Big Chapman Lake

50 Miles From Fort Wayne, Indiana

Located three miles northeast of the City of Warsaw, Big Chapman Lake joins several natural lakes in this part of the Wabash River drainage.

Big Chapman Lake is 413 acres in size and is lined with cottages and homes. A channel connects it to the smaller Little Chapman Lake, which is 200 acres in size. The channel between the two lakes is navigable, and residents can utilize both lakes with ease.

Fort Wayne, Indiana is just 50 miles away if you are looking to take a trip to a larger city.

Fun on Big Chapman

This lake is ideal for boating, water skiing, wakeboarding, jet-skiing, and pontooning due to its lack of emergent vegetation. Its neighbor, Little Chapman Lake, is less than ideal for these activities, with more vegetation there.

Both of the Chapman Lakes have been stocked over the past 60 years. Fishers often angle for bluegill, largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, northern pike, yellow perch, and several types of sunfish.

The lake does freeze over in the winter months, making an excellent environment for ice fishing. Five or six fishing tournaments are held on Chapman Lakes annually if you are looking to test your skills.

The wetlands along the western shores of the lakes are owned by the state and designated as the Chapman Lake Nature Preserve. This preserve is a great place to spot endangered species including the Virginia rail, the northern harrier, Blanding's turtle, golden-winged warbler, king rail, black-crowned night heron, black and white warbler, least bittern, and marsh wren.

Travel to Fort Wayne

There are plenty of activities to do if you want to make the drive to Fort Wayne. Visit the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Foellinger-Friemann Botanical Conservatory, Science Central, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, and more. You can even visit the resting place of the famous American figure, Johnny Appleseed.

Go Big On Big Chapman Lake

Whether you are looking to buy a family home, a full-time retirement residence, or a vacation rental, Big Chapman Lake is an excellent choice.