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Hamilton Lake
Steuben County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey
70ft
Max
depth
depth
830 acres
14 contours
Public access
Paddling Index33Modest
Get directions
Depth scale
The lake
Survey readout
Hamilton Lake is mapped to a depth of 70 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 830 acres in Steuben County, Indiana. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2022.
Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 70 ft
- Survey year
- 2022
- Surface area
- 830 acres
- Shoreline
- 13.91 mi · irregular
- Aquatic vegetation
- 5% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Public access
- Boat Ramp · Indiana DNR site
Additional depth details14 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–70 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 70 ft
Chart data
Provenance
Sources: IN DNR Lake Bathymetry, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
⚠ Not for navigationSpot 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
- 41.54944, -84.92224
- IN DNR lake ID
- 150994582
- Vertical exaggeration
- 1.4×
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 2.2 MB
Sunset tonight
Sunrise tomorrow
Moon tonight
Computed for this lake’s coordinates.
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-10-0833 / 100ModestData confidence: High
Hamilton Lake has a substantially developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, 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 | 27% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (1% forest, 26% wetland; 59% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Good | 10.5 of 25 | mean fetch 1,657 m · 6% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · moderate open-water 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 |
| Road isolation | Modest | 2.1 of 15 | substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 23 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,195 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 — 1% forest and 26% 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 surveys24 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
White Sucker
Gizzard Shad
Hybrid Sunfish
Golden Shiner
Brook Silverside
Bluntnose Minnow
Spotfin Shiner
Blackchin ShinerAbout these fish → the Fish of Indiana guide
Fishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 24 species found here — 18 open to harvest, 1 with a special rule or closed season.
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.
Northern PikeSpecial rulesHamilton Lake: up to 6 northern pike per day of any size, no more than one over 30 inches (312 IAC 9-7-5(c)) — not the statewide 3 at 24 inches.
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)).
Black CrappieOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-14(a)) Black and white crappie together.
Blackchin 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).
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).
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)).
Golden 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).
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.
Longnose GarOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Gar”)
Northern PikeSpecial rulesHamilton Lake: up to 6 northern pike per day of any size, no more than one over 30 inches (312 IAC 9-7-5(c)) — not the statewide 3 at 24 inches.
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.
Rock BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-11)
Smallmouth 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.
Spotfin 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.
White 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.
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.
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
“Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), an individual must not take or possess more than six (6) northern pike per day of any size from Hamilton Lake in Steuben County, with no more than one (1) per day over thirty (30) inches long.” — 312 IAC 9-7-5(c), 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 20224,542Fish sampled
24Species
Gamefish Largemouth Bass 178 · Northern Pike 73 · Smallmouth Bass 2 · Bowfin 1
Panfish Bluegill 2,509 · Redear Sunfish 392 · Black Crappie 299
All survey species24 species
Gamefish
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Smallmouth Bass
Bowfin
Panfish
Bluegill
Redear Sunfish
Black Crappie
Warmouth
Pumpkinseed
Yellow Perch
Hybrid Sunfish
Rock Bass
Bullhead & catfish
Brown Bullhead
Yellow Bullhead
Forage & nongame
Gizzard Shad
Brook Silverside
Longnose Gar
Spotfin Shiner
White Sucker
Common Carp
Bluntnose Minnow
Golden Shiner
Redfin Pickerel
Blackchin Shiner
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
Hamilton Lake — common questions
How deep is Hamilton Lake?
The deepest contour on the Indiana DNR bathymetric survey of Hamilton Lake is 70 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 Hamilton Lake?
Hamilton Lake covers about 830 acres in Steuben County, Indiana.
What fish are in Hamilton Lake?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin. The page lists all 24 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Hamilton Lake?
Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Hamilton Lake: a boat ramp with restrooms and ADA access. The DNR records no fee. DNR directions: "From SR 1on the east side of the lake, take Ln 150 Hamilton Lake 0.5 miles to the site."
