Your frontage
How many feet of water you own, and which way it faces. Morning coffee on the east shore, sunsets on the west.
White / Carroll County line · Tippecanoe River · Indiana
Lake Freeman homes
The deeper, bigger reservoir downstream: about 1,547 acres behind NIPSCO's Oakdale Dam, on the White–Carroll county line. One thing every Freeman buyer should know about the water level is below.
Start with what you want
What you came to the lake for
Depth at the end of the pier
Enough water for the boat you have now and the one you want next, with room for a lift.
The bottom
Sand you can wade on or soft bottom. It changes how the kids and grandkids use the water.
Room for everyone
A bunkroom, a second lot, a garage for the toys. Space for the people who'll come back every summer.
Year-round or weekends
Road access in winter, internet, and the drive back to work or family.
Tell me your list. I'll match it against the shore, the parcel and what's for sale, and reply the same day.
At a glance
Lake Freeman: the basics
| Size | About 1,547 acres at full pool (Indiana DNR depth map, 2021) · source |
|---|---|
| Depth | Average about 15 ft per NIPSCO; Wikipedia lists about 45 ft near the dam · source |
| Dam | Oakdale Dam, in service 1925, owned by NIPSCO since 1944; licensed with Norway Dam through 2037 · source |
| Lake level | Normal level 610.35 ft, licensed range 610.10–611.10 ft · source |
| County | Northeast Carroll County, along the White County line · source |
| Sewer | Twin Lakes Regional Sewer District, the same grinder-pump system that serves Lake Shafer · source |
| Public ramp | DNR's Oakdale Dam access, 7223 N 1200 W, Monticello · source |
| Drive | I-65 exit 201 then about 20 miles east on US 24 to Monticello; about 90 minutes to Indianapolis (estimates) · source |
The school line
Twin Lakes on both sides of the county line
Carroll County's tax districts place Jefferson and Adams townships in Twin Lakes School Corporation, and Union Township on the White County side is Twin Lakes too. That 2015 source is older, so I confirm the district for each parcel.
- Twin Lakes School Corporation — Union Township (White) and Jefferson/Adams townships (Carroll) · Source
District lines follow townships, not mailing addresses or which side of the water you're on. Confirm the assigned school for the exact address with the district before you buy. Facts, never rankings.
Before you buy on the water
Five things I check on every lake parcel
Check 1
Flood zone
Shoreline lots can sit partly in a mapped flood zone. I pull the FEMA flood map and Indiana DNR's best-available flood layer for the exact parcel, because a flood zone can mean required flood insurance on a mortgage.
Check 2
Sewer or septic
Some lake shores are on a sewer district and some are on septic. I check which one serves the parcel, and for septic, what the county health department has on file.
Check 3
Water
Many lake homes run on a private well. I check whether city water reaches the street or the home has its own well.
Check 4
Piers, seawalls and the shoreline
Work on the shoreline (seawalls, dredging, some piers) can need an Indiana DNR permit, and some lakes have their own rules. I check what's on record before you plan changes.
Check 5
The school line
Lake shores often cross township lines, and districts follow townships. I confirm the district for the exact parcel with the school corporation.
Specific to Lake Freeman
- In drought, when the river at Buffalo drops to 260 cfs or less, NIPSCO must keep releasing water at Oakdale for an endangered mussel downstream, which can lower Lake Freeman. In September 2020 it ran about 4 ft low. Ask about pier depth at low water, not just full pool. Source
- The federal regulator loosened those release rules on March 30, 2023. Source
- Check the parcel in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and Indiana DNR's Floodplain Information Portal, which adds DNR 'best available' flood mapping and can produce a free floodplain report for a point. Source
What is changing
News and projects around Lake Freeman
- The Madam Carroll tour boat has run on Lake Freeman since 1976, May through November. Source
Good to know
- Lake communities on the Carroll County side include Breezy Point, Sandy Beach, Terrace Bay, Sunset Park and Walnut Gardens in Jefferson Township. Source
Before you fall for a lot
Send me the address. I'll check the school line, the utilities and the builder.
School districts in The Flatlands follow townships, not mailing addresses or town names. Send a lot number, subdivision or street and I'll reply the same day with the district, water and sewer, and what's for sale near it.
Douglas Willems · Broker · Flatland Real Estate LLC · licensed Indiana real estate brokerage
More of Lake Country
All the lakes of The Flatlands · New homes in The Flatlands
Sources
- https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/files/depth/fw-Freeman_North_Bathymetry_Carroll_County_2021.pdf
- https://nipsco.com/our-company/about-us/hydro-power
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Freeman
- https://carrollcountyindiana.com/explore/lake-freeman
- https://hydroreform.org/hydro-project/norway-p-12514/
- https://www.ipm.org/2020-09-13/drought-water-releases-shrink-indiana-lake-pinch-economy
- https://www.extension.purdue.edu/cdext/thematic-areas/leadership-civic-engagement/_docs/carrollpropertytaxtables15.pdf
- https://www.howsyourriver.com/access_sites/oakdale-dam
- https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home
- https://secure.in.gov/dnr/water/surface-water/indiana-floodplain-mapping/indiana-floodplain-information-portal
Last checked October 2026. Drive times are estimates. Lake levels, rules and fees change; confirm with the lake's managing agency.