Free webinar to prepare for fall hunting
Join DNR for a webinar, Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 7 p.m. ET, to prepare for deer hunting season. This event will walk you through scouting, how to access public and private lands, and what to do once you’re on site.
This free virtual event is easy to join from anywhere. After you register, you’ll receive a link to join the webinar and a survey to help us shape webinar content. All ages and experience levels are welcome to join!
Deer & turkey archery seasons now open
If it’s been a while since you’ve been in the woods, this fall is the perfect time to pick your bow back up or start bow hunting for the very first time. Deer and fall turkey archery seasons both opened on Oct. 1.
- Fall Turkey Archery Season: Oct. 1 – Nov. 1, 2026 / Dec. 5, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027
- Deer Archery Season: Oct. 1, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027
If you're gearing up for firearms season instead, fall turkey firearms season opens on Oct. 21, and deer firearms season begins Nov. 14.
- Fall Turkey Firearms Season: Oct. 21 – Nov. 1, 2026 (select counties)
- Deer Firearms Season: Nov. 14 – 29, 2026
The bag limit each fall is one turkey of either sex per hunter. Deer season bag limits can be found in the current Hunting & Trapping Guide. You can easily check in all harvested game with the CheckIN Game button on GoOutdoorsIN.com or the mobile app.
Waterfowl hunting for youth, veterans, and active-duty military
Starting in October, Indiana offers waterfowl hunting opportunities for youth, veterans, and active-duty military personnel. These groups can hunt ducks, geese, mergansers, and coots on designated weekends depending on the zone in Indiana.
To take part in the youth hunts, participants must be 17 years old or younger on the day of the hunt and accompanied by an adult who’s at least 18 years old and has a valid hunting license. Resident and nonresident veterans eligible for these opportunities are defined in Section 101 of Title 38 of the U.S. Code. Qualifying military personnel include active-duty members of the armed forces as well as active members of the National Guard and Reserves.
Bag and species limits match the regular season for ducks and geese, but hunters can only take one scaup per day during these dates.
Bobcat season now includes hunting
Rule changes have been made for the 2026/2027 bobcat season to include hunting in addition to trapping and to increase the quota to 400 bobcats. The season runs Nov. 8, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027, or until the quota is met, whichever is earlier. The bag limit is one bobcat per season, and the list of open counties remains the same as last year.
Prepare for the season by reviewing the hunting guide to learn about license requirements, equipment restrictions, and how to register and tag a harvested bobcat. Bobcats taken during the season must be registered with the DNR within 24 hours of harvest using the CheckIN Game function on GoOutdoorsIN.com or by calling 260-368-5880. Hunters and trappers must also take the skinned and separated pelt to a designated DNR employee or furbearer registration station for physical registration and CITES tagging within 15 days after the month of harvest. Find furbearer registration stations at on.IN.gov/bobcat-season. Once the season opens, hunters and trappers can view the current reported bobcat harvest online or by calling 317-232-4200.
Fall fish stocking & angler opportunities
Now through November, DNR fish hatcheries will be stocking fish at nearly 150 water bodies throughout the state. Many of these locations are stocked annually or biennially, so the fish are often a variety of sizes. Species include catfish, trout, walleye, and muskies, with limited stockings of bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie, and redear sunfish where significant population issues have occurred.
The fall stocking program provides a great opportunity to catch rainbow and brown trout. Spy Run Creek at Franke Parke in Fort Wayne is a rainbow trout stocking location with great bank fishing access for the family. If you’re looking for both rainbow and brown trout, visit Fancher Lake in Lake County, Pinhook Lagoon in St. Joseph County, or Sand Lake in Noble County. For the best chance at making a catch, use a spin cast or spinning rod with a small in-line spinner down deep, or float a small worm on a bobber rig in between the fast and slow currents. Remember that a trout/salmon stamp is required to fish for them from public waters in addition to a valid fishing license. Get yours at GoOutdoorsIN.com.
If you’re interested in fishing for walleye, check out Pine Lake in LaPorte County, Clear Lake in Steuben County, Winona Lake in Kosciusko County, or Brookville Lake in Franklin and Union counties. The best time to target them is early in the morning and late at night since they are night-time feeders. Anglers have had great success trolling crankbaits, casting blade baits or jigging spoons around rock humps and steep drop-offs. The jig-head and minnow combination is also a tried-and-true technique.
Be sure to use DNR’s Where to Fish interactive map as a great tool to locate an accessible waterbody near you!
Take the regulations guide survey
The 2026 Indiana Hunting & Trapping Regulations Guide is available now at DNR properties and license vendors statewide. Take a quick, 3-question survey about how you use this annual resource.
Hardy Lake gets help improving fish habitat
The Scott County Visitors Commission has announced a donation of $49,000 to help improve fish habitat at Hardy Lake. The Visitors Commission will purchase approximately 200 MossBack Fish Habitat structures for installation in the reservoir. DNR will place the structures in early 2027. These artificial, long-lasting structures are designed to mimic natural cover, improving overall fishing opportunities for anglers. Habitat improvements like this play a vital role in supporting healthy fisheries and productive lakes.
This project continues a long list of fish habitat work that DNR and many partners have conducted across Indiana as part of the Reservoir Habitat Enhancement Program.
Learn about reservoir habitat enhancement
Fall pond management for year-around success
For pond owners, good fishing for next year starts with planning now. Fall is a good season to supplement or enhance populations by stocking fish as the water cools. Plants are sending nutrients to their roots, making it a good time for selective herbicides to tackle emerging vegetation issues by disrupting that energy flow. New habitat, such as vegetation, fallen trees, or artificial structures, can be added to provide places for fish to hide and encourage a variety of aquatic insects for them to eat.
Pond management and maintenance is a year-round task, but cooler temperatures, falling leaves, and hungry fish can make the work more enjoyable. If you have questions or need advice on managing your pond, contact your district’s DNR fisheries biologist.
Using tech for tern counts
DNR’s bird experts have begun using camera-equipped drones to look for young least terns, helping track how well the species is reproducing. The nests and eggs of the state-endangered least tern are easy to miss during on-foot surveys because they are camouflaged in shallow ground depressions.
This species is also easily disturbed and stressed when people enter their nesting areas. Using drones lets DNR gather more information about the terns while reducing disturbances. The results of the survey will be reviewed in the coming months to see how well the state’s conservation efforts are working.
To support projects like this, purchase a hunting, fishing, or trapping license (even if you don’t plan to use it), donate to the Fish & Wildlife Fund, or donate to the Nongame Wildlife Fund.
Remember that motor-driven airborne devices (including drones) and other airborne human transportation devices may not be operated at DNR properties except at sites designated for that purpose. Licenses to launch and film may occasionally be granted by DNR or by specific DNR divisions. (See IAC 312 8-2-8 (i) for rule language.) An FAA license and proof of insurance may be required. For more information, contact the property manager at the site your organization is interested in using.
Leave your leaves
Left to right: Insect cocoon, Dutchman’s breeches, eastern eyed click beetle, bloodroot
Fall leaf cleanup is right around the corner, but what if you could do less work and help the environment at the same time? There are many benefits to leaving your leaves in place.
Benefits to Wildlife
- Shelter firefly larvae over the winter
- Insulate small animals and beneficial insects like eastern red bats and pill bugs
- Provide nesting material for animals such as squirrels
Benefits to Environment
- Act as natural mulch
- Release nutrients as they break down to nourish the soil
- Release a compound called tannin into water that can boost fish health
- Protect beneficial native plants from harsh winter conditions
This fall, try skipping the leaf cleanup if local ordinances allow, or rake leaves into yard corners, between pavers and garden rows, or against tree trunks. What you leave to lie can be a big help to local habitats.
Learn about habitat management
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Upcoming events
10/6 | Not-So-Spooky Wildlife Educator Workshop, Porter
10/8 | Preparing for the Hunt Webinar, Virtual
10/10 | Introduction to Duck Hunting Workshop, Goose Pond FWA
10/17 | Youth Mentored Pheasant Hunt, North Judson
10/17 | Women's Mentored Pheasant Hunt, North Judson
10/19 | Basic Deer Processing Workshop, West Lafayette
10/21 | Plant Native Workdays, Indiana State Fairgrounds DNR Building
10/26 | Project WET, WILD, & Learning Tree "Greatest Hits" Workshop, Indianapolis
10/31 | Introduction to Deer Hunting, Sugar Ridge FWA
10/31 | Basic Deer Processing Workshop, Sugar Ridge FWA
Recent news releases
- Natural Resources Commission to meet Sept. 15 at Fort Harrison State Park
- Celebrate National Public Lands Day and National Hunting and Fishing Day with DNR, Sep. 26
- Protect Indiana's Waters: Clean, Drain, Dry
- See all DNR news releases
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.