Indiana Lake Depths
NESW

Martin Lake

LaGrange County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey
55ft Max
depth
26 acres 5 contours Public access
Paddling Index86Very Goodaway from major roads · electric motors only · sheltered geometry
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Depth scale

The lake

Survey readout

Martin Lake has a reported maximum depth of 55 ft, and covers about 26 acres in LaGrange County, Indiana. The Indiana DNR survey maps contours down to 50 ft; the depth between 50 ft and 55 ft is interpolated rather than measured. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2018.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Depth below 50 ft is interpolated. The survey's own contours stop at 50 ft, while it reports a maximum of 55 ft. The basin between those two depths is inferred by the model, not measured — so the shape of the deep hole is an estimate, and the deep-spot marker shows the deepest depth actually surveyed.

Deepest mapped contour
55 ft
Survey year
2018
Surface area
26 acres
Shoreline
0.93 mi · lobed
Aquatic vegetation
4% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access
By water from another ramp · Indiana DNR: “Use Oliver Lake Ramp”
Additional depth details5 contours
Contour depths
0–55 ft
Recorded point soundings
50 ft
Compare with another 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
41.56432, -85.38432
IN DNR lake ID
155641466
Vertical exaggeration
1.81×
Basemap
USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size
1.1 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-21
86 / 100Very GoodData confidence: High

Martin Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, well sheltered geometry, little nearby major-road exposure. Watercraft controls: Electric motors only.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

ComponentRatingPoints of weightMeasurement
Natural settingVery Good19.2 of 3065% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (3% forest, 61% wetland; 16% developed)
Geometric wind exposureExcellent25.0 of 25mean fetch 340 m · 97% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
Watercraft controlsElectric motors only14.2 of 15Electric motors only
Public accessGood12.8 of 151 DNR fishing access site · DNR directs boaters to a ramp on connected water · ADA-accessible
Road isolationExcellent15.0 of 15relatively isolated from major roads · 1 INDOT-classified segment within 1.2 km, peak 425 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
Low — approximately 4% 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
High — 3% forest and 61% 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

15 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
Brook Silverside
Spottail Shiner
Iowa Darter
Sand Shiner

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 15 species found here — 10 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.

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”)
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.
312 IAC 9-7-13(d)(3) names this water: Brown trout here must be at least 18 inches (312 IAC 9-7-13(d)(3)); still no more than one brown trout in the 5 trout or salmon per day.
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)).
BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Bluegill”)
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.
Common CarpOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Carp”)
Iowa DarterRule 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.
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.
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)
Sand 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).
Spottail 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).
Spotted GarOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Gar”)
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”)
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
“The brown trout are at least eighteen (18) inches long if taken from Oliver Lake, Olin Lake, or Martin Lake in LaGrange County.” — 312 IAC 9-7-13(d)(3), 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 2020
313Fish sampled
15Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 67 · Northern Pike 1

Panfish Bluegill 133 · Rock Bass 5 · Warmouth 5

All survey species15 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass67 caught · to 19″
Northern Pike1 caught · to 30″

Panfish

Bluegill133 caught · to 8″
Rock Bass5 caught · to 8″
Warmouth5 caught · to 6″
Pumpkinseed2 caught · to 6″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead3 caught · to 11″

Forage & nongame

Brook Silverside53 caught · to 3″
Common Carp15 caught · to 25″
White Sucker10 caught · to 20″
Sand Shiner9 caught · to 2″
Spotted Gar5 caught · to 19″
Spottail Shiner3 caught · to 3″
Iowa Darter1 caught · to 2″
Redfin Pickerel1 caught · to 8″
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

Martin Lake — common questions

How deep is Martin Lake?

The Indiana DNR reports a maximum depth of 55 ft for Martin Lake. The survey's own contours reach 50 ft, so the depth below that is interpolated from the reported maximum rather than mapped.

How big is Martin Lake?

Martin Lake covers about 26 acres in LaGrange County, Indiana.

What fish are in Martin Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, pumpkinseed, rock bass, warmouth. The page lists all 15 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Martin Lake?

The Indiana DNR lists Martin Lake as open to the public by water rather than from a ramp of its own: its access record reads "Martin Lake (Use Oliver Lake Ramp)". The launch is on connected water, not on Martin Lake itself.

Is the depth of Martin Lake measured or estimated?

The survey contours reach 50 ft while the survey reports a maximum of 55 ft, so the basin between those depths is inferred by the model rather than measured.