinhook Lake32 acres (NHD outline area), St. Joseph County
- Martin Lake (LaGrange County)26 acres (NHD outline area), LaGrange County
- Wyland Lake10 acres (NHD outline area), Kosciusko County
- Fancher Lake9 acres (NHD outline area), Lake County
- Oak Lake4 acres (NHD outline area), Clark County
- Airline PitGreene County
- Bethel PitPike County
- Delaware LakeMarion County
- Garvin Park LakeVanderburgh County
Indiana DNR public lakes layer (county, owner, fisheries district number, location text), read November 5, 2026.
rainbow trout stocked by the Indiana DNR since 2016
| Water as listed | Fish since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Pigeon River | 94,426 |
| Oliver Lake | 86,280 |
| Cedar Lake (Whitley) | 51,811 |
| Little Elkhart River | 44,744 |
| Gage, Lake | 33,697 |
| East Fork Whitewater River | 21,404 |
| Solomon Creek | 15,994 |
| Big Blue River | 13,403 |
| Clear Lake (Steuben) | 11,161 |
| Maple Avenue Lake | 10,685 |
Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Fish related to rainbow trout on this site
- Atlantic Salmonno statewide row
- Brook Troutno statewide row
- Brown Troutno statewide row
- Chinook Salmonno statewide row
- Coho Salmonno statewide row
- Lake Troutno statewide row
- Lake Whitefishno statewide row
- Pink Salmonno statewide row
- Steelhead Troutno statewide row
A Piscifun lineup sized for Indiana rainbow trout
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Hardwood shorelines around Rainbow Trout through a lens
Photo: Kevin Dooley, CC BY 2.0
Photo: LouisvilleUSACE, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Warren LeMay, CC0 1.0
Photo: Serge Melki, CC BY 2.0
Common Indiana questions on rainbow trout
How many rainbow trout may I keep in a day in Indiana?
Nothing statewide is printed; look up the water you plan to fish.
What is the Indiana record rainbow trout?
18 lb. 8 oz. out of Clear Lake, 1988.
Which Hoosier lake or river lists rainbow trout?
See Mississinewa Lake, Clear Lake (Steuben County) and Oliver Lake, the first of 60 Indiana pages naming it.
Does the guide print special rainbow trout rules anywhere?
No special regulation entry names it, though all-fish rules on a water still apply.
How many rainbow trout has the DNR stocked?
DNR rows add up to 571,694 in 53 waters from 2016, the last in 2026.
How much is an Indiana license to fish for rainbow trout?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents). Fishing for trout or salmon also needs the $11 trout/salmon stamp.
Which fish family are Indiana rainbow trout in?
Oncorhynchus mykiss; family Salmonidae (trouts and salmons), on the DNR Fishes of Indiana list.
Can I fish for rainbow trout on Free Fishing Days?
The Indiana DNR set Free Fishing Days for May 10, June 6-7, and Sept. 26, 2026, for Indiana residents (no license or trout/salmon stamp needed; all other rules apply). Bag and size rules still apply.
Find rainbow trout near your Indiana base
Every linked water lists DNR access sites.