Craig Walker and Barbara Hendrick

The Lake James Chain

Lake James, Jimmerson Lake, Snow Lake, Big Otter Lake & Little Otter Lake

The same glaciers that filled the Great Lakes created several smaller lakes in and around Northeast Indiana that resulted in a chain of lakes. Lake James is the crown jewel in Northeast Indiana's Chain of Lakes. As the largest of the five lakes in Steuben County, Lake James stands out not only for its size, but also for its beautiful shoreline and fantastic State Park offering year-round recreational opportunities.

Pokagon State Park, one of the top parks in the state in located on the Easter Shoreline of Lake James. The park was founded in 1925 when local Steuben County residents donated the land. Two year later The Potawatomi Inn was opened and began operation. The park is open all year. Activities including horseback riding, a wooded campground, a beach for swimming, roughly 11 miles of walking trails, a bike trail, picnicking, fishing and a Nature Center. Plus The Park offers a toboggan slide, cross country skiing on groomed trails, ice skating, and ice fishing. In addition, the Lake James Association hosts many community and visitor-friendly events, including the 4th of July Fireworks and Flotilla, the Lake James Fly-In, and the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic's Patriotic Pops on Lake James.

Lake James is the fourth largest natural lake in Indiana and consists of three basins. Its water quality is ranked among the best in Indiana lakes. The lake is the largest of a group of lakes known as the Lake James Chain. The chain includes Lake James, Jimmerson Lake, Snow Lake, Big Otter Lake and Little Otter Lake. All 5 lakes are connected by channels.

Lake James: Ski lake, 1,039 Acres of Surface Water Area with an average depth of 27 feet and a maximum depth of 88 feet.

Jimmerson Lake: Ski Lake, 203 Acres Of Suface Water Area with an average depth of 18 feet and a maximum depth of 55 feet.

Snow Lake: Ski Lake, 421 Acres of Surface Water Area with an average depth of 28 feet and a maximum depth of 84 feet.

Big Otter Lake: Non-Ski Lake, 69 Acres with a maximum depth of 38 feet.

Little Otter Lake: Non-Ski Lake, 34 Acres with a maximum depth of 37 feet.