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IDNR Report
The DNR Division of Law Enforcement held graduation ceremonies today at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Fifteen new Indiana Conservation Officers officially joined the division during the event.
Conservation Officer Matt Landis, the 2020 James D. Pitzer Officer of the Year, administered the oath of office to the recruits, who will fill positions in various locations around the state.
The new officers represent the 40th recruit class of conservation officers, the oldest state law enforcement agency in Indiana.
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IDNR Report
Indiana Conservation Officers encourage citizens to partner with the Turn In a Poacher, Inc. (TIP) program and help put an end to poaching.
TIP is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects fish and wildlife resources by increasing public support and involvement in bringing violators to justice.
A poacher is a thief who illegally steals wildlife that belongs to each Indiana citizen. Indiana DNR manages wildlife for everyone, and every person can help TIP support DNR efforts by reporting potential violations at 1-800-TIP-IDNR (800-847-4367) or tip.IN.gov. Doing so will help conserve wildlife for future generations.
Call TIP if you see, hear, or learn about poaching or another violation regarding fish and wildlife. If your “TIP” leads to an arrest, you may receive as much as a $500 reward, and you can remain anonymous. Since 2017 TIP has received 1,788 tips and paid thousands of dollars in rewards for tips that have led to the arrest of a suspect.
“Concerned citizens are the main reason why Indiana TIP has been successful in fighting against poaching and bringing justice to those who violate fish and wildlife laws,” said Joe Cales, TIP citizens advisory board president. “Poaching affects us all.”
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IDNR Report
(Griffith) Indiana Conservation Officers and the Griffith Police Department are investigating after partial skeletal remains were discovered by a waterfowl hunter this morning near the area of Cline Avenue and River Drive.
At approximately 7 a.m., the hunter discovered what appeared to be bone protruding from a piece of clothing in a marsh area while searching for a downed duck. A 911 call was immediately made, and Indiana Conservation Officers as well as officers from the Griffith Police Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.
The remains were confirmed to be human and were recovered by Indiana Conservation Officers and members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.
The identity of the remains is currently unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.
Other assisting agencies include Lake County 911 Center, Coroner’s Office, and the Griffith Fire Department.
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IDNR Report
Nearly 70,000 fingerling walleyes are planned to be stocked by DNR during the next few weeks in 14 northern Indiana lakes.
The fingerlings being stocked average 4 to 7 inches long. Adult walleye typically reach 14 inches in length after two years of growth and 16 inches by their third year.
These walleye were purchased from Gollon Bait and Fish Farm and grown at Fawn River State Fish Hatchery.
Lakes and (county) to be stocked include:
- Adams (LaGrange)
- Pretty Lake (LaGrange)
- Big Turkey (Steuben)
- Simonton (Elkhart)
- Crooked Lake (Steuben)
- Sylvan Lake (Noble)
- Clear Lake (Steuben)
- Shriner Lake (Whitley)
- Dewart (Kosciusko)
- Winona Lake (Kosciusko)
- Maxinkuckee (Marshall)
- Wall Lake (LaGrange)
- Pine/Stone Lakes (LaPorte)
- Wolf Lake (Lake)
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IDNR Report
It’s that time of year again, when the weather is cooling, leaves are falling, and the DNR is stocking channel catfish. This fall, DNR will stock 147 locations with approximately 63,742.
To provide additional angling opportunities, the DNR annually stocks channel catfish statewide in publicly accessible waters. All stocked channel catfish are produced by state personnel at the following DNR hatcheries (county): Cikana (Morgan), Driftwood (Jackson), and East Fork (Daviess). All locations should be stocked by the end of October or early November.
The channel catfish range in size from 8-10 inches. Once stocked, these fish acclimate to their new environment quickly and don’t take long to start biting. Anglers are encouraged to harvest the catfish, as they make great table fare.
Anglers interested in harvesting channel catfish need to follow bag and size restrictions. In most lakes and reservoirs, the statewide regulation is 10 channel catfish per day in lakes, with no more than one being longer than 28 inches; however, there are a few lakes that have a different bag limit. They are listed at eregulations.com/indiana/fishing/basic-fishing-information under Special Regulations Waters.
Channel Catfish stocking locations, numbers, and sizes are listed at: wildlife.IN.gov/fishing/indiana-fish-stocking.
To view all fishing regulations, check out our fishing guide at: on.IN.gov/fishingguide.
To learn more about catfishing check out: dnr.IN.gov/fish-and-wildlife/fishing/catfish-fishing/.