USA · Midwest
Indiana
Fishing License 2026.
Fishing License & Permit · Fishing Times · Waters & Fish Species · Cost Overview
🌙Fishing Times 2026Complex regulations
Best fishing times
·Indiana39.77°, -86.16°
01
Fishing License & Permit
- License required?
- Yes
- Where to apply?
- Indiana DNR — online via GoOutdoorsIndiana, DNR Customer Service Center, or 700+ retail vendors (Walmart, Gander Outdoors, bait shops).
- Cost
- Resident annual $23; Non-resident annual $60; Non-resident 1-day $9, 7-day $20. Trout/Salmon Stamp $11 (required for Lake Michigan salmonids, St. Joseph River steelhead, and stocked inland trout). Resident Senior (65+) annual $3.
- Validity
- April 1 – March 31 (state fiscal year).
- Available online?
- Yes
Residents under 18 fish free. Free Fishing Days: early June (first weekend) + one Sunday in late September. Disabled veterans and legally blind Indiana residents fish free with DNR-issued ID. Lifetime licenses available for residents.
Buy fishing license for Indiana online
www.in.gov
02
Rules & Regulations
- Closed seasons
- Most species open year-round. Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass: statewide 14" min on public waters; Lake Michigan tributaries have trout/salmon seasonal windows (St. Joseph, Trail Creek). Walleye/Sauger/Saugeye: 14" min, bag 6. Muskellunge: 36" min, 1/day.
- Catch limits
- Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass 14" min, 5/day combined. Walleye 14" min, 6/day. Crappie 10/day (25 combined panfish on most waters). Channel Catfish 10/day. Ohio River follows interstate regs (no min on sauger, 15" sauger in select tailwaters).
- Prohibited methods
- No snagging (except designated rough-fish areas). No live game-fish as bait. No more than 3 rods per angler. Bowfishing restricted to rough fish.
- Catch & Release
- Voluntary release encouraged for trophy muskie/bass. Barbless hooks not mandated but recommended on stocked trout streams.
Lake Michigan salmonid fishing (Trail Creek, St. Joseph) requires Trout/Salmon Stamp. Some reservoirs (Patoka, Brookville) have special muskie regs. Ohio River reciprocal license agreement with KY.
03
Waters & Fish Species
Top waters
- —Lake Monroe (10,750 acres — Indiana's largest reservoir; striped bass, crappie, largemouth)
- —Patoka Lake (8,800 acres — trophy muskie, striper, catfish)
- —Brookville Reservoir (5,260 acres — walleye, hybrid striper, smallmouth)
- —Ohio River (flathead + blue catfish, sauger, hybrid striper)
- —St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan tributary — steelhead + chinook/coho salmon run Sept-Apr)
- Best season
- April–June (pre/post-spawn bass, walleye); September–November (steelhead run in St. Joseph, fall bass); ice fishing January–February on northern lakes.
- Freshwater
- Mix of large southern Indiana reservoirs (Monroe, Patoka), glacial lakes in the north (Wawasee, Tippecanoe), and two major rivers — Ohio (south border) and Wabash. Lake Michigan shoreline gives access to Great Lakes salmonid fishery via tributaries.
- Saltwater
- Landlocked — no saltwater fishery.
04
Practical Information
- Equipment
- Full-service tackle shops in Indianapolis, Bloomington (Lake Monroe), Fort Wayne, and South Bend (St. Joseph steelhead). Bass Pro Shops in Clarksville and Portage.
- Fishing guides
- $350–$550/day bass + walleye guides on Monroe, Patoka, Brookville; $400–$600 for steelhead trips on St. Joseph. Ohio River catfish charters $450–$700/day.
- Transport
- Fly into Indianapolis (IND) for central lakes, Louisville (SDF) for Ohio River/Patoka, South Bend (SBN) or Chicago (ORD/MDW) for St. Joseph steelhead. Rental car essential — no boat ramps reachable by transit.
- Safety
- Summer thunderstorms on large reservoirs develop fast. Winter ice only on northern lakes — check local reports, 4" minimum for walk-on. Ohio River has strong commercial barge traffic.
05
Cost Overview
- License fees
- $23 resident / $60 non-resident annual
- Guide prices
- $350–$700/day
- Daily budget
- $50–$90 DIY (license day-rate + gas + bait); $400–$700 guided trip.