- 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. During winter months, angler effort is lower, and fewer fishing reports are received, so the reports may be updated less frequently than during other seasons. Additionally, with changing weather conditions and delays between receiving past reports and the public reading them online, ice reports may be unreliable
| Waterbody | Fishing report | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan (boat) | Recent high winds and rain have muddied and beat up the water near the shore, and few people have been out. Those that made it out found it a bit tougher fishing in chalky water. More fish were caught by East Chicago in the shipping canal or the inland wall, and out of Portage, or at Gary Light. But the fish are scattered all over. Bright and loud body baits have been best. Coho size is pretty good for this time of year, with some fish over 20 inches already. Perch action slowed to a crawl with the stirred up water. Remember that perch caught in deep water suffer barotrauma, it is recommended to keep all the fish you catch that deep. | 3/25/2026 |
| Lake Michigan (shore) | Fishing has been slow so far, hampered by muddy tributaries and high winds. However, a few whitefish, brown trout, steelhead, and coho are being caught. Most anglers are only getting a fish or two, but action could get hot at any time. With muddy harbors, most action was in the cleaner lake water. Bigger coho were caught casting spoons and spinners. Browns have been caught casting and with spawn on the bottom. | 3/25/2026 |
| Lake Michigan Tributaries (Trail Creek, Little Calumet River, Salt Creek) | The streams are in much better shape for fishing after being blown out last week. Anglers have caught fish farther upstream in areas with spawning gravel, or in pools closer to the lake containing fresher fish. There were recent stockings of smolts into the streams - they will be very aggressive. These fish are the future of the fishery - if you are catching lots of smolts (juvenile trout and salmon), consider changing to a larger bait, or moving locations. Usually there are not aggressive adult steelhead in locations where you are catching lots of smolts. Catching lots of smolts may kill some of them, reducing future numbers of big trout and salmon. Please respect fellow anglers, private property, and please do not litter! For links to stream flow, see the links below the report tables | 3/25/2026 |
| St. Joseph River (below Twin Branch Dam) | The river is still high and muddy, but is coming down and getting better in terms of clarity. In the past week 581 steelhead have gone through the South Bend Fish Ladder, for a total of 1,495 in March to date. A few steelhead are being caught below the dams on spawn. Look to catch walleyes and bass on jigs/minnows, swimbaits, or other slow moving presentations along current seams and in deeper holes. | 3/25/2026 |
| Northwest Indiana Lakes | On warmer afternoons, target shallow water on north sides of lakes, especially near brush/soft bottoms that will absorb sunlight and attract bass and panfish. Bass are biting on spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and chatterbaits worked slowly. Panfish are biting on live bait. Try to find the warmest water on the lake to find concentrations of fish | 3/25/2026 |
| Northern Indiana reservoirs | As ice departs and spring warm-ups arrive, anglers are out chasing crappies, along with a few targeting other fish like catfish or white bass. Tube jigs/minnows are good bets for crappie, along with fresh cut bait for catfish. | 3/19/2026 |
| JC Murphey (Willow Slough) | After the recent renovation, anglers reported catching some 6-7 inch panfish this winter. Fish are growing fast and are thick bodied. Some may approach 8 inches this year. An abundance of smaller bass in the 8-12 inch range, along with some 12-16 inch channel catfish are also available. Some larger fish are available after being held in salvage ponds during the renovation, and released back into the lake after it filled up | 3/5/2026 |
| Wolf Lake | DNR biologists recently conducted a survey for northern pike, and observed quite a few pike along with a healthy number of walleyes | 3/12/2026 |
| Lake Monroe | Anglers have been out looking for crappie as the ice comes off, but high and muddy water has made finding fish difficult. Water temps are hovering around 50 degrees, but the reservoir water level is 9 feet above summer pool | 3/19/2026 |
| Bass Lake (Greene-Sullivan State Forest) | DNR biologists recently performed a survey for muskie. A total of 13 muskie up to 34 inches were collected. A healthy number of black crappie in the 12-15 inch length group were also collected, including 2 fish greater than 15 inches and 2 pounds. Channel catfish up to 12 pounds and multiple largemouth bass over 3 pounds, including one over 5 pounds, were also observed. Water temperature was 52 degrees at the surface. Anglers headed to Bass Lake should be mindful of potentially flooding and/or water movement across the roadways headed to the boat launch. | 3/19/2026 |
| Dogwood Lake | DNR biologists recently performed a survey Dogwood Lake. Healthy numbers of quality redear sunfish and bluegill sunfish were observed. Water temperature was 50 degrees. | 3/19/2026 |
| Eagle Creek Reservoir | Biologists recently completed a crappie survey on Eagle Creek Reservoir and collected crappie up to 13 inches. Crappie are just starting to move shallow and bigger crappie were seen on the upper end of the lake. Water temps around 50F | 3/21/2026 |
| Loon Pit - Bluegrass FWA | Biologists finished a crappie/muskie survey today at Loon Pit. Nets were ran last week and today (3/16 to 3/25). Nets were set between 3 and 5 feet deep so all fish were caught shallow. Surface water temperature was 50.1° F last Monday and was 57.0° F today. A total of 368 crappie were collected. Both black and white crappie were present. Crappie ranged in length from 5.6 inches to 14.9 inches with the largest being a black crappie that weighed 2.02 lbs. Five total muskie were collected which ranged in length from 20.1 to 31.0 inches with the largest weighing 7.42 lbs. Other notable species collected were multiple 5 lb largemouth bass, many channel catfish over 5 lbs, big spotted gar, and an 8 lb bowfin. | 3/25/2026 |
| Brookville Reservoir | The walleye run has started. DNR biologists will be running gill nets along the dam to collect broodstock walleye to produce fish for future stockings around the state. Please stay away from nets and do not fish near them. | |
| Plover/Sandpiper Pit (Driftwood Public Fishing Area) | Biologists recently completed a crappie and muskie survey on Plover/Sandpiper Pit at the Driftwood Public fishing area. A good number of 9–12-inch crappie were seen along with a few muskie up to 40 inches. Quality bluegill and channel catfish were also observed. | |
| Trout lakes (statewide) | Designated trout lakes were stocked this past week throughout the state. The 2026 stocking plan is not yet available, and numbers will differ from last year, but the lakes stocked are the same as the 2025 plan, available here: https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/files/fw-trout-stocking-plan-2025.pdf | 3/27/2026 |