Center Lake

Kosciusko County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey

42ft Max
depth

123 acres 8 contours Public access

Paddling Index40Modestsheltered geometry

Get directions

Depth scale

051015202530354042

The lake

Survey readout

Center Lake is mapped to a depth of 42 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 123 acres in Kosciusko County, Indiana. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2020.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 42 ft
Survey year: 2020
Surface area: 123 acres
Shoreline: 3.46 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 5% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Ramp · Indiana DNR site

Additional depth details8 contours

Contour depths: 0–42 ft
Recorded point soundings: 42 ft

Compare with another lake

Location

Kosciusko County, Indiana · 15 nearest of 27 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

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

⚠ Not for navigation

Spot an error? Send a correction

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: 41.24756, -85.85770
IN DNR lake ID: {244b7c49-b604-45fa-950a-7924b157370d}
Vertical exaggeration: 2.25×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.1 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-10-08

40 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Center Lake has a substantially developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Modest	0.6 of 30	24% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (0% forest, 22% wetland; 70% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	18.6 of 25	mean fetch 748 m · 3% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controls	None identified	7.5 of 15	No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law.
Public access	Good	12.8 of 15	1 DNR fishing access site · boat ramp · ADA-accessible · fishing pier
Road isolation	Modest	0.8 of 15	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 58 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 20,348 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: Low — approximately 5% 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 — 0% forest and 22% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Indiana lakes by Paddling Index →

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

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

Common Carp

Sucker

Gizzard Shad

Hybrid Sunfish

Brook Silverside

About these fish → the Fish of Indiana guide

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 17 species found here — 13 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”)

BowfinOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Bowfin”) Roe must stay intact inside the fish while on or beside the water and until processing begins; once removed, roe may not be screened, washed, processed, preserved, stored, kept, given away, sold or transported without a roe harvester's license (312 IAC 9-7-14(f), (g)).

Brook SilversideRule 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.

Brown BullheadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Bullhead”)

Common CarpOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Carp”)

Gizzard ShadOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Gizzard shad”) No limit on harvest, but live shad may not be kept: live gizzard or threadfin shad may be possessed or used as bait only on eight named waters (Brookville, Cecil M. Harden, Monroe and Patoka reservoirs, Lakes Freeman and Shafer, Hardy Lake, the Ohio River main stem excluding its embayments), and only where collected. Everywhere else shad must be killed immediately (312 IAC 9-6-8(b)–(d)).

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.

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.

Northern PikeOpen to harvestMinimum size: 24" · Daily limit: 3 (312 IAC 9-7-5(a), (b)) No more than one of the three may be over 30 inches.

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.

Spotted GarOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Gar”)

SuckerOpen 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.

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 2020

579Fish sampled

17Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 51 · Bowfin 2 · Northern Pike 2

Panfish Bluegill 367 · Redear Sunfish 103 · Yellow Perch 9

All survey species17 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass51 caught · to 17″

Bowfin2 caught · to 22″

Northern Pike2 caught · to 19″

Panfish

Bluegill367 caught · to 8″

Redear Sunfish103 caught · to 10″

Yellow Perch9 caught · to 10″

Warmouth3 caught · to 4″

Black Crappie2 caught · to 9″

Hybrid Sunfish1 caught · to 7″

Bullhead & catfish

Brown Bullhead1 caught · to 10″

Yellow Bullhead1 caught · to 9″

Forage & nongame

Gizzard Shad19 caught · to 16″

Brook Silverside10 caught · to 4″

Redfin Pickerel4 caught · to 12″

Common Carp2 caught · to 23″

Spotted Gar1 caught · to 20″

Sucker1 caught · to 14″

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).

Quick answers

Center Lake — common questions

How deep is Center Lake?

The deepest contour on the Indiana DNR bathymetric survey of Center Lake is 42 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 Center Lake?

Center Lake covers about 123 acres in Kosciusko County, Indiana.

What fish are in Center Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin, brown bullhead. The page lists all 17 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Center Lake?

Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Center Lake: a boat ramp with a fishing pier and ADA access. The DNR records no fee. DNR directions: "Bixler Park 503 N Detroit Street, Warsaw, IN."

More lakes in Kosciusko County