Indiana Lake Depths
NESW

Appleman Lake

LaGrange County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey
25ft Max
depth
83 acres 5 contours Public access 44% weedy
Paddling Index64Mixedsheltered geometry · away from major roads
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Appleman Lake is mapped to a depth of 25 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 83 acres in LaGrange County, Indiana. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2017.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Deepest mapped contour
25 ft
Survey year
2017
Surface area
83 acres
Shoreline
1.36 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation
44% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Boat Ramp · Indiana DNR site
Additional depth details5 contours
Contour depths
0–25 ft
Recorded point soundings
25 ft
Compare with another lake
Chart data

Provenance

Sources: IN DNR Lake Bathymetry, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

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Map details & sources4 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates
41.62320, -85.21358
IN DNR lake ID
155640398
Vertical exaggeration
2.83×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
1.9 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-21
64 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Appleman Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, well sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingMixed11.2 of 3037% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (2% forest, 35% wetland; 7% developed)
Geometric wind exposureExcellent22.0 of 25mean fetch 567 m · 25% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controlsNone identified7.5 of 15No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 DNR fishing access site · boat ramp · ADA-accessible
Road isolationVery Good10.4 of 15limited nearby major-road exposure · 1 INDOT-classified segment within 1.2 km, peak 1,983 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity
Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation
High — approximately 44% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity
Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential
Limited — 2% forest and 35% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public environmental, access, roadway and watercraft-control data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights: natural setting 30%, geometric wind exposure 25%, watercraft controls 15%, public access 15%, road isolation 15%; observed motorboat activity is weighted 0% because no defensible lake-level measurement exists. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Sources: USGS NHD waterbody outline, USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), IN DNR Fishing Access Sites (motor restrictions) (2026-08), IN DNR Fishing Access Sites (2026-08) and INDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (2021). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys

11 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 11 species found here — 7 open to harvest.

These are hook-and-line size and daily limit rules. The fishing code sets no closed season for these species on inland lakes, but posted property rules can close a water — see the notes. Gear, spearing and bow fishing, netting and bait collection are set by other sections of 312 IAC 9 and are not shown here.

Black CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-14(a)) Black and white crappie together.
BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Bluegill”)
Beta. This panel is newly published. Every value is transcribed from the Indiana Administrative Code (312 IAC 9-7) and checked against the Indiana DNR's 2026-27 Fishing Regulations Guide, but the coverage and wording are still under review. If anything here disagrees with 312 IAC 9-7 or the Indiana DNR's guide, the DNR is right — the Administrative Code is the legal text; the guide summarizes it.
No closed season in the fishing code: 312 IAC 9-7 sets no season for these species on inland lakes (trout and salmon “at any time of year”, 9-7-13(d)(1)). Posted property rules can still close a water or bar entry (312 IAC 8-2-1) and 312 IAC 9-6-6 closes a few named areas, so check the property before you go. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit (312 IAC 9-1-12.1); fish already processed and stored at your primary residence do not count toward it (312 IAC 9-2-8(d)).
Black CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-14(a)) Black and white crappie together.
BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Bluegill”)
Hybrid SunfishRule not confidently resolvedNot named in 312 IAC 9-7 or in the DNR guide's limits table. Please check with the Indiana DNR (317-232-4200) before keeping this species.
Lake ChubsuckerOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Sucker”) Greater redhorse is endangered in Indiana (312 IAC 9-6-9) and may not be taken — identify redhorse carefully.
Largemouth BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: 14" · Daily limit: 5 (312 IAC 9-7-6(a), (c)(3)) The 5 is black bass in aggregate — any combination of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass — not 5 of each.
PumpkinseedRule not confidently resolvedNot named in 312 IAC 9-7 or in the DNR guide's limits table. Please check with the Indiana DNR (317-232-4200) before keeping this species.
Redear SunfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-14(c))
Redfin PickerelRule not confidently resolvedNot named in 312 IAC 9-7 or in the DNR guide's limits table. Please check with the Indiana DNR (317-232-4200) before keeping this species.
WarmouthRule not confidently resolvedNot named in 312 IAC 9-7 or in the DNR guide's limits table. Please check with the Indiana DNR (317-232-4200) before keeping this species.
Yellow BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Bullhead”)
Yellow PerchOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (IN DNR 2026-27 guide, statewide table · 312 IAC 9-7-18 (Lake Michigan only)) The code limits yellow perch only on Lake Michigan (15); the DNR's statewide table prints inland perch as unlimited.

From 312 IAC 9-7 (Sport fishing), Indiana Administrative Code (readopted 2025-03-25), and the 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide · verified 2026-09-15. Regulations can change — the Indiana Administrative Code (312 IAC 9-7) is the controlling source; verify current regulations before fishing. Official regulations

Compiled from Indiana DNR fishery surveys. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Fishery

surveyed 2012
595Fish sampled
11Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 61

Panfish Bluegill 258 · Redear Sunfish 162 · Warmouth 25

All survey species11 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass61 caught · to 21″

Panfish

Bluegill258 caught · to 7″
Redear Sunfish162 caught · to 9″
Warmouth25 caught · to 11″
Hybrid Sunfish12 caught · to 8″
Pumpkinseed9 caught · to 6″
Black Crappie8 caught · to 9″
Yellow Perch4 caught · to 9″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead12 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

Lake Chubsucker38 caught · to 11″
Redfin Pickerel6 caught · to 11″
Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Indiana DNR fish survey (Indiana Data Hub) (counts summed across survey years).

Non-native species records

1 record

Plants & algae

What does non-native mean?

USGS records identify non-native species that have been documented for this lake or its shoreline. Non-native does not necessarily mean invasive, and historical records do not confirm current presence.

Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; underlying nonindigenous species records from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.

Quick answers

Appleman Lake — common questions

How deep is Appleman Lake?

The deepest contour on the Indiana DNR bathymetric survey of Appleman Lake is 25 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Appleman Lake?

Appleman Lake covers about 83 acres in LaGrange County, Indiana.

What fish are in Appleman Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, redear sunfish. The page lists all 11 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Appleman Lake?

Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Appleman Lake: a boat ramp with ADA access. The DNR records no fee. DNR directions: "6.5 miles E of Plato on US 20, one mile S on CR 1150E, one mile W on CR 100S."