Story Lake

DeKalb County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey

30ft Max
depth

72 acres 6 contours Public access

Paddling Index73Goodsheltered geometry · away from major roads

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Depth scale

051015202530

The lake

Survey readout

Story Lake is mapped to a depth of 30 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 72 acres in DeKalb County, Indiana. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2019.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 30 ft
Survey year: 2019
Surface area: 72 acres
Shoreline: 2.73 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 12% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Ramp · Indiana DNR site

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–30 ft
Recorded point soundings: 30 ft

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Location

DeKalb County, Indiana · all 3 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: 41.51539, -85.14022
IN DNR lake ID: 155641853
Vertical exaggeration: 2.66×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.1 MB

Paddling

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

73 / 100GoodData confidence: High

Story Lake has a partly natural setting, well sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure. 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	Good	15.8 of 30	58% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (4% forest, 54% wetland; 21% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Excellent	25.0 of 25	mean fetch 416 m · 79% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions
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	Very Good	11.8 of 15	limited nearby major-road exposure · 4 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 2,146 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 12% 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 — 4% forest and 54% 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

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

Lake Chubsucker

Hybrid Sunfish

About these fish → the Fish of Indiana guide

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 12 species found here — 8 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”)

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)).

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)).

BluegillOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Bluegill”)

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

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.

Lake ChubsuckerOpen 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 2019

384Fish sampled

12Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 79 · Bowfin 1

Panfish Bluegill 124 · Redear Sunfish 114 · Warmouth 11

All survey species12 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass79 caught · to 15″

Bowfin1 caught · to 18″

Panfish

Bluegill124 caught · to 8″

Redear Sunfish114 caught · to 10″

Warmouth11 caught · to 9″

Pumpkinseed10 caught · to 6″

Hybrid Sunfish1 caught · to 6″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead17 caught · to 11″

Brown Bullhead13 caught · to 14″

Forage & nongame

Lake Chubsucker7 caught · to 9″

Spotted Gar6 caught · to 26″

Redfin Pickerel1 caught

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

Eurasian Watermilfoil

How to identify invasive species in Indiana lakes →

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

Story Lake — common questions

How deep is Story Lake?

The deepest contour on the Indiana DNR bathymetric survey of Story Lake is 30 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 Story Lake?

Story Lake covers about 72 acres in DeKalb County, Indiana.

What fish are in Story Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, bluegill, bowfin, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed. The page lists all 12 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Story Lake?

Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Story Lake: a boat ramp with ADA access. The DNR records no fee. DNR directions: "3 miles W of Ashley on SR 4, then 0.5 mi. S on CR 11."

More lakes in DeKalb County