Great Fishing In Indiana

Guide to the best fishing in the Hoosier State

The state of Indiana offers a variety of fishing, ranging from fishing the big waters of Lake Michigan for monster salmon and trout to fishing small ponds and streams for panfish. Ice fishing offers an option at some of these lakes. We concentrate here on the major Indiana fishing lakes, many of which have marinas. Many of these lakes offer fishing boats for rent.

Major Lakes & Species
Lake Sizes & Locations
Indiana Fish Species & State Records

Indiana offers a wealth of fishing opportunities, thanks to its variety of fish species and diverse fishing environments. Anglers in Indiana can enjoy targeting a wide range of fish, including bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, trout, muskellunge, and more.

Warm water fisheries in Indiana are known for their abundance of popular game fish species. Lakes such as Patoka Lake, Lake Monroe, and Geist Reservoir provide excellent fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish. Anglers can experience the thrill of hooking into a feisty bass or reel in a stringer full of tasty panfish.

Indiana's cold water fisheries offer a different angling experience, with a focus on trout fishing. Streams and rivers like the Big Pine Creek, Fall Creek, and the East Fork of the White River provide opportunities for catching rainbow trout, brown trout, and even the elusive brook trout. These cold water fisheries are popular among fly anglers, who enjoy testing their skills with delicate presentations and precise casts.

In addition to lakes and rivers, Indiana's ponds offer fantastic fishing opportunities. Many private and public ponds are stocked with a variety of fish species, providing a more intimate and accessible fishing experience. Anglers can target largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish in these smaller bodies of water.

Indiana's rivers are another great option for fishing enthusiasts. The Ohio River, Wabash River, and White River are just a few examples of the state's major river systems that offer excellent fishing opportunities. Anglers can target a variety of species including catfish, bass, walleye, and even muskellunge in these flowing waters.

Whether you prefer the serenity of a secluded pond, the vastness of a lake, or the currents of a river, Indiana has a fishing environment to suit every angler's preferences. The state's variety of fish species and fishing settings make it an appealing destination for both novice and experienced anglers. With proper knowledge of fishing regulations, angling techniques, and respect for the environment, Indiana's fishing opportunities are waiting to be explored and enjoyed.

Here, you can fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, white catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, steelhead, rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, lake trout, bluegill, flier sunfish, green sunfish, redear sunfish, rock bass, warmouth, white bass, yellow bass, yellow perch, Atlantic salmon, coho salmon, stripers, bowfin, longnose gar, muskie, northern pike, paddlefish, sauger, saugeye, spotted gar and tiger muskie in local lakes, rivers, ponds and/or streams. Visit each IN lake page for details on species within that lake.

Major Indiana Lakes & Species

Lake & Fish Chart

This chart shows the major angling destinations, cross referencing these waters with the major species to be found in each of the lakes or impoundments.

For a detailed list of primary fish species in IN, plus state fish records, see the list below.

Fishing lake sizes and locations in the state.

Barbee Lake is an 850 surface acre lake in the north central part of the state, 8 miles north of Princeton.

Bass Lake is a 1,400-acre lake in the northeast part of the state, 5 miles north of Winamac.

Big Long Lake is a 360 surface acre lake in the northeast corner of the state, 35 miles north of Fort Wayne.

Big Turkey Lake is a 450 acre lake in the northeast corner of the state 2 miles north of Turkey Creek.

Bluegrass FWA Lake is a 600-acre lake in the southwest corner of the state, 10 miles northeast of Evansville.

Brookville Lake is a 5,200-acre lake in the east-central part of the state, at Brookville.

Cagles Mill Lake is a 1,400-acre lake in the west-central part of the state, 4 miles east of Poland.

Cecil M Hardin Lake is a 2,100-acre lake in the west-central part of the state, 8 miles east of Rockville.

Dewart Lake is a 550 acre lake in the north central section of IN, 3 miles north of Oswego.

Dogwood Lake is a 1,400-acre lake in the southwest part of the state, 4 miles west of Alfordsville.

Eagle Creek Reservoir is a 1,300-acre lake in the central part of the state, at Clermont.

Geist Reservoir is a 1,800-acre lake in the central part of the state, 2 miles north of McCordsville.

Griffy Lake is a 109 acre lake in the south central part of the state 2 miles north of Bloomington.

Hamilton Lake is a 800-acre lake in the northeast corner of the state, at Hamilton.

Hardy Lake is a 740 acre lake in the southeast part of the state, 5 miles south of Comminskey.

Hovey Lake is a 1,400-acre lake in the southwest corner of the state, 5 miles south of Mt Vernon.

Irish Lake is a 180 acre lake in the north central corner of the state at Barbee.

J C Murphey Lake is a 1,200-acre lake on the northwest border of the state, 2 miles northwest of Morocco.

J. Edward Roush Lake is a 960 acre lake in the northeast corner of the state, 1 mile southeast of Huntington.

James Lake is a 2,000-acre lake in the northeast corner part of the state, 5 miles west of Fremont.

Jimmerson Lake is a 300 surface acre lake in the northeast corner of the state, 8 miles east of Orland.

Kuhn Lake is a 270 surface acre lake in the north central corner of the state at Barbee.

Lake Freeman is a 1,500-acre lake in the northwest part of the state, at Yoeman.

Lake Lemon is a 1,650 acre lake in the south central part of the state 8 miles northeast of Bloomington.

Lake Manitou is a 770 acre lake in the north central quadrant of the state at Rochester.

Lake Maxinkuckee is a 1,900-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, at Culver.

Lake Michigan is a 22,300 square mile body of water in the northwest corner of the state, at Culver.

Lake Papakeechie is a 180 acre lake in the north central quadrant of the state 4 miles southeast of South Park.

Lake Shafer is a 1,290-acre lake in the northwest part of the state, 3 miles north of Monticello.

Lake Wawasee is a 3,100-acre lake in the northeast part of the state, at Syracuse.

Mississinewa Reservoir is a 3,200-acre lake in the northeast part of the state, 5 miles southeast of Peru.

Monroe Lake is a 10,700-acre lake in the central part of the state, at Smithville.

Morse Reservoir is an 1,800-acre lake in the central part of the state, at Cicero.

Nyona Lake is a 104 acre lake in the north central section of the state, 2 miles south of Green Oak.

Patoka Lake is an 8,800-acre lake in the south-central part of the state, 5 miles north of Eckerty.

Pine Lake is a 710 surface acre lake in the northeast quadrant of the state at Lynn Grove.

Prairie Creek Reservoir is a 1,200-acre lake in the eastern part of the state, 5 miles northwest of Blountsville.

Salamonie Lake is a 2,800-acre lake in the northeast part of the state, at Mt Etna.

Summit Lake is a 800-acre lake in the eastern part of the state, 4 miles northeast of Mt Summit.

Sylvan Lake is a 670-acre lake in the northeast part of the state, at Rome City.

Syracuse Lake is a 400 acre lake in the north central quadrant of the state at Syracuse.

Tippecanoe Lake is an 880 acre lake in the north central part of the state, at Oswego.

Turtle Creek Reservoir is a 1,500-acre lake in the southwest part of the state, 1 mile east of Merom.

Waubee Lake is a 180 acre lake in the north central part of the state at Milford.

Webster Lake is a 640 surface acre lake in the north central part of the state, at North Webster.

West Boggs Lake is a 620-acre lake in the southwest part of the state, 5 miles south of Bramble.

Winona Lake is a 570-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, at Warsaw.

Witmer Lake is a 290 acre lake in the northeast corner of the state, 1 mile northwest of Wolcottville.

Worster Lake is a 330 surface acre lake in north central Indiana, 10 miles southwest of South Bend.

Click here for a Indiana Fishing License.

Click the images and links above for species details.

State of IN Fishing Information

Indiana offers excellent fishing for anglers of all skill levels. Take a kid fishing in IN.

Fish for big bass

Excellent largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass fishing opportunities are available to anglers.

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