Barbee Chain

Welcome to Barbee Chain

Seven interconnected natural lakes and 855 acres of water southwest of North Webster — from all-sport thrills on Big Barbee to quiet kayaking everywhere else.

Big Barbee Lake at a Glance

• Average Depth: 15.6 feet
• Inlets: Grassy Creek and Kuhn Lake
• Outlets: To Little Barbee Lake
• Access: Public: For Barbee Chain – 2 mi S of N. Webster on SR 13, then W on Rolling Ridge to Rattlesnake Dr.
• Recreation: Boat, Ski & Fish
• Lake Bottom: Sand, Gravel, Muck & Marl
• Best Fishing: Bluegill & Redear

Little Barbee Lake at a Glance

• Average Depth: 11 feet
• Inlets: Putney Ditch from the south, Flow from Big Barbee Lake
• Outlets: To Irish Lake
• Access: Public: For Barbee Chain: 2 mi S of N Webster on SR 13, then W on Rolling Ridge to Rattlesnake Dr.; Handicap accessible
• Recreation: Boat & Fish
• Lake Bottom: Marl, Muck & Sand
• Best Fishing: Bluegill, Crappie, Largemouth Bass & Perch

Kuhn Lake at a Glance

• Average Depth: 7.9 feet
• Inlets: Flow from Heron Lake
• Outlets: To Big Barbee
• Access: Public: 2 mi S of N Webster on SR 13, then W on Rolling Ridge to Rattlesnake Dr.; handicap accessible
• Recreation: Boat & Fish
• Lake Bottom: Gravel, Marl, Muck & Sand
• Best Fishing: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Perch & Redear

Irish Lake at a Glance

• Average Depth: 10.7 feet
• Inlets: From Banning Lake and Grassy Creek (via Little Barbee)
• Outlets: To Grassy Creek (via Sawmill Lake)
• Access: Public: 2 mi S of N Webster on SR 13, then W on Rolling Ridge to Rattlesnake Dr. (For whole Barbee Chain); handicap accessible
• Recreation: Boat & Fish
• Lake Bottom: Marl, Muck & Sand
• Best Fishing: Bluegill & Redear

Sawmill Lake at a Glance

• Average Depth: 8.6 feet
• Inlets: Flow from Irish and Sechrist Lakes
• Outlets: North to Grassy Creek
• Access: Public; for Barbee Lakes, 2 mi S of N Webster on SR 13, then W on Rolling Ridge to Rattlesnake Dr.; handicap accessible
• Recreation: Fish & Boat
• Lake Bottom: Marl, Muck & Sand
• Best Fishing: Bluegill & Redear

Sechrist Lake at a Glance

• Average Depth: 18.9 feet
• Outlets: To Sawmill Lake
• Access: Public; For Barbee Chain, 2 mi S of N Webster on SR 13, then W on Rolling Ridge to Rattlesnake Dr.; Handicap accessible
• Recreation: Boat & Fish
• Lake Bottom: Marl, Muck & Sand
• Best Fishing: Bluegill & Redear

Banning Lake at a Glance

• Average Depth: 7.8 feet
• Inlets: Discharge from Shoe Lake
• Outlets: To Irish Lake
• Access: Public; Through Kuhn Lake
• Recreation: Boat & Fish
• Lake Bottom: Gravel, Muck & Sand
• Best Fishing: Bluegill & Redear

A Connected System

Grassy Creek links all seven lakes and carries the chain downstream to Lake Tippecanoe. All are stocked for multi-species fishing: bass, bluegill, muskie, perch, catfish and crappie.

Hollywood & History

The Barbee Hotel opened in 1897 as the Hotel Ormond and was rebuilt after a 1922 fire. Its guest list ran from Clark Gable and Carole Lombard to Al Capone and John Dillinger. Today it is a fine-dining destination.

Community Stewardship

The Barbee Lakes Property Owners Association helps fund chain-wide weed treatment, works with partners on lake management, and hosts community events such as the lighted boat parade. That community spirit extends to lake and watershed stewardship, with local lake associations partnering with The Watershed Foundation (TWF), the Lilly Center, the City of Warsaw, the Kosciusko County Soil and Water District, and other local partners to help keep water clean throughout the Upper Tippecanoe Watershed.

Real Estate: Real Value

Historically, the chain has offered some of the county’s most attainable lakefront—sandy beaches, boat access, and occasional building lots at price points hard to find on larger lakes.

• Near Pierceton, Leesburg & North Webster
• Values vary widely by lake, frontage, and size—ask for current comparables

_{Sources: Barbee Lakes Property Owners Association; The Watershed Foundation; Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams, Grace College; City of Warsaw; Kosciusko County Soil and Water District; Indiana DNR.}