INDIANA REGULATION GUIDE 2018- 2019 LITTLE KINGS Bluegills still most popular fish INSIDE • FREE Fishing Weekends • Building Fish Habitat • '17 Fish of the Year winners • 2017 Fishing Survey Results • 4 New Public Access Sites • State Record Fish Indiana Department of Natural Resources ATTRACTIONS Covered Bridge Festival 765-569-5226 TOURS Turkey Run State Park 765-597-2635 Discover 5 signed covered bridge routes. Raccoon Lake 765-344-1412 Rockville Lake Park 765-569-6541 Covered Bridge Art Gallery 765-569-9422 Bridgeton Mill 765-548-0106 Mansfield Roller Mill 765-344-0741 Turkey Run Canoes & Camping 765-597-2029 Sugar Valley Canoes 765-597-2364 Thirty-Six Saloon 765-569-9441 Shades State Park 765-435-2810 Festivals & Events 765-569-5226 Fishing Feet From Your Door Locked Motorcycle Parking Horse Friendly Pet Friendly LODGING CABINS Turkey Run State Park Cabins 877-563-4371 INNS Wilkins Mill Guest House 765-597-2046 Turkey Run Inn 877-563-4371 Rockville Lake Park Cabins 765-569-6541 Raccoon Lakeside Lodge 765-344-1162 Turkey Run Cabins 765-597-2029 Antique, Primitive & Vintage Shops Old Jail Inn Parke County 217-808-1309 Peaceful Waters Cabins 765-592-6458 EconoLodge 765-569-3430 Hilltop Guesthouse 765-597-2046 Pat’s Pad 765-569-2605 MOTELS Bear Cub Cabins 765-344-1436 Parke Bridge Motel 765-569-3525 Raccoon Lake House Rentals 765-592-0393 Covered Bridge Motel 765-569-2833 Fallen Rock Parke 765-672-4301 Motel Forrest 765-569-5250 Sugar Valley Cabins 765-597-2355 BED & BREAKFASTS The Dragonfly Guesthouse 765-592-0393 Granny’s Farm B & B 765-597-2248 Gobbler’s Knob Cabins 812-236-4132 Owl Nest B & B 765-569-1803 Raccoon Lake Sunset Rentals 765-592-0393 Bubble Gum B & B 765-569-6630 The Cabins at Hobson Farms 765-376-7663 Cherrywood Farm B & B 765-548-0582 Mansfield Guest Inn 812-877-9831 CANOE CAMP Red Brick Inn 765-592-7818 Sugar Valley 765-597-2364 Knoll Inn 765-344-1162 LARGE GROUP FACILITY Canoeing on Sugar Creek Granny’s Farmhouse 765-597-2248 Covered Bridge Retreat 866-622-6746 TM STATE RECORD PARKE COUNTY COVERED BRIDGE FESTIVAL STRIPED BASS caught May 25, 2010 at Raccoon Lake WEIGHING 39.08 LBS October 12-21, 2018 2018 FESTIVALS Bridgeton Quilt & Woodworking Show - June 9-10 Parke County Maple Syrup Fair TM Feb 24-25 and March 3-4 Covered Bridge Antique Power Club Tractor Drive - June 23 & 24 Bridgeton Art & Wine Fair - May 12 Fireworks - Montezuma - July 4 Zoom Town 5K Run - May 19 Raccoon Lake - July 7 Rosedale Strawberry Festival - June 1-3 Rockville Lake - July 7 Miami Indians All Nations Gathering - June 2-3 2018IndianaFishingRegulationGuide.indd 1 1/5/18 3:39 PM INDIANA Table of REGULATION GUIDE Contents Features 4 23 26-27 Bluegill Feature State Record Fish What Fish Is It? Small game fish continues to be the most Josh Pisowicz set one of two records Color illustrations are a handy tool to help ID popular fish for Hoosiers. for lake whitefish in 2017. common Indiana fish. Departments Back to Basics with Bluegills .......................................................... 4 Inland Trout Regulations ............................................................. 14 License Information ....................................................................... 6 Crunching the Survey Numbers .................................................. 16 Statewide Size & Bag Limits .......................................................... 8 Lake Michigan Regulations ......................................................... 18 Illegal Stocking/Aquarium Release, Public Enemy No. 1 for Bluegills ................................................. 19 Hooks for Pole Fishing or Hand Lines ........................................... 8 Ohio River Regulations ................................................................20 Gaffs, Grab Hooks & Landing Nets, Snares, Limb Lines Reptiles & Amphibians .................................................................21 Snagging Fish, Trot Lines ............................................................... 8 Anglers Fund Conservation/New Boat Ramps ...........................22 Umbrella Rigs, Float Fishing, Ice Fishing, Bow & Spear Fishing ... 9 Indiana State Record Fish List ..................................................... 23 Wanton Waste, Sale of Aquatic Life, Smelt, Illegal Species ......... 9 2017 Fish of the Year Winners .....................................................24 Boating, Life Preservers, Sinkers, Illegal Devices, Sorting Fish ..... 10 Fish Identification ......................................................................... 26 Gifting Fish, Minnows & Crayfish............................................... 10 Eating Fish ..................................................................................... 28 Gizzard/Threadfin Shad, Walleye Size Limits.............................11 Fisheries Biologists, Hatcheries, DNR Law Enforcement ..........30 Bass Regulations ........................................................................... 12 Fish & Wildlife Areas, State Reservoirs & State Forests .............31 Lake Sturgeon ............................................................................... 13 Building Fish Habitat, Regulaciones de Pesca ............................ 32 Governor: The Indiana Fishing Regulation Guide is a Eric Holcomb publication of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. It is a summary of Indiana fishing DNR Director: regulations. It is designed as a service to anglers Cameron Clark and is not intended to be a complete digest of all Fish & Wildlife Director: fishing regulations. Most regulations are subject Mark Reiter to change by administrative rule. For questions on the regulations, call (317) 232-4200. To seek Division of Fish & Wildlife permission to reproduce any part of this booklet, Indiana Department of Natural Resources call (317) 233-3853. 402 W. Washington St. RM 273 Paid advertisements in this guide do not imply Indianapolis, IN 46204 endorsement by the DNR or the State of Indiana for the businesses or products advertised. The On the Cover: DNR is not responsible for any advertising claims Jackson Goins of Greenwood caught his first contained herein. bluegills from a Brown County pond last October. Photographed by – John Maxwell, Indiana DNR 2018-2019 INDIANA FISHING GUIDE 1 MESSAGES Even though everyone has their prime times, fishing can be a nearly year-round way of life in Indiana. So it makes sense that it takes all 12 months to create the opportuni- ties you enjoy so much. Remember, much of what you catch didn’t get there solely by Mother Nature. A lot of people contribute to the abundant fishing opportuni- ties we Hoosiers enjoy. I’m referring to the dedicated individuals who make up the Fisheries Section of the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife. Creating and main- taining sustainable places to fish is applied science. Of the 74 full-time fisheries employees, 62 have a bachelor’s degree and 23 of those have master’s degrees. Some Williamstown, MA | Birmingham, AL work on the water, others in one of our seven hatcheries, and still others at regional offices. Fifteen work at the Central Office in Indianapolis, where my office is. Their shared goal is to develop and improve fishing in Indiana. That sounds simple. But -mak ing it happen is not. Their hard work and research helps develop some of the rules in this guide. Their efforts also made for some of the incredible results you will see inside on the Record Fish and Fish of the About This Guide Year pages. But of course you do the catching. So celebrate your successes, post your photos and tell your stories. But please remember, just This high-quality guide is offered to you as you probably didn’t catch your fish by accident, it probably didn’t get there, at that size, by by the Indiana Department of Natural chance either. Both were part of carefully hatched plans. Resources through its unique partnership with J.F. Griffin Publishing, LLC. The revenue generated through ad sales significantly lowers production costs and Cameron Clark generates savings. These savings translate Director, Indiana Department of Natural Resources into additional funds for other important agency programs. If you have any feedback or are inter- You can name many reasons why you love fishing. You may even wonder ested in advertising, please contact us at why anyone need ask. 413.884.1001 or at www.JFGriffin.com And you probably know how your license and equipment money not only benefits you and other anglers, but also anyone else who cares Graphic Design: about conservation and the outdoors, even if they’ve never gone fishing. Jon Gulley, Dane Fay, John Corey, The fees you pay also benefit people who have yet to discover an Evelyn Haddad, Chris Sobolowski appreciation of the outdoors. After all, everyone needs clean air and clean water, which are direct results of the habitat our funds, from your license fees, preserve. But do your friends, family and coworkers who don’t fish know about these things? If they don’t, please consider informing them, in a diplomatic way. We don’t have enough anglers to fund the conservation work that’s needed. So invite some- one to go fishing with you, even if they’ve never gone before. If they aren’t interested in fishing right then, give them a rain check. Ask them to consider buying a fishing license so they will be ready the next time, and help fund conservation at the same time. And tell them the benefits buying a license will bring, even if they never cast a line. Buying a license means Indiana gets federal funds that translate into $10 for every license