Tippecanoe Lake

Kosciusko County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey

125ft Max
depth

841 acres 12 contours Public access

Paddling Index40Modest

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Depth scale

01030507090110125

The lake

Survey readout

Tippecanoe Lake is mapped to a depth of 125 ft on the Indiana DNR survey and covers about 841 acres in Kosciusko County, Indiana. The Indiana DNR’s printed map of the same survey gives 123 ft; the 125 ft here is the deepest point in its survey depth grid. The outline includes the Oswego Lake basin at the west end (83 acres, 35 ft deep, surveyed August 2017), which the DNR maps as a separate lake connected to Tippecanoe. Depths come from the Indiana DNR survey of 2018.

Measured from the Indiana DNR lake bathymetry survey.

Two Indiana DNR depths: 125 ft and 123 ft. This map is drawn from the Indiana DNR's survey depth grid from the same 2018 survey (about 225,000 measured points, 3.8 m apart), and its deepest point reads 125 ft — the depth the marker shows. The Indiana DNR’s printed map of Tippecanoe Lake gives a maximum of 123 ft. Both numbers are the same agency’s; they come from different products of the same survey, so they need not match exactly. The outline includes the Oswego Lake basin at the west end (83 acres, 35 ft deep, surveyed August 2017), which the DNR maps as a separate lake connected to Tippecanoe. — Indiana DNR, Division of Fish & Wildlife; Oswego Lake / Tippecanoe Lake bathymetric map, Kosciusko County (Tippecanoe Lake surveyed 8/10/2018, 768 acres, 10 ft contours).

Maximum on Indiana DNR map: 123 ft · August 2018 map
Deepest surveyed depth: 125 ft
Survey year: 2018
Surface area: 841 acres
Shoreline: 16.09 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 3% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: By water from another ramp · Indiana DNR: “Use Grassy Creek Ramp”

Additional depth details12 contours

Contour depths: 0–125 ft
Recorded point soundings: 125 ft

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Location

Kosciusko County, Indiana · 15 nearest of 27 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: 41.32682, -85.76569
IN DNR lake ID: 155351279
Vertical exaggeration: 1.4×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

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

40 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Tippecanoe Lake has a substantially developed setting, moderate open-water exposure, 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	3.6 of 30	37% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (16% forest, 17% wetland; 48% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Good	12.3 of 25	mean fetch 1,403 m · 9% 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 · DNR directs boaters to a ramp on connected water
Road isolation	Mixed	4.0 of 15	nearby higher-volume roads · 14 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 4,655 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 3% 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 — 16% forest and 17% 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

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

Northern Pike

Spotted Gar

Bowfin

Silver Redhorse

Hybrid Striped Bass

Largemouth Bass

Sucker

White Sucker

Gizzard Shad

Golden Shiner

Brook Silverside

About these fish → the Fish of Indiana guide

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 18 species found here — 15 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”)

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”)

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 Striped BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 12 (312 IAC 9-7-7) 12 in any combination of white bass and hybrid striped bass, of which not more than two may exceed 17 inches.

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.

Rock BassOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 25 (312 IAC 9-7-11)

Silver RedhorseOpen 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.

Spotted GarOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Gar”)

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.

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

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 2018

179Fish sampled

18Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 20 · Bowfin 8 · Hybrid Striped Bass 1 · Northern Pike 1

Panfish Bluegill 43 · Yellow Perch 22 · Rock Bass 7

All survey species18 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass20 caught · to 14″

Bowfin8 caught · to 21″

Hybrid Striped Bass1 caught · to 8″

Northern Pike1 caught · to 26″

Panfish

Bluegill43 caught · to 7″

Yellow Perch22 caught · to 8″

Rock Bass7 caught · to 7″

Warmouth5 caught · to 7″

Pumpkinseed3 caught · to 6″

Bullhead & catfish

Brown Bullhead7 caught · to 12″

Yellow Bullhead5 caught · to 15″

Forage & nongame

Gizzard Shad28 caught · to 14″

Brook Silverside11 caught · to 4″

Sucker9 caught · to 17″

Silver Redhorse5 caught · to 18″

White Sucker2 caught · to 17″

Golden Shiner1 caught · to 8″

Spotted Gar1 caught · to 19″

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

Tippecanoe Lake — common questions

How deep is Tippecanoe Lake?

The deepest point in the Indiana DNR's survey depth grid for Tippecanoe Lake is 125 ft, which is the depth rendered on the map here. The Indiana DNR's printed map of the same survey gives a maximum of 123 ft. Both are the same agency's figures, from different products of one survey. The outline includes the Oswego Lake basin at the west end (83 acres, 35 ft deep, surveyed August 2017), which the DNR maps as a separate lake connected to Tippecanoe.

How big is Tippecanoe Lake?

Tippecanoe Lake covers about 841 acres in Kosciusko County, Indiana.

What fish are in Tippecanoe Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, bowfin, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed. The page lists all 18 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Tippecanoe Lake?

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

More lakes in Kosciusko County