Spring Licenses Now on Sale
Important Reminder: Licenses purchased for the 2025-26 season expire at the end of March. Renew your fishing license now so you’ll be ready for the 2026-27 season. Purchase your spring turkey license to be ready for the season in April. New hard card designs are also available, which were submitted by Hoosier photographers and artists, then voted on by DNR staff!
Mark this task off your to-do list and feel good knowing your license purchase helps conserve Indiana’s natural resources for years to come.
To access your account:
Remember that you must log in to the Activity Hub (license system) through Access Indiana. Those with existing Access Indiana accounts will be able to log in without disruption. If you’re logging in for the first time, you will need to look yourself up in the system and verify your personal information. On your next log-in, you will be taken directly to your account page.
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2026-27 Fishing Guide Now Available
Our latest Fishing Guide features a spotlight on fish stocking and public access, Record Fish highlights, a delicious grilled bass and pea pasta recipe, and the regulations you need for having a successful day fishing in Indiana’s waters.
You can find the free guide online or pick up a physical copy at your local license retailer.
Reserved Spring Turkey Hunt Applications Open
After you purchase your turkey license, get ready for spring turkey season by applying for a reserved draw hunt opportunity. Hunters may apply for two draws, but may only be selected for one. Applications will be accepted through 11:59 pm March 18. All applications must be filled out online, and no late entries will be accepted. If you are applying for a hunt, you must possess a hunting license that is valid for the specific hunt for which you are applying. Note that Big Oaks NWR will not host a turkey hunt in 2026.
Youth hunting opportunities abound this year at select fish & wildlife areas, Indiana Private Lands Access properties, and Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge.
Youth 17 or younger on the date of the hunt may apply but, if selected, must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years of age.
Spring Shore Fishing for Walleye
The walleye spawn in early spring is an ideal time to catch these elusive fish. During this period, walleye will move out of their usual lake sanctuaries and journey up to the shallows of feeder streams to lay their eggs. Shore fishing can be a fun and simple way to catch them during this time.
To effectively catch walleye, try crankbaits in chartreuse or baitfish color patterns and fish along the shoreline during low-light conditions in the evening-to-nighttime hours. Other helpful tactics include jigging with a ball head jig and a plastic body.
There are many lakes in Indiana where you can target these amazing fish, including Brookville, Patoka, and Monroe lakes. They’re known for their delicious filets, so head out this spring and give walleye a try!
DNR YouTube video - Baby Animals
Keep Wildlife Wild This Spring
As the snow melts, we’ll start seeing signs of new life. While it’s tempting to interact with cute, cuddly critters, it’s best if we leave them alone and let their mothers do their jobs. It’s a wonderful thing to care about wildlife, but sometimes human interaction can cause long-term harm. Keep these things in mind when you come across wildlife:
Observe wildlife from a distance. Keep yourselves and pets away from nests, dens, and baby wildlife.
Remember that it is normal for babies to be left alone while their mother looks for food. Baby animals will typically remain still and quiet while waiting for mom. This does not necessarily mean the baby is orphaned.
Do not feed the animal.
If you see a baby animal that has fallen out of a nest or den, you can put it back and quickly leave the area. Hovering near the baby can discourage a mother from coming back, and your scent can attract predators.
Before doing yard work, check the area to make sure you are avoiding any nests or dens.
Determine if a baby needs help before intervening: Is there obvious injury? Did you observe the death of the animal’s mother? Is the animal covered in feces or insects? These are signs an animal needs assistance.
If a baby animal truly needs to be rescued, it MUST be turned over to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator within 24 hours. Find a list of our permitted rehabilitators on our website. Contact rehabilitators BEFORE helping animals.
Spring Turkey Season Tips and Reminders
With spring turkey season quickly approaching, now’s a perfect time to brush up on some fundamental turkey scouting tips.
Use your ears: Listen for male turkeys gobbling from their roost trees at sunrise.
Use your eyes: Look for turkey food sources, such as bugs, nuts, and fallen fruits or grain. Keep an eye out for turkey scratching (areas of cleared leaf litter or ground cover where turkeys have been poking around for food) or turkey tracks, which are three-toed and approximately 3-4 inches long. Turkey droppings, especially the J-shaped droppings of male birds, can also signal prime hunting locations.
Use your brain: Avoid overusing turkey calls, as this can alert birds to your presence and impact movement patterns. When it’s time to hunt, be sure to identify your target and what lies beyond it, practice firearm safety, and comply with all hunting rules and regulations.
Make an Impact by Adopting a Public Access Site
With approximately 400 public access sites throughout the state, the Adopt-A-Ramp program is a flexible volunteer opportunity for families, individuals, corporate workgroups, or organizations to contribute to healthy waterways, wildlife, and recreation.
Collecting trash, removing debris from ramps, cutting back vegetation, and reporting site issues to public access staff are all ways that Adopt-A-Ramp volunteers give back to public land with their time and skills.
Learn more about Adopt-A-Ramp by emailing us at DNRPublicAccess@dnr.IN.gov.
We look forward to teaming up with you!
Allegheny Woodrat Management Update
In 2020, various state mammalogists, zoo staff, and university researchers formed a working group to help Allegheny woodrat populations grow across the U.S. and remain genetically diverse. Many states, including Indiana, have small, isolated populations of these woodrats.
Since then, four zoos (Maryland, Toledo, ZooAmerica, and Elmwood Park) have started captive breeding programs to raise woodrats for release back into the wild. Indiana has participated in this effort by providing female woodrats to the zoos and receiving seven young woodrats that were bred through the program. These pups have been released strategically into populations that needed a boost of genetic diversity. Surveys are ongoing to monitor these captive-reared woodrats, and data have shown these efforts can increase genetic diversity in local populations for at least 10 years.
Generous donations to the Nongame Wildlife Fund provided support for this project, including purchasing materials and tracking equipment needed to make it possible.
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Upcoming events
- Mar. 21: Turkey Hunting 101 Workshop in Partnership with NWTF’s Three Rivers Chapter, Pigeon River FWA
- Mar. 25: Environmental Health and Water Educator Workshop, Avon
- Mar. 31: Conserving Hoosier Amphibians with Project WET, WILD, and Learning Tree, Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area and Hillenbrand Fish & Wildlife Area
- Apr. 13: Forests & Watersheds, Indianapolis
Recent news releases
- See DNR at Indy Boat, Sport and Travel Show
- DNR hiring for Indiana Conservation Officer positions
- New nature preserve dedicated in Owen County & another expanded in Lake County
- Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area receives grant for new 3D archery range and walking trail
- Floyd County angler catches state record longnose gar
More
- Buy a license
- Hunting information
- Where to Hunt
- Fishing information
- Where to Fish
- Fish & Wildlife properties
- Donate to help rare and endangered species
About Fish and Wildlife Management in Indiana
Fish and wildlife management and public access are funded by fishing and hunting license revenue and also through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. These programs collect excise taxes on sporting arms and ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, and motorboat fuels. The money is distributed among state fish and wildlife agencies based on land size and the number of licensed anglers and hunters in each state. Find out more information about fish and wildlife management in Indiana at wildlife.IN.gov.