JE Roush Lake Fish & Wildlife Area
Property: 24/7. Some activities may have specific open times, especially if there is a draw. Please call property for questions.
Description
J.E. (J. Edward) Roush Lake Fish & Wildlife Area provides quality outdoor recreational opportunities while maintaining 7,347 acres of land, 900 acres of lake, and 350 acres of impoundments. The property, which is approximately 15 miles long, is a long narrow band along the Wabash River.
J.E. Roush Lake, also known as Huntington Lake, was constructed in 1967 and is one of the three Upper Wabash Valley lakes, along with Mississinewa and Salamonie, operating primarily as a unit to control floodwaters along the Wabash River basin. J.E. Roush Lake also works secondarily with other lakes downstream to reduce lower Wabash and Ohio River floods. The lake provides benefits to nearly 60,000 acres of agricultural lands and general recreational activities associated with hunting and fishing. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers partners with the DNR under a lease agreement. The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife operates and maintains the recreation facilities and wildlife areas at the lake. J.E. Roush Lake was operated by what was then the DNR Division of Reservoirs until 1998 and then by the DNR Division of State Parks until 2010.
Most revenues used in land acquisition, development, operation, and maintenance of J.E. Roush Lake FWA are derived from the sale of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses. Funds are also derived from the federal Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson programs to aid fish and wildlife restoration. These funds are derived from taxes levied on sport hunting, shooting, and fishing equipment. Indiana hunters and anglers are proud to provide this property free for the enjoyment of all.
- North boat ramp
- Army Corps of Engineers public restrooms located near Arrowhead North and Observation Mound by the Roush dam.
Pit Toilets:
- Kil-So-Quah SRA Campground
- J.E. Roush Lake main office
J.E. Roush Lake FWA contains a reservoir that frequently experiences flooding when the property undergoes extensive rain in a short period of time. Recreational areas such as the campground, boat ramp, and some roads may be closed during flooding seasons. Contact the property for the most up-to-date closure information at 260-468-2165.
Popular activities
All hunters, range users, and dog runners are required to sign in and obtain the appropriate one-day access permit before entering the field at this property. The one-day permit card must be completed and returned to a self-service booth, drop box, or property office before you leave.
All other visitors are encouraged to obtain a miscellaneous one-day access permit before entering the field. The one-day access permit should be kept with you while visiting, then completed and returned to a self-service booth, drop box, or the office before you leave. The information you provide will help us identify ways to improve Indiana’s FWAs for all users. We appreciate your patience in taking the extra time to complete the permit. Your feedback and comments are valuable to us.
- J.E. Roush Lake FWA has 15 miles of river and 200 acres of impoundments open to fishing. You can find locations on the Where to Fish map.
- Fish species in the main lake include channel catfish, crappie, white bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and more. Walleye can be found below the dam in the river. Impoundment species include largemouth bass, bluegill, and redear sunfish.
- Motorized boats are allowed on J.E. Roush Lake only. Please use the concrete boat ramp located off S.R. 224 at Kil-So-Quah SRA. No swimming is allowed at ramp. Non-motorized boats and electric motors are allowed on both J.E. Roush Lake and its impoundments. No ramps are provided on the impoundments.
- Boat launch permits are not required at J.E. Roush Lake FWA.
- When the North boat ramp floods, the South boat ramp off Division Road will temporarily be open for access. Please use extreme caution because this ramp is steep and flood debris is often present there and on the lake.
- Shoreline fishing is available at the boat ramp and around the main lake and impoundments.
- There is a 14-inch size limit for largemouth and smallmouth bass.
- On Rock Creek, smallmouth bass fishing is catch-and-release only.
- See Fishing Regulations for details.
- Hunting for furbearers, deer, rabbit, squirrel, waterfowl, dove, pheasant, and wild turkey is common at J.E. Roush Lake FWA.
- All hunting seasons and bag limits apply. See Hunting Regulations for details.
- Hunting areas accessible to persons with disabilities are available. Ask for details at the office.
- Shooting of woodchuck (groundhogs) is not allowed.
- Additional hunting opportunities are available, including youth hunts for deer, turkey, and waterfowl.
Deer
- Deer tree stands and ground blinds may be used and left unattended from noon, Sept. 15 through Jan. 10. Tree stands and ground blinds must be legibly marked in English with either the owner’s DNR customer identification number or the owner’s name, address, and telephone number. Fasteners (e.g., screw-in steps and screw-in bow and gun hangers) and anything else used in conjunction with a tree stand and a tree or pole climber that penetrates a tree more than ½ inch is prohibited.
Dove
- J.E. Roush Lake FWA is open for dove season this year, starting Sept. 1, 2024, following legal hunting dates and times. Please follow self-service registration procedures to hunt this property.
Pheasant
- Put-and-take pheasant hunting starts the Saturday before Thanksgiving, with online sign-up starting in September. Doors open at 7 a.m. at the office location and close at 3:30 p.m. for the reserved put-and-take pheasant hunt.
- During the put-and-take, only reserved pheasant hunters are allowed to pheasant hunt in units 17-23. Other hunting activities that are in season are allowed in some units, so please be aware that other hunters could be in these units.
- Put-and-take hunters are only allowed to hunt pheasants while hunting. The shooting of woodcock, rabbits, etc. while pheasant hunting during the put-and-take is prohibited.
Turkey
- Spring turkey hunting is by reserved draw, but a no-show drawing is done daily at the office location. Doors open at 4:30 a.m., and the no-show drawing is held promptly at 5:30 a.m. Hunters must be licensed to hunt turkeys and signed in by 5:30 a.m. to participate.
- Fall hunting is by bow only. Hunters must check in at any self-registration station each day.
