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Delphi through Lafayette to Terre Haute. Indiana's river: giant flatheads, blues and smallmouth. The river tops out around 30 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.
On the chart, Wabash River draws 21,591 acres inside 285.8 miles of shoreline, broken up by 18 islands. With a shoreline index of 13.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 65% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 106.6 mi end to end and 27 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Montgomery County. For a second option, Sugar Creek lies 11 mi southwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Tippecanoe confluence (Battle Ground), an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. 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 | Tippecanoe confluence (Battle Ground) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) |
Spring puts flathead catfish in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 130.1) is the standout, an eddy pocket at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for spring flathead catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 130.1) (17 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 130.1) (17 ft) | |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 130.1) (17 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 130.1) (17 ft) |
Early season blue catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Put Terre Haute deep bends first on the milk run — a creek channel near 25 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Farmers Lake Dam East tailrace (26 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Channel bar / point (mile 14.5), a point in the 12 ft range, prime in fall. 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 | Channel bar / point (mile 14.5) (12 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.8) (17 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 14.5) (12 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 2.8) (17 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Start at Tippecanoe confluence (Battle Ground). It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 12 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 | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Tippecanoe confluence (Battle Ground) (12 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Farmers Lake Dam East tailrace (26 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & night | Farmers Lake Dam East tailrace (26 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Farmers Lake Dam East tailrace (26 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, freshwater drum run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Terre Haute deep bends is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for summer freshwater drum. Time it for the evening. You won't need more than a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Tippecanoe confluence (Battle Ground) (12 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Terre Haute deep bends (25 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Wabash River also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer), sauger (10 to 30 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 62 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Farmers Lake Dam East tailrace, sits near 26 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 Wabash River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Wabash River is about 30 ft (9 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 channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, smallmouth bass, walleye, freshwater drum, common carp, white bass & hybrids, longnose gar, sauger, rock bass on Wabash River.
Tippecanoe confluence (Battle Ground) is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For channel catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark 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 Wabash 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.
Sugar Creek 11 mi · Bicentennial Pond 2 24 mi · Bicentennial Pond 1 25 mi · Raccoon Lake (Cecil Harden) 25 mi · Rockville Lake 28 mi · Eagle Creek Reservoir 36 mi · Tippecanoe River 39 mi · Lake Freeman 44 mi · Cagles Mill Lake (Cataract) 44 mi · Kickapoo State Park Lake 44 mi, IL · Morse Reservoir 46 mi · JI Case Lake 47 mi
See how Wabash River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Indiana · best walleye lakes in Indiana · best sauger lakes in Indiana · best channel catfish 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.