Waterways Challenge Passport

/ Waterways Challenge Passport

Waterways Challenge Passport

Expiration: Aug 26th 2025

Kosciusko County has over 100 lakes, making water recreation the center of many of our communities. Our peaceful lakeside communities provide the perfect backdrop for a day of fun out on the water, swimming, boating, fishing, water skiing, wakeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and more.
Use this passport to find the public access points and public beaches on our local lakes. Check-in at 3 locations to win a waterproof phone. Check-in at 6 locations to be entered into a grand prize drawing for a ride on the Grace College boat or a kayaking trip for 2 people with Tippy River Adventures. This grand prize drawing will take place on August 26th, 2024. This year, experience the beautiful and memorable lake life Kosciusko County offers.

Waterproof phone cases while supplies last.

Waterways Challenge Passport

Price

Free

Included Venues

See locations on an interactive map.

Beaver Dam Lake

Beaver Dam Lake is 155 acres in size and 61 feet deep. It offers open boating from 1:00-4:00pm 10 mph (idle speed) limit before and after. Recreation includes boating, skiiing, and fishing.

Big Chapman Lake Public Access

Big Chapman Lake is 504 acres and 39 feet deep. It is a fantastic fishing location, with bluegill, catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, longear, northern pike. walleye, and yellow perch. Located outside Warsaw, Big Chapman is a peaceful lake for a day on the boat.

Carr Lake

Carr Lake is 79 acres and 35 feet deep. This is a great fishing location, with bluegill, catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, and yellow perch.

Center Lake Beach

Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department operates Center Lake Beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Amenities include beach, lake access, picnic tables, restrooms, and vending machines. Please note: No lifeguards are present. This beach is swim at your own risk.

Center Lake Public Access

Center Lake is 120 acres and 43 feet deep. They offer a public beach for swimming, and also offering boating and fishing. This lake contains bluegill, catfish, largemouth bass, and yellow perch.

Dewart Lake Public Access

Dewart Lake is 554 acres and 82 feet deep. Water recreation activities include boating, fishing, and skiing. Fish in this lake include black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, redear, and yellow perch.

Grassy Creek Public Access (Barbee Chain of Lakes, Tippecanoe Lake, James Lake and Oswego Lake)

The Grassy Creek Public Access Point offers access to the Barbee Chain of Lakes, Tippecanoe Lake, James Lake, and Oswego Lake. These lakes offer boating, fishing, and skiing.

Hoys Beach

Hoy’s Beach is a small park located on the Henry St. right-of-way to Syracuse Lake. This park has many trees and plants located in decorative planting beds. Hoy’s Beach provides a swim at your own risk beach, picnic tables, and benches. It is used by many area neighborhood residents as an access point to Syracuse Lake.

Kuhn Lake Public Access (Barbee Chain of Lakes)

Kuhn Lake is 137 acres and 28 feet deep. Water recreation opportunties it offers include boating and fishing. It contains bluegill, black crappie, catfish, largemouth bass, perch, and redear.

Lake Wawasee Public Access

Lake Wawasee is the largest natural lake in Indiana, stretching 3,006 acres total. Water recreation activities include boating, fishing, and skiing.

North Webster Beach

The North Webster Town Park & Beach is located on the shore of Lake Webster. There is a small sandy beach, swing seat, a picnic shelter which is used to host various musical activities as well as picnics, and public piers to bring in boats. Next to the park is the official dock of the Dixie Paddle Boat and Lakeview Pizza King Restaurant. It’s a great place to relax!

Palestine Lake Public Access

Palestine Lake located outside of Mentone is 290 acres and 27 feet deep. Water recreation includes boating and fishing. Types of fish include crappie, largemouth bass, and yellow perch.

Pike Lake Beach/Boat Ramp

Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department operates Pike Lake Beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Amenities include beach, lake access, boat launch, camping, playground, restrooms, and vending machines. Please note: No lifeguards are present. This beach is swim at your own risk.

Robinson Lake Public Access

Located in Larwill, Robinson Lake is 59 acres wide and 50 feet deep. Water recreation includes boating and fishing. This lake sits inside Deniston Natural Resource Area, which also offers hiking and hunting as activities.

Shock Lake Public Access

Shock Lake located in Syracuse is 32 acres wide and 59 feet deep. Water recreation activities include boating and fishing. Fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, and redear. Electric motors only allowed on this lake. This lake is located in the peaceful Tri-County Fish and Wildlife Area, which provides opportunities for hiking, hunting, and more within its wetlands, oak-hickory woodlands, and upland fields.

Silver Lake

Silver Lake is 102 acres and 31 feet deep with bluegill and largemouth bass. It is located in the small, charming town of Silver Lake, home to Whetstone Woodenware and other locally owned small businesses.

Syracuse Lake Public Access

Lake Syracuse is the smaller, calmer sister lake to Lake Wawasee. It is 411 acres wide and 34 feet deep. It has a public beach located at Lakeside Park in Syracuse. It also offers boating and fishing with largemouth bass, bluegills, redear, northern pike.

Syracuse Lakeside Park Beach

Lakeside Park is the anchor and largest park in the Syracuse Parks system. The park is lined with Saucer Magnolia trees that blossom in early spring providing beautiful views. Park Amenities include the Kenneth & Lela Harkless Gazebo, an open-air pavilion, playground, beach volleyball and a swimming beach on Syracuse Lake.

The Backwaters/Webster Lake

Webster Lake is 653 acres wide and 52 feet deep. Water recreation activities include boating, skiing, fishing, and swimming at the public beach loacted at the North Webster Town Park. The famous Dixie Sternwheeler, the oldest sternwheeler paddleboat, has been cruising Webster lake since 1929. Webster Lake also offers fishing for the elusive and coveted muskie, a fish which can grow up to 50 inches in length.

Tippecanoe River - Chinworth Bridge Public Acccess

The Tippecanoe River flows nearly 200 miles from its headwaters just east of Kosciusko County to northern Layfayette, where it joins the Wabash River. Naturalists have ranked it in the top 10 most important rivers in the U.S. because of the biodiversity and habitat it supports. In fact, the world's largest population of clubshell mussels lives in the Tippecanoe River. Go kayaking on this river with public access points in Warsaw and in Etna Green.

Tippecanoe River - Etna Green Public Access

Waubee Lake Beach and Public Access

Waubee Lake is a small freshwater lake situated 2 miles southeast of Milford, Indiana in the northern part of Kosciusko County. It is 187 acres wide and 51 feet deep. Waubee Park is located on the north side of the lake and is a small family-oriented park with a playground, lake access for boat launching, and a clean lake for swimming and fishing!

Winona Lake Boat Ramp

Winona Lake is 571 acres wide and 79 feet deep. Water recreation activities include boating, fishing, skiing, and swimming at the public beach located at Winona Lake Limitless Park, Beach, & Splashpad. Fish in this lake include bluegill, channel catfish, largemouth bass, longear sunfish, white bass, yellow perch.

Winona Lake Limitless Park and Splash Pad

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At Winona Lake Limitless Park, Beach, & Splashpad, catch some rays and enjoy the lake’s designated swimming area. There are tennis courts, a splash pad, a playground, beach area, pavilions and tables for picnics, and lots of beautiful trees and grassy areas – perfect for your family outing. You can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, and paddle boards – hourly or daily.

Wyland Lake Public Access

Before visiting this location, stop in for a free day pass at the Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area office. Wyland Lake is 6 acres wide and is located in Tri-County Fish and Wildlife Area. Water recreation activities include boating and fishing. Electric motors only allowed. Fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, and redear.