- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| JC Murphey (Willow Slough) | JC Murphey Lake, at Willow Slough FWA, will be closing for ice fishing on Monday, December 22 at sunset. We will be going back to waterfowl hunting at the lake beginning on the 23rd. If conditions become unfavorable for waterfowl hunting before the end of the hunting season, Feb 15, we will once again open back up to fishing. | 12/19/2025 |
| Lake Michigan (boat) | Many access points are frozen in, limiting effort. When conditions allow, winter perch fishing started to pick up in the deep clay flats off Gary. | 12/19/2025 |
| Lake Michigan (shore) | Fishing has really slowed down with the colder weather and adverse conditions. A few steelhead and whitefish have been caught by those putting in time, but effort has been low and reports scarce. | 12/4/2025 |
| Lake Michigan Tributaries (Trail Creek, Little Calumet River, Salt Creek) | A few fresh steelhead are around, and some holdover skamania. Target slower water with downsized presentations like small spawn bags or jigs and waxworms. All tributaries recently had stockings of steelhead smolts - these fish are the future of the fishery. If you are catching a lot, it usually that means there is not an active adult steelhead in that hole, and you should move along to a new one. Please respect fellow anglers, private property, and please do not litter! For links to stream flow, see the links below the report tables. | 12/19/2025 |
| St. Joseph River (below Twin Branch Dam) | The river remains low and clear. Very few steelhead have been coming upstream due to low water, and now that cold water temps have arrived, upstream migration will really slow down. Water temps need to be 40 or above to see significant travel through the fish ladders. So far in November and December, only 89 steelhead went through the South Bend Fish Ladder. Smallmouth bass are likely in their wintering areas now, in deeper pools and areas of lower current. They will be schooled up when you find them. Blade baits, jig/minnow, Ned Rigs, and other baitfish imitators can be very good this time of year. Walleye can be caught on jig/minnow and jerkbaits worked slowly below the dams. Monitor the flow at the closest USGS gauge in Niles, MI, using the links below the report table. Note that the funding partner has discontinued temperature at the end of the year - if you feel strongly about the value of temperature on the St. Joe River, use the link on the USGS site to contact them and request reinstatement. | 12/19/2025 |
| Northwest Indiana Lakes | With variable weather, many area lakes have some ice, some of which is fishable depending on the day - use caution when going out on the ice. | 12/19/2025 |
| Lincoln State Park | The lake has been drained and currently isn’t holding any fish to target. | 11/14/2025 |
| Northeast Indiana Lakes | Most lakes have either partial or full ice cover, and depending on the weather we're in between open water and ice fishing season in most parts. Last week a lot of people got out in early ice fishing locations, with good success on pike and panfish. However, variable weather means ice conditions are unpredictable and not uniform. Use caution if going out on the ice! | 12/19/2025 |