The ski lakes, largest first
I've ordered these by size, because on a busy summer afternoon, room to run matters. Lake Wawasee leads the list at more than 3,000 acres.
- 01Lake Wawasee3,006 acres · 81 ft max · No limit listed
- 02Lake Tippecanoe786 acres · 122 ft max · No limit listed
- 03Webster Lake653 acres · 52 ft max · No limit listed
- 04Winona Lake571 acres · 79 ft max · No limit listed
- 05Dewart Lake554 acres · 82 ft max · No limit listed
- 06Big Chapman Lake504 acres · 39 ft max · No limit listed
- 07Big Barbee Lake303 acres · 45 ft max · No 10 mph limit
Listed rule: The only lake in the Barbee Chain without the 10 mph limit. - 08James Lake278 acres · 62 ft max · No limit listed
- 09Beaver Dam Lake155 acres · 61 ft max · Open boating 1 to 4 pm; 10 mph before and after
Listed rule: Open boating 1 to 4 pm; 10 mph before and after. - 10Oswego Lake78 acres · 37 ft max · No limit listed
A few things I'd keep in mind
Big Barbee is the only lake in the Barbee Chain without the 10 mph limit, so you can ski on Big Barbee and still idle into the rest of the chain.
Beaver Dam Lake lists open boating from 1 to 4 pm with 10 mph before and after — a good example of why it pays to read the rules for each lake.
The Tippecanoe system — Lake Tippecanoe, James Lake and Oswego Lake — all list skiing, and they connect by water.
Rules can change, so confirm current regulations with Indiana DNR before you go.