Indiana Fish Species

44 game fish species found in Indiana waters. Each guide covers where to find them, best baits and lures, seasonal patterns, regulations, and links to the best lakes.

Black Bass

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Best: Apr, May, Jun 264 lakes

Limit: 14 inches / 5 per day

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu

Best: May, Jun, Sep 12 lakes

Limit: 14 inches / 5 per day

Spotted Bass

Micropterus punctulatus

Best: Apr, May, Jun 5 lakes

Limit: 14 inches / 5 per day

Panfish

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Best: Mar, Apr, May 260 lakes

Limit: None / 25 per day

White Crappie

Pomoxis annularis

Best: Mar, Apr, May 9 lakes

Limit: None / 25 per day

Sunfish

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

Best: May, Jun, Jul 263 lakes

Limit: None / 25 per day

Green Sunfish

Lepomis cyanellus

Best: May, Jun, Jul

Limit: None / 25 per day

Hybrid Sunfish

Lepomis hybrid (bluegill x green sunfish)

Best: May, Jun, Jul

Limit: None / 25 per day

Longear Sunfish

Lepomis megalotis

Best: May, Jun, Jul

Limit: None / 25 per day

Pumpkinseed

Lepomis gibbosus

Best: May, Jun, Jul

Limit: None / 25 per day

Redear Sunfish

Lepomis microlophus

Best: May, Jun, Jul 257 lakes

Limit: None / 25 per day

Rock Bass

Ambloplites rupestris

Best: May, Jun, Jul 2 lakes

Limit: None / 25 per day

Warmouth

Lepomis gulosus

Best: May, Jun, Jul

Limit: None / 25 per day

Perch

Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens

Best: Jan, Feb, Mar 184 lakes

Limit: None / 25 per day

Catfish

Black Bullhead

Ameiurus melas

Best: Apr, May, Jun

Limit: None / No limit per day

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

Best: May, Jun, Jul 6 lakes

Limit: None / 10 per day

Brown Bullhead

Ameiurus nebulosus

Best: Apr, May, Jun

Limit: None / No limit per day

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

Best: May, Jun, Jul 264 lakes

Limit: None / 10 per day

Flathead Catfish

Pylodictis olivaris

Best: Jun, Jul, Aug 9 lakes

Limit: None / 5 per day

Yellow Bullhead

Ameiurus natalis

Best: Apr, May, Jun

Limit: None / No limit per day

Walleye

Sauger

Sander canadensis

Best: Oct, Nov, Dec 4 lakes

Limit: 14 inches / 6 per day

Saugeye

Sander vitreus x Sander canadensis

Best: Mar, Apr, May 29 lakes

Limit: 14 inches / 6 per day

Walleye

Sander vitreus

Best: Mar, Apr, May 197 lakes

Limit: 14 inches / 6 per day

Temperate Bass

Hybrid Striped Bass

Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis

Best: May, Jun, Sep 16 lakes

Limit: None / 2 per day

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis

Best: Apr, May, Jun 1 lake

Limit: None / 2 per day

White Bass

Morone chrysops

Best: Mar, Apr, May 9 lakes

Limit: None / 25 per day

Pike

Muskellunge

Esox masquinongy

Best: Oct, Nov 4 lakes

Limit: 36 inches / 1 per day

Northern Pike

Esox lucius

Best: Mar, Apr, Oct 179 lakes

Limit: 24 inches / 6 per day

Tiger Muskie

Esox masquinongy x Esox lucius

Best: Sep, Oct, Nov

Limit: 36 inches / 1 per day

Salmon & Trout

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta

Best: Apr, May, Oct 2 lakes

Limit: 7 inches (inland); 14 inches (Lake Michigan) / 1 (inland, within 5-trout limit); 5 combined salmonid (Lake Michigan) per day

Chinook Salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Best: Apr, May, Aug 2 lakes

Limit: 14 inches / 5 per day

Coho Salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

Best: Mar, Apr, May 2 lakes

Limit: 14 inches / 5 per day

Lake Trout

Salvelinus namaycush

Best: May, Jun, Sep 1 lake

Limit: 14 inches / 3 (within 5 combined salmonid limit) per day

Lake Whitefish

Coregonus clupeaformis

Best: Nov, Dec, Jan 1 lake

Limit: No minimum / No specific limit (general Lake Michigan regulations apply) per day

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Best: Mar, Apr, May

Limit: 7 inches / 5 per day

Steelhead

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Best: Jul, Aug, Sep 2 lakes

Limit: Check Lake Michigan and tributary-specific regulations / 5 per day

Drum

Freshwater Drum

Aplodinotus grunniens

Best: May, Jun, Jul 3 lakes

Limit: None / No limit per day

Carp

Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Best: May, Jun, Jul 2 lakes

Limit: None / No limit per day

Grass Carp

Ctenopharyngodon idella

Best: May, Jun, Jul

Limit: None / No limit per day

Silver Carp

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Best: Apr, May, Jun

Limit: None / No limit per day

Gar

Longnose Gar

Lepisosteus osseus

Best: May, Jun, Jul 3 lakes

Limit: None / No limit per day

Shortnose Gar

Lepisosteus platostomus

Best: May, Jun, Jul 2 lakes

Limit: None / No limit per day

Bowfin

Bowfin

Amia calva

Best: Apr, May, Jun 1 lake

Limit: None / No limit per day

Sucker

Bigmouth Buffalo

Ictiobus cyprinellus

Best: Apr, May, Jun

Limit: None / No limit per day