TITLE 312 NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION
Emergency Rule
LSA Document #07-38(E)
DIGEST
Temporarily amends
312 IAC 9, governing the taking and possession of fish, to modify standards for fish management including definitions pertaining to fish and fishing activities; fish measurement; areas closed to fishing; sport fishing methods except on the Ohio River; black bass; trout and salmon; fish with no bag limit, possession limit, or size limit; shovelnose sturgeon; commercial fishing except on the Ohio River; and commercial fishing on the Ohio River. Effective February 1, 2007.
(b) "Shovelnose sturgeon" means the species Scaphirhynchus platorynchus.
SECTION 2.
Notwithstanding 312 IAC 9-6-2(a) [sic.], the measurement of the fork length of a shovelnose sturgeon must be taken in a straight line from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail fin.
(b) A person must not take or possess fish at any of the following locations:
(1) From April 1 through June 15 from the following:
(A) The east branch of the Little Calumet River in Porter County from U.S. 12 upstream to U.S. 20, excluding its tributaries.
(B) Trail Creek in LaPorte County from the Franklin Street Bridge in Michigan City upstream to U.S. 35, excluding its tributaries.
(2) Within one hundred (100) feet above or below the Linde Dame (Prax Air) on the East Branch of the Little Calumet River within Porter County (northeast quarter of section 32, township 37 north, range 6 west).
(3) From the East Race waterway in the city of South Bend in St. Joseph County.
(4) From the St. Joseph River in St. Joseph County:
(A) within one hundred (100) feet of the entrance or exit of the East Race waterway;
(B) from the fish ladders located at the South Bend dam in the city of South Bend or the Downtown Mishawaka dam in the city of Mishawaka;
(C) within one hundred (100) feet of the entrances and exits of those fish ladders located at the South Bend dam or the Downtown Mishawaka dam; and
(D) while fishing from a boat within two hundred (200) feet downstream of the South Bend dam or downstream of the Downtown Mishawaka dam to the Main Street bridge in the city of Mishawaka.
(5) From April 15 to the last Saturday in April from the following:
(A) The Pigeon River (and Pigeon Creek) in LaGrange County from the Steuben County line to County Road 410 East (Troxel's bridge), but excluding the impoundment known as the Mongo Mill Pond.
(B) Harding Run, Curtis Creek, Bloody Run, and Graveyard Run (tributaries of the Pigeon River) in LaGrange County.
(C) Turkey Creek north of County Road 100 South in LaGrange County.
(D) Rainbow Pit located in the Pigeon River Fish and Wildlife Area approximately one and one-tenth (1.1) miles east of Ontario in LaGrange County.
(E) Little Elkhart River in LaGrange and Elkhart counties.
(F) Rowe-Eden Ditch in LaGrange and Elkhart counties.
(G) Solomon Creek in Elkhart County.
(H) Cobus Creek in Elkhart County.
(I) Little Kankakee River from County Road 800E upstream to Division Road in LaPorte County.
(J) Spy Run within Franke Park in Allen County.
(K) Mississinewa River within the boundaries of the Randolph County Wildlife Management Area.
(L) Big Blue River within the boundaries of Wilbur Wright State Fish and Wildlife Area in Henry County.
(M) Jackson Creek upstream of Yellowwood Lake in Brown County.
SECTION 4.
(a) In addition to the means described in 312 IAC 9-7-2(m), an individual may use a bow and arrow to take a sucker, carp, gar, bowfin, buffalo, or shad from the waterways listed in 312 IAC 9-7-2(m).
(b) Notwithstanding 312 IAC 9-7-2, an individual must not use a pitchfork to take a sucker, carp, gar, bowfin, or shad from a waterway.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this SECTION, the aggregate daily bag limit is five (5) black bass.
(c) The aggregate daily bag limit is three (3) for black bass taken from Lake Michigan. A person must not possess more than three (3) black bass while fishing in or on Lake Michigan.
(d) Except as otherwise provided in this SECTION, the minimum size limit for black bass taken from a waterway is twelve (12) inches but is fourteen (14) inches for black bass taken from lakes (including Lake Michigan).
(e) No minimum length limit for largemouth bass applies for the lakes listed in this subsection as follows:
(1) Brownstown Pit in Jackson County.
(2) Burdette Park Lakes in Vanderburgh County.
(3) Chandler Town Lake in Warrick County.
(4) Cypress Lake in Jackson County.
(5) Deming Park Lakes in Vigo County.
(6) Garvin Park Lake in Vanderburgh County.
(7) Glen Miller Pond in Wayne County.
(8) Hayswood Lake in Harrison County.
(9) Henry County Memorial Park Lake in Henry County.
(10) Hovey Lake in Posey County.
(11) Krannert Lake in Marion County.
(12) Lake Sullivan in Marion County.
(13) Ruster Lake in Marion County.
(14) Schnebelt Pond in Dearborn County.
(f) A person must not take or possess a largemouth bass unless the largemouth bass is less than twelve (12) inches long or more than fifteen (15) inches long from the following designated waters:
(1) Buffalo Trace Lake in Harrison County.
(2) Celina Lake in Perry County.
(3) Indian Lake in Perry County.
(4) Saddle Lake in Perry County.
(5) Scales Lake in Warrick County.
(6) Shakamak State Park Lakes in Clay County, Greene County, and Sullivan County.
(7) Tipsaw Lake in Perry County.
(8) Ferdinand State Forest Lake in Dubois County.
(9) Montgomery City Park Lake in Daviess County.
(g) The daily bag limit is one (1) largemouth bass from Turtle Creek Reservoir in Sullivan County. A person must not take or possess a largemouth bass from Turtle Creek Reservoir unless the largemouth bass is at least twenty (20) inches long.
(h) A person must not take or possess a largemouth bass from the following:
(1) Patoka Lake (Orange, Crawford, and Dubois counties) or Dogwood Lake (Daviess County) unless the largemouth bass is at least fifteen (15) inches long.
(2) Harden Lake (Parke County) unless the largemouth bass is at least sixteen (16) inches long.
(i) The daily bag limit is two (2) largemouth bass, and a person must not take or possess a largemouth bass unless the largemouth bass is at least eighteen (18) inches long from the following designated waters:
(1) Tri-County State Fish and Wildlife Area.
(2) Robinson Lake in Whitley County and Kosciusko County.
(3) Ball Lake in Steuben County.
(4) Gibson Lake in Gibson County.
(5) Loon Pit at Blue Grass Fish and Wildlife Area in Warrick County.
(6) Bluegrass Pit at Blue Grass Fish and Wildlife Area in Warrick County.
(7) J. C. Murphey Lake at Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area in Newton County.
(j) A person must not take or possess a black bass from the Blue River in Crawford, Harrison, and Washington counties unless the black bass is less than twelve (12) inches long or more than fifteen (15) inches long.
(k) The aggregate daily black bass bag limit is five (5) of which not more than two (2) can be taken or possessed that are longer than fifteen (15) inches from the Blue River located in Crawford, Harrison, and Washington counties.
(l) A person must not take or possess a black bass from Sugar Creek (Parke, Montgomery, Boone, Clinton, and Tipton counties) unless the bass is at least twenty (20) inches long. The daily bag limit is one (1) black bass taken from Sugar Creek.
(m) If this SECTION prohibits a person from taking or possessing a black bass from a specified lake or waterway, a person must not possess a bass of the prohibited class on or adjacent to the lake or waterway.
(b) A person must not possess a brook trout, rainbow trout, or brown trout unless the trout is as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsections (e) and (f), at least seven (7) inches long.
(2) Taken from the last Saturday of April after 6 a.m., local time, through December 31, if taken from other than a lake. A person must not fish for trout during the closed season in streams, which is April 15 until 6 a.m. on the last Saturday in April.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this SECTION, the daily bag limit is five (5) trout, of which not more than one (1) may be a brown trout.
(d) Except as provided in subsection (f), the daily bag limit is three (3) lake trout.
(e) A person must not possess a brown trout from Oliver Lake, Olin Lake, or Martin Lake (LaGrange County) or the East Fork of Whitewater River downstream of Brookville Reservoir (Franklin County) unless the trout is at least eighteen (18) inches long.
(f) A person must not possess a trout or salmon taken from Lake Michigan or its tributaries unless the fish is at least fourteen (14) inches long. The daily bag limit is five (5) for any combination of trout and salmon taken under this subsection, of which not more than two (2) shall be lake trout. Exempted from this subsection, however, are trout taken from the St. Joseph River in St. Joseph and Elkhart counties and its tributaries upstream from the Twin Branch Dam.
(g) A person must not possess more than a single day's bag limit identified in subsection (f) while fishing on Lake Michigan.
(h) A person may fish for trout from January 1 through April 14 on streams, provided that all trout are released in accordance with 312 IAC 9-6-4.
(i) The stream segments listed in this subsection in Elkhart County are designated as catch-and-release only for trout, and only artificial lures and artificial flies may be used to catch trout in these waters. All trout caught from the following waters must be released in accordance with 312 IAC 9-6-4, and fishing with live or natural baits, food products, or chemical attractants is prohibited:
(1) The Little Elkhart River from County Road 43 downstream to County Road 16, except for waters along Riverbend Park from County Road 16 upstream to the pedestrian footbridge.
(2) Solomon Creek from County Road 33 downstream to its confluence with the Elkhart River.
(3) Cobus Creek from Old U.S. 20 downstream to its confluence with the St. Joseph River.
(j) The areas closed to trout and salmon fishing under this SECTION are in addition to areas closed to all fishing under 312 IAC 9-6-6.
SECTION 7.
Notwithstanding 312 IAC 9-7-14, not more than twenty-five (25) of any combination of bluegull [sic., bluegill], redear sunfish, and crappie may be taken per day from J. C. Murphey Lake at Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area in Newton County.
SECTION 8. A person must not possess a shovelnose sturgeon unless the shovelnose sturgeon is at least twenty-five (25) inches in fork length.
(1) the waters of this state;
(2) boundary waters;
(3) the Ohio River; and
(4) waters containing state-owned fish.
(b) A person must not possess or sell any of the following taken from the waters described in subsection (a):
(1) From June 1 through September 30, a shovelnose sturgeon.
(2) From October 1 through May 31, a shovelnose sturgeon that is not at least twenty-five (25) inches in fork length.
Filed with Publisher: January 30, 2007, 2:19 p.m.
Posted: 02/07/2007 by Legislative Services Agency
DIN: 20070207-IR-312070038ERA
Composed: May 04,2024 2:49:37PM EDT
A
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