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Fishing in East Chicago, IN

Indiana, United States

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Want trophy-size catches? These East Chicago spots deliver

Top fish species in East Chicago

Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
Bluegill
Bluegill
Channel catfish
Channel catfish
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Common carp
Common carp

Latest East Chicago fishing reports

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Channel catfish

McKinley Park Lagoon

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Channel catfish

McKinley Park Lagoon

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Channel catfish

Crystal Springs Park

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Pumpkinseed

Chicago River

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Bluegill

Crystal Springs Park

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Hybrid striped bass

Cedar Lake

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Channel catfish

Cedar Lake

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Channel catfish

Cedar Lake

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Bluegill

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Crystal Springs Park

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About East Chicago fishing

Check out the best fishing spots in and around East Chicago, Indiana. Anglers using Fishbrain have logged: 29,080 catches for Largemouth bass, 5,139 catches for Bluegill, and 4,006 catches for Channel catfish.

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Fishing regulations in East Chicago

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in Indiana can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Largemouth bass as of March 31st, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Largemouth bass

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

5

Min size

14"

Measurement

Total Length

Aggregate

5

These regulations are for largemouth bass in lakes.

Largemouth bass regulations for rivers and streams are as follows:

  • size limit = no black bass 12 to 15-inches total length may be kept, and no more than 2 black bass over 15-inches total length may be kept;
  • daily bag limit = 5 black bass (any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass) 

Largemouth bass regulations for Lake Michigan are as follows:

  • minimum size = 14-inches total length;
  • daily bag limit = 3 black bass (any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass)


Special Regulations for Lakes:

Lake Limits

On Fidler Pond in Elkhart County

  • daily bag limit = 2 largemouth bass; minimum size = 18-inches total length

Failing Lake (also known as Gentian Lake) in Steuben County

  • daily bag limit = 2 largemouth bass; minimum size = 18-inches total length

Flat Fork Creek Park ponds A and B in Hamilton County

  • daily bag limit = 2 largemouth bass; minimum size = 18-inches total length

Lake Limits by County 

15-inch minimum size limit: 

  • Patoka Lake (Orange, Dubois, and Crawford counties) 

16-inch minimum size limit: 

  • Cecil M. Harden Lake (Parke County) 

18-inch minimum size limit and two fish daily bag limit: 

  • Ball Lake (Steuben County) 
  • Blue Grass, Loon Pit (Warrick County) 
  • Fidler Pond (Elkhart County) 
  • Failing Lake, also known as Gentian Lake (Steuben County) 
  • Flat Fork Creek Park ponds A and B (Hamilton County) 
  • Kunkel Lake (Wells County) 
  • Robinson Lake (Whitley and Kosciusko counties) 
  • All lakes at Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area (Kosciukso, Noble, and Elkhart counties)
  • Bixler Lake, Henderson Lake, Little Long Lake, and Round Lake (Noble County)

20-inch minimum size limit and one fish daily bag limit:

  • Turtle Creek Reservoir (Sullivan County) 

12- to 15-inch slot size limits (At the following lakes, largemouth bass that are from 12 to 15 inches in length may not be harvested. The daily bag limit applies to bass under 12 inches and over 15 inches): 

• Buffalo Trace Lake (Harrison County)

• Ferdinand State Forest Lake (Dubois County)

• Montgomery City Park Lake (Daviess County)

12- to 15-inch slot size limit (no more than two bass larger than 15 inches):

  • Big Long Lake (LaGrange County) 

No minimum size limit waters: 

  • Brownstown Pit (Jackson County)
  • Burdette Park lakes (Vanderburgh County)
  • Chandler Town Lake (Warrick County)
  • Cypress Lake (Jackson County)
  • Deming Park lakes (Vigo County) 
  • Garvin Park Lake (Vanderburgh County)
  • Glen Miller Pond (Wayne County)
  • Hayswood Lake (Harrison County)
  • Henry County Memorial Park Lake (Henry County)
  • Hovey Lake at Hovey Lake Fish & Wildlife Area (Posey County)
  • Krannert Lake (Marion County)
  • Lake Sullivan (Marion County)
  • Ruster Lake (Marion County)
  • Schnebelt Pond (Dearborn County) 


Special Regulations for Rivers & Streams

Ohio River

  • daily bag limit = 6 black bass (any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass)
  • minimum size = 12-inches total length

20-inch minimum size limit and one fish daily bag limit:

  • Sugar Creek (Montgomery, Parke, Boone, Clinton, and Tipton counties)

12-inch minimum size limit (5 bass daily limit):

  • All rivers and streams in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Clark, Jefferson, Switzerland, Ohio, and Dearborn counties (with the exception of the Blue River, where the slot limit applies in Crawford, Harrison, and Washington counties). 

Micropterus nigricans

Regulations for

41°38′54.2″N 87°27′13″W
Regulations in the map
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FAQ about East Chicago fishing

Anglers in East Chicago, IN recommend these top fishing spots: Wolf Lake, Lake Michigan (IL), Deep River, Calumet Sag Channel, and Lake Michigan (IN).
Most commonly caught species around East Chicago, IN:
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Other cities near East Chicago

Hammond

2.9 miles away

Calumet City

5.6 miles away

Gary

6.8 miles away

Highland

6.9 miles away

Munster

7.5 miles away

Lansing

7.5 miles away

Dolton

7.6 miles away

South Holland

8.4 miles away

Griffith

8.5 miles away

Riverdale

9.4 miles away

Harvey

10.6 miles away

Dyer

10.8 miles away

Schererville

11.2 miles away

Lake Station

11.3 miles away

Blue Island

11.8 miles away

Homewood

12.4 miles away

Markham

12.7 miles away

Hobart

13.2 miles away

Hazel Crest

13.3 miles away

Chicago Heights

13.4 miles away

Evergreen Park

13.7 miles away

Merrillville

14.0 miles away

Midlothian

14.1 miles away

St. John

14.2 miles away