JE Roush Lake Fish & Wildlife Area

• J.E. Roush Lake FWA Alerts (2)
  • The back loop (sites 24-46) of the Kil-So-Quah campground is closed until further notice so staff can clean up storm damage, remove dead trees, and clear underbrush. This closure ensures the safety of guests while staff use heavy equipment in the campground. For questions regarding the closure, please contact Bethany Stone, property manager, 260-468-2165, bstone@dnr.IN.gov.
  • Beginning Sunday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m. the Kil-So-Quah campground will close for the season. It will reopen April 1, 2025, at 8 a.m.

• Amenities

  Public restrooms are at the following locations:

  Modern (open when the water is on, roughly May to November):

  • North boat ramp
  • Army Corps of Engineers public restrooms located near Arrowhead North and Observation Mound by the Roush dam.

  Pit Toilets:

  • Kil-So-Quah SRA Campground
  • J.E. Roush Lake main office

J.E. Roush Lake FWA contains a reservoir that frequently experiences flooding when the property undergoes extensive rain in a short period of time. Recreational areas such as the campground, boat ramp, and some roads may be closed during flooding seasons. Contact the property for the most up-to-date closure information at 260-468-2165.

Popular activities

All hunters, range users, and dog runners are required to sign in and obtain the appropriate one-day access permit before entering the field at this property. The one-day permit card must be completed and returned to a self-service booth, drop box, or property office before you leave.

All other visitors are encouraged to obtain a miscellaneous one-day access permit before entering the field. The one-day access permit should be kept with you while visiting, then completed and returned to a self-service booth, drop box, or office before you leave. The information you provide will help us identify ways to improve Indiana’s FWAs for all users. We appreciate your patience in taking the extra time to complete the permit. Your feedback and comments are valuable to us.

• Fishing
  • J.E. Roush Lake FWA has 15 miles of river and 200 acres of impoundments open to fishing. You can find locations on the Where to Fish map.
  • Fish species in the main lake include channel catfish, crappie, white bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and more. Walleye can be found below the dam in the river. Impoundment species include largemouth bass, bluegill, and redear sunfish.
  • Motorized boats are allowed on J.E. Roush Lake only. Please use the concrete boat ramp located off S.R. 224 at Kil-So-Quah SRA. No swimming is allowed at ramp. Non-motorized boats and electric motors are allowed on both J.E. Roush Lake and its impoundments. No ramps are provided on the impoundments.
  • Boat launch permits are not required at J.E. Roush Lake FWA.
  • When the North boat ramp floods, the South boat ramp off Division Road will temporarily be open for access. Please use extreme caution because this ramp is steep and flood debris is often present there and on the lake.
  • Shoreline fishing is available at the boat ramp and around the main lake and impoundments.
  • There is a 14-inch size limit for largemouth and smallmouth bass.
  • On Rock Creek, smallmouth bass fishing is catch-and-release only.
  • See Fishing Regulations for details.
• Hunting
  • Hunting for furbearers, deer, rabbit, squirrel, waterfowl, dove, pheasant, and wild turkey is common at J.E. Roush Lake FWA.
  • All hunting seasons and bag limits apply. See Hunting Regulations for details.
  • Hunting areas accessible to persons with disabilities are available. Ask for details at the office.
  • Shooting of woodchuck (groundhogs) is not allowed.
  • Additional hunting opportunities are available, including youth hunts for deer, turkey, and waterfowl.

  Deer

  • Deer tree stands and ground blinds may be used and left unattended from noon, Sept. 15 through Jan. 10. Tree stands and ground blinds must be legibly marked in English with either the owner’s DNR customer identification number or the owner’s name, address, and telephone number. Fasteners (e.g., screw-in steps and screw-in bow and gun hangers) and anything else used in conjunction with a tree stand and a tree or pole climber that penetrates a tree more than ½ inch is prohibited.
  • Antlerless deer cannot be taken with a firearm during firearms season at Fish & Wildlife areas, including J.E. Roush Lake FWA.

  Dove

  • J.E. Roush Lake FWA is open for dove season this year, starting Sept. 1, 2024, following legal hunting dates and times. Please follow self-service registration procedures to hunt this property.

  Pheasant

  • Put-and-take pheasant hunting starts the Saturday before Thanksgiving, with online sign-up starting in September. Doors open at 7 a.m. at the office location and close at 3:30 p.m. for the reserved put-and-take pheasant hunt.
  • During the put-and-take, only reserved pheasant hunters are allowed to pheasant hunt in units 17-23. Other hunting activities that are in season are allowed in some units, so please be aware that other hunters could be in these units.
  • Put-and-take hunters are only allowed to hunt pheasants while hunting. The shooting of woodcock, rabbits, etc. while pheasant hunting during the put-and-take is prohibited.

  Turkey

  • Spring turkey hunting is by reserved draw, but a no-show drawing is done daily at the office location. Doors open at 4:30 a.m., and the no-show drawing is held promptly at 5:30 a.m. Hunters must be licensed to hunt turkeys and signed in by 5:30 a.m. to participate.
  • Fall hunting is by bow only. Hunters must check in at any self-registration station each day.
• Shooting range
  • A state-of-the-art shooting range is located at 1002 E. Division Road, Huntington, IN 46750. The phone number is 260-468-2416.
  • Ranges are available for archery, handguns, rifles, and shotguns.
  • The shooting range is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis during business hours of the range and only when certified range safety officers are on duty.
  • Range fees will be charged. ($5/day adults, $2/day youth; trap and skeet range prices are $5 per round.)
  • Hours of operation are as follows:
    • Open: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, Wednesday – Sunday
    • Closed: Monday and Tuesday, Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day
    • Winter Hours for January and February: Open: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Closed: Monday – Thursday
  • See the Fish & Wildlife Area Shooting Ranges webpage for more details.
• Trapping
  • Trapping is allowed on property by draw only. View statewide trapping regulations in the Hunting & Trapping Guide.
  • The trapping draw is held the first Saturday in October at 10 a.m. Contact the property office for special conditions.
• Wildlife watching & birding

  J.E. Roush Lake FWA is a long, narrow property along the floodplain of the Wabash River. It provides excellent wildlife watching throughout the year, and the spring is great for waterfowl.

More activities

• Biking

  Biking at J.E. Roush Lake FWA is limited to county roads. There are no mountain biking trails.

• Camping
  • The campground has 41 electric sites ($15/day) and 20 primitive sites ($12/day). Visitors must pay upon arrival at the campground registration station.
  • Pit toilets are available in the campground. Water is available seasonally.
  • All campsites have fire rings and picnic tables. Camping is open all year on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • The maximum stay is 14 days, after which you must leave the FWA for a minimum of 48 hours.
  • Camping, picnicking, and open campfires are allowed in the campground only. Picnicking is allowed at the Kil-So-Quah SRA boat ramp area. Unloaded firearms, unstrung bows and arrows, and air guns maybe be possessed, but not used, in the camping and picnic areas. Swimming is prohibited.
• Dog running
  • Dog training is allowed only in Unit 22.
  • During dog running season, dogs can be used for active pursuit of game.
• Foraging
  • Mushrooms, berries, and nuts may be gathered; however, a written permit is required to remove plants, animals, rocks, and fossils.
  • Please note that during spring turkey season, no other visitors are allowed on the property until after 1 p.m. ET. Please call the office for dates and any questions.
• Hiking & walking
  • Hiking and walking are allowed on the property.
  • Access lanes are mowed a few times a year and are available for a more backcountry hiking experience.
  • It is recommended that this activity be conducted in safety zones on the property during hunting seasons. Wearing orange or bright color is advised for safety. Examples of safety zones include the campground, boat ramp, and the observation mound by the dam.
• Water recreation
  • J.E. Roush Lake FWA has approximately 900 acres of lake and 350 acres of impoundments available for water recreation.
  • Boat launch permits are not required at J.E. Roush Lake FWA.
  • Swimming is prohibited.
  • Canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding are allowed.
  • The North boat ramp is located off S.R. 224, Kil-So-Quah SRA.
  • Other cartop launches are available, please see property map for locations.
  • There is a self-service box for non-hunting activities at the Kil-So-Quah SRA boat ramp. Please use the permit card labeled miscellaneous for these activities.
• Volunteering

  Need a reason to get outside and move? You can volunteer alone or in small groups at this property. Some activities include trash pick-up, invasive plant removal, painting, and more. Call the property office for details.