The Best Fishing Spots in Indiana
Indiana offers a wide range of freshwater fishing across its lakes, rivers and Lake Michigan shoreline, with top species including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, muskellunge, channel catfish and panfish like bluegill and crappie. The Lake Michigan coast and tributaries produce seasonal runs of steelhead and salmon, while stocked southern streams and tailwaters hold rainbow trout and brown trout. Major reservoirs and rivers such as the Ohio and Wabash give anglers plenty of boat and bank options, making Indiana a versatile destination for recreational fishing.
Top Cities For Fishing
River Fishing
Lake Fishing
Lake Michigan
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Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Brookville Lake
Deep, clear water and strong forage support quality walleye, smallmouth bass, white bass, and crappie; spring walleye runs concentrate below Brookville Dam , while summer jigging on humps and points produces bronzebacks and schooling whites.
Eagle Creek Reservoir
Close-to-town water with strong largemouth bass, crappie, and bluegill; early vegetation beds hold spring bass, summer evenings bring topwater bites near Eagle Creek Park , and fall crappie school on drop-offs by the bridge spans.
Geist Reservoir
A metro-Indianapolis reservoir known for largemouth bass, crappie, and channel catfish; fish docks and seawalls for spring bass, shoot brush piles for crappie, and drift cut bait along channel edges after dark near Fall Creek confluences.
Monroe Lake
Indiana’s largest reservoir offers year‑round action for largemouth bass, striped bass hybrids, crappie, and blue catfish; spring crappie stack up in coves near Paynetown and Fairfax , summer topwater bites ignite on main-lake points, and nighttime catfishing shines along creek channels.
Patoka Lake
A southern Indiana favorite with plentiful largemouth bass, slab crappie, channel catfish, and roaming striped bass hybrids; target flooded timber and creek arms like Painter Creek , work summer shad schools on the main basin, and probe rocky banks for fall bass.
White River
Stretching across the state, the White River (West Fork) offers excellent smallmouth bass, channel catfish, and summertime gar action; float-and-fish gravel runs and laydowns through Indianapolis , Martinsville , and Anderson reaches.
Lake Freeman
Sister lake to Shafer with dependable largemouth bass, smallmouth bass in current seams, and schooling white bass; fish rock transitions and channel swings near Oakdale Dam , and vertical-jig for crappie on timbered drops.
Lake Maxinkuckee
A clear, natural lake producing quality smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and pike; work rock bars and drop-offs near Culver , drift perch rigs along mid-lake flats, and target pike on windward weedlines.
Lake Shafer
A Tippecanoe River impoundment famed for white bass runs, solid largemouth bass, and crappie; spring brings current-driven bites near Norway Dam , summer anglers target docks and points, and fall schools of whites chase shad in open water.
Mississinewa Lake
A versatile reservoir with strong crappie populations, largemouth bass, and channel catfish; spring crappie flood shallow brush, summer bass relate to submerged timber, and fall cats prowl channel bends approaching Red Bridge areas.
Morse Reservoir
Popular for consistent largemouth bass, black crappie, and summer catfish; pitch to boat docks and riprap around Noblesville coves in spring, then work offshore brush and ledges with jigs and minnows when temperatures climb.
Salamonie Lake
Known for abundant crappie, steady largemouth bass, and white bass runs; drifting jigs over submerged timber is a staple, with shoreline casting around Lost Bridge West productive in spring and early summer.
Summit Lake
A productive central Indiana lake with strong bluegill, crappie, and largemouth bass; spring panfish fill coves near Summit Lake State Park , while summer bass relate to offshore humps and submerged timber edges.
Tippecanoe River
A scenic river known for hard-fighting smallmouth bass, seasonal walleye, and mixed rock bass; probe riffles, eddies, and pool heads from Winamac downstream toward Delphi , with summer topwater bites at dawn and dusk.
Lake Wawasee
Indiana’s largest natural lake offers clear-water largemouth bass, roaming northern pike, summertime yellow perch, and solid bluegill; work weedlines and sandgrass flats, troll breaklines on sunny days, and explore connected channels to Syracuse Lake for mixed action.
Webster Lake
Indiana’s marquee muskellunge fishery also holds solid largemouth bass and crappie; troll big cranks along deep weed edges, cast jerkbaits over cabbage beds, and check channels leading toward Backwater Lake for roaming fish.
St. Joseph River
Flowing through South Bend, it offers urban runs of steelhead and Chinook salmon (migratory), plus resident smallmouth bass and walleye; work tailraces and holes below the South Bend Dam and bends near Mishawaka .