Proposed Water Use Rules
Fishing Tournaments on Public Waters
312 IAC 2-4 Fishing Tournament Rule for Public Water
In Indiana fishing tournaments on public waters can only be regulated by the Department of Natural Resources. A county or city park department (or another local entity...such as a conservancy district) might place restrictions on the use of an access site, including restrictions pertaining to fishing tournaments. It is advisable to check with the owner/operator of the launch facility before planning your event to see what regulations apply.
A fishing tournament is defined (by Administrative Rule 312 IAC 2-4-2) as an activity involving fifteen (15) or more watercraft used for taking fish where:
- persons compete for a trophy, citation, cash, or prize; or
- a fee is charged to participants.
DNR properties where fishing tournaments are managed include all the reservoir properties: Monroe, Salamonie, Mississinewa, Huntington, Brookville, Hardy, Patoka, Lieber and Raccoon lakes. Anyone wishing to hold a tournament on any of these lakes must contact:
DNR, State Parks and Reservoirs
Attn: Susan Goudy or Christie Wilmoth
402 West Washington St. Room W298
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2739
(317) 232-3345, Susan Goudy
(317) 233-6258, Christie Wilmoth
(317) 232-4132, FAX
Some Public Freshwater Lakes may also require fishing tournament organizers to apply for a permit before hosting a tournament.
Anyone wishing to hold a fishing tournament on Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake, Kosciusko County must contact:
Indiana Conservation Officers
District One Headquarters
Attn: Lt. John Sullivan
9822 North Turkey Creek Road
Syracuse, Indiana 46567
(574) 457-8092
Anyone wishing to hold a fishing tournament on Sylvan Lake in Noble Co. must contact:
Indiana Conservation Officers
District Two Headquaters
ATTN: Lt. Dean Jenkins
1353 S. Governors Drive
Columbia City, IN 46725
(260) 244-3720
312 IAC 2-4 Fishing Tournament Rule for Public Water
BACKGROUND
Participation in fishing contests, mostly largemouth bass tournaments, represents a popular way for anglers to pursue their recreational enjoyment of Indiana's public lakes. The DNR estimates that more than 300 organized fishing tournaments occur on the largest two dozen lakes in northern Indiana, in addition to events on other public waters throughout the state. Problems with fishing contests arise primarily when participants contribute to overcrowding and display poor outdoor etiquette. Tournament anglers may also be inadvertently contributing to increasing levels of fish mortality when fish are stressed through poor handling procedures.
Most tournaments are held on reservoirs or on the small number of natural lakes that are open to high speed boating. In addition, fishing contests are often held on weekends when the number of other types of lake users can be higher. As a result, some lake users want greater controls placed on tournaments. Conflicts over use of access points could be reduced if tournament scheduling were more coordinated and widely advertised. A number of other states (Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) either regulate or post schedules of tournaments. Efforts to regulate fishing contests and other recreational boating activities must be based on fairness to all lake users.
Since the 1970s, the DNR Division of State Parks and Reservoirs has regulated tournaments on reservoirs owned or operated by the DNR. The state prohibited tournaments during summer months on all reservoirs except Lake Monroe. This prohibition was perceived as pushing tournaments to natural lakes or other reservoirs during the closed season. In the fall of 2000, the DNR implemented a rule that opened the other eight large reservoirs to summer tournaments, but continued to restrict the number of boats in order to avoid overcrowding at access points.
The effort to systematically address lake issues was initiated in 1996 through two public meetings at Tri-State University in Angola. At these meetings, about 600 citizens developed an extensive list of lake challenges and offered examples of how different organizations and agencies were providing solutions to some of the problems.
In 1997, the Indiana General Assembly established the Indiana Lakes Management Work Group, a 26-member task force appointed by Governor O'Bannon and including four legislators, state and federal agencies, lake residents, university researchers, and others involved in lake, reservoir, and watershed management. The volunteer group met over a period of two years to discuss the many issues facing Indiana lakes. One of their 48 recommendations included changing the way tournaments are managed on reservoirs and public lakes. The full set of recommendations, along with other lake-related information, is also available online.
In early 1997, an 11-member Natural Lakes Tournament Fishing Advisory Committee was formed to assist the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife by discussing the views of lake property owners, tournament anglers, and other recreational enthusiasts. The committee provided information on this effort to the Lakes Management Work Group, other lake users, and the general public through news releases and a final report. The report identified perceived problems and potential solutions related to tournament fishing.
In 2000 the legislature passed HEA 1075, which expanded the DNR authority to regulate additional watercraft activities involving more than 15 boats on public waters, including fishing tournaments. The DNR previously had permitting authority for watercraft activities on public waters only in regard to water skiing events and boat races.
During 2001 and 2002 DNR personnel met with the Wawasee Property Owners Association, Syracuse Lake Association, Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, Syracuse Parks & Recreation, Indiana B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation representatives. Through a series of several meetings to gather concerns different perspectives some common ground was established and rules were formulated.
