These laws apply solely to fish that originate from or are taken from Indiana’s public waters. Fish from public waters that migrate into or from non-public waters are nonetheless coated by these laws. These laws don’t apply to fish in non-public waters that didn’t originate from public waters.
Full lists of Indiana guidelines and laws will be present in Indiana Code (iga.IN.gov) or in Indiana Administrative Code (IN.gov/legislative/iac).
Any corrections or updates to info revealed on this information might be made to the net model at fishing.IN.gov.
SinkersThe well being of fish and wildlife could also be affected if lead or zinc sinkers are ingested. Different sinkers are manufactured from metal, bismuth, tungsten, and resin.
Tagging & MarkingAnybody serious about marking or tagging fish in public water should get approval from the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW) earlier than marking or tagging happens.
An software should be processed 21 days earlier than the scheduled begin date. Name 317-232-4200 for extra info.
Lake Michigan Trout & SalmonTrout or salmon with a lacking adipose fin include a small microwire tag within the head of the fish with info vital to DNR analysis. Please save the pinnacle out of your adipose fin-clipped trout and salmon and name 219-874-6824 for directions.
Solely trout and salmon with a lacking adipose fin have micro tags. The adipose fin is alongside the fish’s backbone between the dorsal fin and caudal (tail) fin.
Unlawful UnitsIt’s unlawful to make use of the next units to take fish from public waters: a weir, electrical present, dynamite or different explosive, a firearm, palms alone, or any substance that will weaken or poison fish.
Sorting FishAnglers are accountable for sustaining fish in a wholesome situation. Lifeless and dying fish can’t be launched again into the water. At no time might anglers have greater than a bag restrict of their possession whereas engaged in a day’s fishing. Nevertheless, sorting of fish could also be allowed throughout the bag restrict if fish are in wholesome situation on the time of launch. For instance, when you catch 5 Largemouth Bass (day by day bag restrict is 5) and catch a much bigger largemouth bass later that day, it’s authorized to launch any of the opposite fish in good situation with a purpose to hold the bigger one. Fish should be launched into the water from which they had been taken and be capable of swim away usually. All fish in possession should meet authorized dimension limits.
Gifting FishAn individual can’t present fish taken beneath a sport fishing license to a different individual for the aim of stocking a personal lake.
Holding Baskets, Dwell Bins, Dwell Nets, And many others.A fish holding basket, reside field, reside internet, or another construction by which fish or different aquatic life are contained unattended should be plainly labeled with the identify and handle of the proprietor or the proprietor’s DNR-issued Buyer ID quantity. This doesn’t embody reside wells or different units that dangle over the facet of a ship or are situated inside a ship.
Minnows & Crayfish
Minnows and crayfish could also be collected any time by means of the yr if a sound sport fishing license is possessed. Minnows and crayfish collected from public waters can’t be bought.
“Minnow” is outlined as a species of the minnow household Cyprinidae, aside from unique species recognized in 312 IAC 9-6-7 and endangered species recognized in 312 IAC 9-6-9, in addition to sucker, Brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans), gizzard shad, Threadfin shad, and alewife. Dwell gizzard shad, threadfin shad, and alewife might solely be collected, used, possessed, and disposed of in accordance with 312 IAC 9-6-8.
You can’t transport greater than 100 crayfish throughout the state line in a 24-hour interval until you might be commercially elevating crayfish. It’s possible you’ll use synthetic lighting to take crayfish.
For those who plan to catch your individual minnows or crayfish, the next guidelines apply:
Seines can’t be bigger than 12 ft in size and 4 ft deep with mesh no bigger than ½ inch stretch. Stretch is the gap between two reverse knots of a internet mesh when the online is stretched tight.
Minnow dip nets can’t exceed 3 ft sq. (with out sides or partitions) and should not have mesh bigger than ½ inch stretch.
Minnow traps can’t exceed 24 inches in size with the opening of the entice no bigger than 2 inches in diameter. Traps for crayfish additionally should adjust to these necessities.
Forged nets could also be used, offered the online is not any bigger than 20 ft in diameter and the mesh stretch is not any bigger than ¾ inch.
Minnows might not be taken inside 500 yards of a dam and should solely be taken by seines, minnow traps, solid nets, and dip nets assembly all authorized necessities.
See Ohio River Rules for particular minnow and crayfish amassing laws on the Ohio River.
Don’t launch minnows into the water after fishing. Emptying bait buckets can contaminate a physique of water. As well as, bait and bait buckets uncovered to lake or stream water might get contaminated with zebra mussel larvae, fish pathogens, or different aquatic invasive species. Anglers are inspired to eliminate baitfish within the trash after every outing and purchase new bait for his or her subsequent outing. Fishing worms must be discarded in trash containers.
Wild fish could also be used as reside bait so long as the fish was caught legally and meets any dimension, catch, or possession limits established for that species. Goldfish could also be used as reside bait. Carp can’t be used as reside bait at any location.
Dwell alewives could also be collected, possessed, and used on Lake Michigan solely. Alewives might not be transported away from Lake Michigan. Any unused alewives should be killed. It’s essential to instantly kill alewives collected from waters apart from Lake Michigan.
Walleye Measurement Limits
Walleye taken from all public waters (lakes, rivers, and streams) north of State Highway 26 should be 16 inches in size or longer, aside from:
Bass Lake (Starke County) and Wolf Lake (Lake County); minimal dimension 14 inches;
Lake George (Steuben County); minimal dimension 15 inches; and
Wall Lake (LaGrange County); minimal dimension 16 inches with a day by day bag restrict of two walleye taken from public waters (lakes, rivers, and streams). Walleye taken south of State Highway 26 should be 14 inches or longer.
Particular Regulation Waters
On Fidler Pond in Elkhart County, Failing Lake (also called Gentian Lake) in Steuben County, and Flat Fork Creek Park ponds A and B in Hamilton County, an individual can’t take greater than:
• 5 channel catfish per day;
• 2 largemouth bass per day, and the largemouth bass should be no less than 18 inches lengthy; and
• 15 of any mixture of bluegill, redear sunfish and crappie per day