Dead man found at Saddle Lake prompts Perry County investigation

Saddle Lake and Saddle Lake Road were closed after boaters found a dead man in the water near the lake’s boat ramp early Monday, turning a holiday fishing outing into an active Perry County investigation. Authorities said they did not believe there was any threat to public safety, but the scene drew Indiana State Police and FBI agents to the recreation area as officials worked to determine what happened.

The Perry County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at about 7:15 a.m. on May 25, 2026, from civilians who had arrived for a Memorial Day fishing trip. First responders located the deceased male in the water immediately adjacent to the boat ramp, and investigators also found the man’s vehicle near the scene. Officials said the car was being examined for evidence or clues as investigators tried to piece together how he got to the lake and whether anyone else was involved.

The man was not publicly identified, and authorities had not released a cause of death, leaving the case in its early stages. With the FBI assisting Indiana State Police, the investigation carried both local and federal weight, a sign that officials were moving carefully before ruling out any possibility. For Perry County residents, the shutdown was a visible disruption at a public recreation site that typically sees more traffic on a holiday weekend.

Saddle Lake Recreation Area sits in the Hoosier National Forest and was one of four flood-control lakes built along the Middle Fork of the Anderson River. The site now has only a primitive campground, a boat ramp and a hiking trail, and Forest Service materials describe it as scenic and somewhat remote, with no potable water available. Those details help explain why the discovery prompted an immediate multi-agency response: a quiet recreation spot quickly became the center of a death investigation at the start of one of the busiest outdoor weekends of the year.

Officials did not say when Saddle Lake or Saddle Lake Road would reopen. For now, the focus remains on determining how the man died and whether the case points to an accident, a natural death or something criminal.