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Best bluegill lakes in Indiana

198 Indiana waters hold bluegill, 148 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.

1. Monroe Lake — 54 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites
2. Raccoon Lake (Cecil Harden) — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
3. Patoka Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 13 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Morse Reservoir — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Geist Reservoir — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
6. Mississinewa Lake — 137 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
7. Brookville Lake — 140 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 13 public access sites
8. Salamonie Lake — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites
9. Lake Wawasee — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Lake Lemon — 27 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Hardy Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
12. Crooked Lake (Steuben) — 81 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Bass Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Lake Tippecanoe — 123 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. J.C. Murphey Lake — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Cagles Mill Lake (Cataract) — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
17. Sylvan Lake — 28 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Summit Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
19. Huntington Lake (Roush) — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Hamilton Lake — 69 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Kokomo Reservoir — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Lake Freeman — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
23. Winona Lake — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
24. Webster Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
25. Lake Manitou — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 173 more Indiana waters holding bluegill.

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When to fish bluegill in Indiana

• Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
• Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
• Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.

Also in Indiana: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best rock bass lakes

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