Indiana’s free fishing days in 2026 fall on Saturday, May 10; Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7; and Saturday, September 26. On those four dates, Indiana residents can fish any public water in the state without a fishing license or a trout and salmon stamp. Every other fishing regulation stays in force.1Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Free Fishing Days
The 2026 Dates
- Saturday, May 10
- Saturday, June 6
- Sunday, June 7
- Saturday, September 26
The waiver covers the $23 annual fishing license and the $11 trout and salmon stamp for the day. Treat the water exactly as you would on any other day of the year, aside from the license itself.1Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Free Fishing Days
Who the Waiver Covers
Free fishing days apply to Indiana residents. The DNR defines a resident as someone who has kept a true, fixed, permanent home in Indiana for at least 60 consecutive days and does not claim fishing residency in another state. An Indiana driver’s license or state ID is the easiest proof if a conservation officer asks.2Indiana Department of Natural Resources. License Fees
If you’re visiting from out of state, the free days don’t apply to you. A non-resident annual license is $60, with shorter-duration options available. Non-resident anglers 17 and under never need a license, free day or not.2Indiana Department of Natural Resources. License Fees
A couple of groups already fish without a license year-round and don’t need to wait for a free day. Indiana residents who own or lease and actively farm land can fish on that land anytime, and the exemption covers their spouse and children in the same household. Non-resident farmland owners get the same privilege only if their home state offers Indiana landowners the same courtesy.3Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 14 – 14-22-11-1 Indiana residents with a VA-determined service-connected disability (or a DoD disability retirement) can buy a combined hunting and fishing license for $2.75 a year, or $27.50 for ten years, which makes the free-day savings minor for them.4Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Disabled Veteran Discounted Hunting and Fishing License Fact Sheet
What the Waiver Does Not Change
Only the license is waived. Bag limits, size minimums, legal methods, and seasonal rules all apply the same way they would on any other Saturday.1Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Free Fishing Days
Bag Limits and Size Minimums
Largemouth bass on lakes have a statewide daily limit of five fish with a 14-inch minimum. Rivers and streams run on a different structure: five bass daily, nothing kept between 12 and 15 inches, and no more than two of the five over 15 inches. Dozens of individual lakes carry their own regulations that override the statewide numbers, with minimums anywhere from no minimum at all up to 20 inches depending on the water. Look up the rules for the specific lake or river before you go. Keeping a 13-inch bass from a lake with an 18-inch minimum is a violation whether or not you knew the local rule existed.5eRegulations. Indiana Fishing Bass Regulations
Legal and Illegal Methods
Pole-and-line is the standard, and you can run up to three poles or hand lines at once, with no more than three hooks, three artificial lures, or any combination of three per line. Bowfishing and spearfishing are legal year-round for rough fish like common carp, gar, and suckers, though bowfishing normally requires a license outside the free days.6eRegulations. Indiana Fishing Regulations
Snagging — dragging or jerking hooks through the water to foul-hook fish — is illegal on all public waters. Gill nets, seines, and traps are prohibited near dams, and trot lines are off-limits within 200 yards of a dam. Releasing live fish into public waters without a stocking permit is a criminal violation.6eRegulations. Indiana Fishing Regulations
Fishing Without a License on a Normal Day
On any day that isn’t a free fishing day, fishing without a required license is a Class C misdemeanor under Indiana law. That’s a criminal charge, not a parking ticket. Conservation officers patrol public waters regularly, and the consequences run well past the $23 the license would have cost. If you’re uncertain whether you qualify as a resident, buy the license.7Justia. Indiana Code Title 14 – 14-22-38 Violations
Where the Free Days Apply
Public waters in Indiana are covered: state-owned reservoirs, state parks with lake or river access, and fish and wildlife areas. Private ponds and lakes stay under the landowner’s control and aren’t affected by the waiver.
National Wildlife Refuges inside Indiana are a separate matter. Federal refuges normally require a valid state fishing license, with the free-day exception honored for residents, but they can also impose their own species, season, creel, and gear rules, and some restrict lead tackle entirely. Check with the specific refuge headquarters before fishing there.8eCFR. 50 CFR Part 32 – Hunting and Fishing
If You Don’t Own Gear
The DNR runs a Fishing Tackle Loaner Program at state-managed sites, where you can check out rods, reels, and basic tackle for the day at no cost through a participating park office or nature center. A beginner rod-and-reel setup starts around $50 at retail, so the program is the simplest way to try the sport once before buying anything.9Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Fishing Equipment Tips
State parks schedule “Free Fishing Fun” events around the designated dates, with loaner poles, bait, and hands-on instruction in casting and knot tying from staff and volunteers. Equipment is handed out while supplies last, so arrive early. The DNR’s events calendar posts specific locations and times as each date approaches.10State of Indiana. May 2026 Free Fishing Fun