Fancher Lake

Lake County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey

38ft Max
depth

8.8 acres 7 contours Public access

Paddling Index55Mixedelectric motors only · sheltered geometry

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Depth scale

0510152025303538

The lake

Survey readout

Fancher Lake is mapped to a depth of 38 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 8.8 acres in Lake County, Indiana. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2021.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 38 ft
Survey year: 2021
Surface area: 8.8 acres
Shoreline: 0.46 mi · round
Aquatic vegetation: 18% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Ramp · Indiana DNR site

Additional depth details7 contours

Contour depths: 0–38 ft
Recorded point soundings: 38 ft

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Location

Lake County, Indiana · all 4 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: 41.40031, -87.37208
IN DNR lake ID: 121208407
Vertical exaggeration: 2.39× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 0.4 MB

Paddling

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

55 / 100MixedData confidence: High

Fancher Lake has a substantially developed setting, well sheltered geometry, substantial nearby higher-volume roads. Watercraft controls: Electric motors only.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Modest	0.6 of 30	1% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (0% forest, 0% wetland; 97% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 199 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controls	Electric motors only	14.2 of 15	Electric motors only
Public access	Good	12.8 of 15	1 DNR fishing access site · boat ramp · fishing pier
Road isolation	Modest	2.4 of 15	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 14 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 8,429 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: Moderate — narrow in places — wakes would carry across parts of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Moderate — approximately 18% 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 0% 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

8 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

Rainbow Trout

About these fish → the Fish of Indiana guide

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 8 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”)

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.

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.

Rainbow TroutOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 5 (312 IAC 9-7-13(d)) 5 trout or salmon per day in any combination from a lake, of which not more than one may be a brown trout. No minimum size on lakes, and no closed season.

White CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-14(a)) Black and white crappie together.

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 2021

309Fish sampled

8Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 31 · Rainbow Trout 2

Panfish Bluegill 268 · Black Crappie 3 · Green Sunfish 1

All survey species8 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass31 caught · to 19″

Rainbow Trout2 caught · to 11″

Panfish

Bluegill268 caught · to 8″

Black Crappie3 caught · to 7″

Green Sunfish1 caught · to 5″

White Crappie1 caught · to 9″

Yellow Perch1 caught · to 8″

Forage & nongame

Common Carp2 caught · to 20″

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

Fancher Lake — common questions

How deep is Fancher Lake?

The deepest contour on the Indiana DNR bathymetric survey of Fancher Lake is 38 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 Fancher Lake?

Fancher Lake covers about 8.8 acres in Lake County, Indiana.

What fish are in Fancher Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, rainbow trout, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, white crappie. The page lists all 8 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Fancher Lake?

Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Fancher Lake: a boat ramp with a fishing pier and restrooms. The DNR records no fee. DNR directions: "In Crown Point at Lake County Fairgrounds."

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