Indiana Lake Depths
NESW

Deam Lake

Clark County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey
34ft Max
depth
191 acres 17 contours Public access
Paddling Index78Goodelectric motors only · away from major roads · sheltered geometry
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Deam Lake is mapped to a depth of 34 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 191 acres in Clark County, Indiana. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2016.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Deepest mapped contour
34 ft
Survey year
2016
Surface area
191 acres
Shoreline
5.64 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation
5% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
Boat Ramp · Indiana DNR site
Additional depth details17 contours
Contour depths
0–34 ft
Recorded point soundings
34 ft, 28 ft, 22 ft, 18 ft, 18 ft, 18 ft
Compare with another lake
Location
Schlamm LakeDeam Lake (this lake)
Clark County, Indiana · all 2 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

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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
38.46860, -85.85831
IN DNR lake ID
deam-lake
Vertical exaggeration
2.52× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
2.2 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-21
78 / 100GoodData confidence: High

Deam Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure. Watercraft controls: Electric motors only.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingVery Good23.6 of 3080% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (75% forest, 2% wetland; 3% developed)
Geometric wind exposureVery Good17.0 of 25mean fetch 893 m · 10% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Watercraft controlsElectric motors only14.2 of 15Electric motors only
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 DNR fishing access site · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolationVery Good10.6 of 15limited nearby major-road exposure · 2 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 450 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
Moderate — 75% forest and 2% 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

16 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 16 species found here — 11 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.

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.
Black CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-14(a)) Black and white crappie together.
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)).
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.
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”)
Bluntnose MinnowOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: none stated (312 IAC 9-7-15) A minnow under the code’s definition (312 IAC 9-6-1). Minnows may be taken at any time of year by minnow trap, dip net, seine, cast net or lawful sport-fishing methods; the section states no bag or size limit, caps transport out of Indiana at 100 minnows in any 24-hour period (licensed bait dealers, scientific-purposes licensees and those commercially raising minnows in private waters for sale excepted), and requires a bait dealer’s license to sell (312 IAC 9-7-15).
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.
CarpOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Carp”)
Channel CatfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 10 (312 IAC 9-7-3(b), (d)) The 10 is catfish in aggregate of any size from a lake or reservoir. Of those, not more than one channel catfish 28 inches or longer, one blue catfish 35 inches or longer and one flathead catfish 35 inches or longer per day.
Common CarpOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Carp”)
Green 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.
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.
Longear 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.
Redear SunfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-14(c))
ShinerOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: none stated (312 IAC 9-7-15) A minnow under the code’s definition (312 IAC 9-6-1). Minnows may be taken at any time of year by minnow trap, dip net, seine, cast net or lawful sport-fishing methods; the section states no bag or size limit, caps transport out of Indiana at 100 minnows in any 24-hour period (licensed bait dealers, scientific-purposes licensees and those commercially raising minnows in private waters for sale excepted), and requires a bait dealer’s license to sell (312 IAC 9-7-15).
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”)
Official rule text for this lake
“An individual may take minnows at any time during the year.” — 312 IAC 9-7-15(a), Indiana Administrative Code

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 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2024
1,643Fish sampled
16Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 391 · Channel Catfish 107

Panfish Bluegill 412 · Redear Sunfish 256 · Longear Sunfish 199

All survey species16 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass391 caught · to 17″
Channel Catfish107 caught · to 21″

Panfish

Bluegill412 caught · to 9″
Redear Sunfish256 caught · to 10″
Longear Sunfish199 caught · to 6″
Warmouth83 caught · to 8″
Green Sunfish54 caught · to 6″
Black Crappie12 caught · to 9″
Hybrid Sunfish8 caught · to 6″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead16 caught · to 11″

Forage & nongame

Shiner77 caught · to 4″
Brook Silverside12 caught · to 3″
Bass10 caught · to 12″
Bluntnose Minnow4 caught · to 2″
Carp1 caught · to 29″
Common Carp1 caught · to 30″
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

Deam Lake — common questions

How deep is Deam Lake?

The deepest contour on the Indiana DNR bathymetric survey of Deam Lake is 34 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 Deam Lake?

Deam Lake covers about 191 acres in Clark County, Indiana.

What fish are in Deam Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish. The page lists all 16 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Deam Lake?

Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Deam Lake: a boat ramp with a fishing pier, a boat dock and restrooms. The DNR notes that a lake permit is required. DNR directions: "Clark State Forest (Take Deam Lake Road north from SR 60 west of Carwood)."

More lakes in Clark County