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Winamac to the Wabash. A gin-clear gravel float full of smallmouth. The river tops out around 12 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 973 acres of water rimmed by 63.7 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. The 14.6 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 18.5 mi long by 2.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Carroll County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Freeman, 5 mi to the north.
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 12 ft covers summer, 4 to 12 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Oakdale Dam tailwater, a rock pile in the 8 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Oakdale Dam tailwater (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Oakdale Dam tailwater (8 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Inside bend (mile 4.2) (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 2.5) (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 12 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 12 ft. Start at Gravel runs (Winamac). It's a gravel shoal holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel runs (Winamac) (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Norway Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & night | Norway Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Norway Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 12 ft through summer, 4 to 12 ft in winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 5.9), a creek channel in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.9) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.9) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 5.9) (9 ft) |
Early season rock bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 3 to 12 ft game here, winter a 4 to 12 ft one. The chart's best answer is Oakdale Dam tailwater — rock pile, 8 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Oakdale Dam tailwater (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Oakdale Dam tailwater (8 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Oakdale Dam tailwater (8 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Oakdale Dam tailwater (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
The chart marks 23 structure features on Tippecanoe River; the deepest is Norway Dam tailrace at about 10 ft.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to Tippecanoe River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Tippecanoe River is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, rock bass on Tippecanoe River.
Oakdale Dam tailwater is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Tippecanoe River is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Freeman 5 mi · Lake Shafer 11 mi · Bicentennial Pond 1 14 mi · Bicentennial Pond 2 15 mi · Fletcher Lake 29 mi · Bruce Lake 34 mi · Winamac Ponds East 34 mi · Nyona Lake 37 mi · Wabash River 39 mi · Eel River 40 mi · Kokomo Reservoir 40 mi · Bass Lake 41 mi
See how Tippecanoe River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Indiana · best walleye lakes in Indiana · best channel catfish lakes in Indiana · best rock bass lakes in Indiana
Browse all Indiana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.