Witmer Lake

LaGrange County, Indiana · IN DNR bathymetric survey

55ft Max
depth

238 acres 5 contours Public access

Paddling Index49Modestsheltered geometry

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Depth scale

0102030405055

The lake

Survey readout

Witmer Lake has a reported maximum depth of 55 ft, and covers about 238 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 2013.

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: 50 ft
Survey year: 2013
Surface area: 238 acres
Shoreline: 5.66 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 3% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Boat Ramp · Indiana DNR site

Additional depth details5 contours

Contour depths: 0–55 ft
Recorded point soundings: 50 ft

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Location

LaGrange County, Indiana · 15 nearest of 20 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: IN DNR Lake Bathymetry, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

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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: 41.53280, -85.39217
IN DNR lake ID: 155641889
Vertical exaggeration: 1.81×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.2 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-21

49 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Witmer Lake has a mixed natural and developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, some nearby classified 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	Mixed	7.9 of 30	46% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (2% forest, 43% wetland; 41% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	14.4 of 25	mean fetch 1,126 m · 2% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short 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	Good	6.5 of 15	some nearby classified roads · 10 INDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 7,276 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: Moderate — 2% forest and 43% 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

20 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

Sucker

White Sucker

Northern Hognose Sucker

Hybrid Sunfish

Brook Silverside

Logperch

Bluntnose Minnow

Shiner

About these fish → the Fish of Indiana guide

Fishing rules for this lake Beta

Size and daily limits for the 20 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.

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”)

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”)

Channel CatfishOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: 10 (312 IAC 9-7-3(b), (d)) The 10 is catfish in aggregate of any size from a lake or reservoir. Of those, not more than one channel catfish 28 inches or longer, one blue catfish 35 inches or longer and one flathead catfish 35 inches or longer per day.

Common CarpOpen to harvestMinimum size: no size limit · Daily limit: no limit (312 IAC 9-7-14(d) · “Carp”)

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.

LogperchRule 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.

Northern Hognose 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.

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.

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”)

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 2011

540Fish sampled

20Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 71 · Channel Catfish 4 · Bowfin 1

Panfish Bluegill 340 · Black Crappie 15 · Hybrid Sunfish 6

All survey species20 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass71 caught · to 15″

Channel Catfish4 caught · to 16″

Bowfin1 caught · to 20″

Panfish

Bluegill340 caught · to 9″

Black Crappie15 caught · to 10″

Hybrid Sunfish6 caught · to 7″

Warmouth6 caught · to 8″

Yellow Perch4 caught · to 5″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead3 caught · to 10″

Brown Bullhead1 caught · to 11″

Forage & nongame

Brook Silverside43 caught · to 3″

Bluntnose Minnow15 caught · to 2″

Common Carp13 caught · to 28″

Spotted Gar6 caught · to 24″

White Sucker5 caught · to 18″

Logperch2 caught · to 3″

Redfin Pickerel2 caught · to 14″

Northern Hognose Sucker1 caught · to 13″

Shiner1 caught · to 3″

Sucker1 caught · to 16″

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

Witmer Lake — common questions

How deep is Witmer Lake?

The Indiana DNR reports a maximum depth of 55 ft for Witmer 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 Witmer Lake?

Witmer Lake covers about 238 acres in LaGrange County, Indiana.

What fish are in Witmer Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include channel catfish, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin, brown bullhead. The page lists all 20 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Witmer Lake?

Yes. The Indiana DNR lists a public access site on Witmer Lake: a boat ramp with restrooms and ADA access. The DNR records no fee. DNR directions: "At Wolcottville from SR 9, 1 mile west on CR 800S."

Is the depth of Witmer 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.

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