- The State of Indiana's Volunteer Angler Surveys
Here is your chance to directly help in fisheries management. The information you provide is essential in understanding this valuable species and helps the Department of Natural Resources monitor harvest and catch data.
Division of Fish & Wildlife staff collect reports as time permits. Only those water bodies with a current report are included.
| Waterbody | Report | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Dogwood Lake | Largemouth Bass and Panfish are being caught along weed lines and standing timber in 5 to 12 of water. Try slip bobbers with crickets in standing timber. Water temperature is in the mid 70s. Dogwood Lake is closed to fishing during the south zone duck season. Contact Glendale Fish and Wildlife area for more lake closer information | 9/26/2024 |
| East Fork White River | Anglers are reporting catching Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Channel Catfish and Goldeye. Water Temperature is in the low to mid 70s. In a recent fish survey of the EFWR in Lawrence Co. Drum over 20 inches were collected with many in the 10 to 14 inch range. Spotted Bass up to 13 inches and numerous Channel Catfish and Flathead were collected or observed. Try eating an invasive carp if they jump in your boat! | 9/30/2024 |
| Greene-Sullivan State Forest | Via the YE Old Trading Post Outdoor shop...folks were catching crappie and bluegill as well as some catfish. Bass are being caught as well. Bluegill are being caught on redworms and bee moths, and crappie on minnows. | 9/30/2024 |
| Hudson Lake | Some pike and bass are being caught on spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and crankbaits along weed edges and dropoffs. The water is cooling off and the fall bite will start soon. Anglers should be aware that dredging the channel at the access site will be occurring this fall and may interrupt access at times | 10/11/2024 |
| JC Murphey (Willow Slough) | Fish were stocked into the lake in the fall of 2023 with more stocking occurring in 2024. Fish salvaged from the lake before draining have been stocked back into the lake, with some catchable size bluegill, crappie, and largemouth bass. There will be limited angling opportunities for harvestable sized fish in 2024 except for the larger spawning sized fish from the salvage units. Please release these larger fish as they are the spawners for future. More information can be found in the link below. | 8/28/2024 |
| Lake Michigan (boat) | Lake trout are starting to move near shore, such as the breakwalls in Hammond, East Chicago, Port of Indiana, and Michigan City. Use jigging spoons, blade baits, and white flukes/tubes on jigheads near the bottom. Skein or spawn near the bottom works well too. Once the water is under 50 in a few weeks, the perch should start grouping up in schools out deep in 50-70 feet, and/or in the slips and Calumet River/Cal Harbor. The buoys are starting to get retrieved for the season, so real-time wave and water data will not be available. | 10/31/2024 |
| Lake Michigan (shore) | A few lake trout are showing up, and a few whitefish. Try spoons, spinners, tube jigs, and blade baits for lakers, and skein or single eggs on the bottom for whitefish. A few bass and several pike were caught along the Portage Riverwalk, and off the high wall in Michigan City marina. The shore fishing site at the Port of Indiana is back open after construction | 10/31/2024 |
| Lake Michigan Tributaries (Trail Creek, Little Calumet River, Salt Creek) | The salmon run is wrapping up, but there are still a few stragglers to be caught, especially with a bit of rain and some cooler temps. A few fresh steelhead are coming in, but we still need a few weeks and/or good rain to spur the first good push of winter runs. Covering water is the name of the game when there are few fresh fish coming in - try a variety of different spots and don't spend too long in one hole. Downsize your baits in clear water, the fish get very spooky and pressured. Please respect fellow anglers, private property, and please do not litter! For links to stream flow, see the links below the report tables | 10/31/2024 |
| LaPorte Area Lakes | As the water cools off, bass and pike are moving shallower and feeding heavily. Inside and outside weed edges are a good place to start targeting fish | 10/6/2024 |
| Monroe Lake | Lake level is almost 1 foot low and rising since hurricane Helene. Surface temperature is in the mid 70s. Crappie are suspended over and near the stream channel. Hybrid striped bass are being targeted wading from shore or trolling around the stream channel. Black bass can be found in woody habitat along the weed lines. As the water cools below 70 Hybrids will begin to move up lake past Allens Creek. | 10/6/2024 |
| Ohio River | Largemouth Bass are being caught in various tributaries of the Ohio River target laydowns or any hard cover available. | 9/20/2024 |
| Patoka Lake | Largemouth Bass are being caught in low light periods on main lake points pushing bait, slide up to the standing timber to target them when the sun is up. White and Black Crappie are loaded around standing timber in 7-13ftow. Hybrid Striped bass are using main lake points and weed edges during low light periods. | 9/20/2024 |
| St. Joseph River (below Twin Branch Dam) | The river is in still very low and clear. Bass will start moving toward deeper and slower overwintering areas soon. Pike and largemouth are being caught in the slower sections near wood and weeds. Since September, almost 1000 steelhead and 2000 coho have gone through South Bend. However, with the low and clear water, they are skittish and not biting well. Downsize your baits and think stealthy. Monitor the flow at the closest USGS gauge in Niles, MI using the links below the report table. Note that the funding partner has discontinued temperature at the end of the year - if you feel strongly about the value of temperature on the St. Joe River, use the link on the USGS site to contact them and request reinstatement | 10/31/2024 |
| Valpo Area Lakes | Bluegill and redear are being caught on deep weed edges, especially in morning and evenings. A few crappies on minnows as well | 9/20/2024 |
| West Boggs Lake | Anglers are reporting good Bass fishing from docks in the thick vegetation | 9/17/2024 |
| Summit Lake | Water temperatures are in the low 60s. Walleye and Largemouth Bass can be found along rocky shorelines and weedlines. | 10/18/2024 |
| Prairie Creek Reservoir | Water temperatures are in the low 60s. Walleye are being caught along rocky shorelines. Black Bass can be found in woody habitat and along the weed lines. Yellow Bass are abundant and anglers are encouraged to harvest them. | 10/18/2024 |
| Brookville Lake | Water temperatures are in the mid 60s. Walleye can be found around shallow structure and points during low light conditions. Look for black bass, crappie and catfish in areas around woody habitat and aquatic vegetation. | 10/23/2024 |
| Lake of the Woods | Biologists performed an electrofishing survey on Lake of the Woods in Marshall County on October 21. They observed many big Largemouth Bass up shallow in less than 3 ft of water. They also saw walleye anywhere between 10-25 inches up in less than 4 ft of water. Other species observed that people may be interested in fishing for were Bluegill, Yellow Perch, and Black Crappie. The water temperature while we were out sampling was 61.5 degrees. When targeting Walleye and Largemouth Bass try fishing weed edges with hard stick baits like jerk baits or Rapalas, or soft swim baits that will stay above the tops of the weeds. | 10/31/2024 |
