Pool closing · State guide
When to Close Your Pool in Indiana
Last updated: July 25, 2026 · 13 cities covered
Closing deadlines across Indiana stretch about 22 days: Elkhart needs the cover on first (October 5), Evansville last (October 27), and the statewide median deadline is October 8.
Each deadline is the model's two-clock compromise — ten days after the water leaves the algae zone, capped a week before the local 50% first-freeze date. City pages carry the live widget that flags early-freeze years and the full winterizing sequence.
| City | Window opens | Close by | First freeze (50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | Sep 30 | Oct 10 | Oct 23 |
| Bloomington | Oct 1 | Oct 11 | Oct 26 |
| Carmel | Sep 28 | Oct 8 | Oct 21 |
| Elkhart | Sep 25 | Oct 5 | Oct 21 |
| Evansville | Oct 17 | Oct 27 | Nov 10 |
| Fishers | Sep 28 | Oct 8 | Oct 21 |
| Fort Wayne | Sep 26 | Oct 6 | Oct 21 |
| Hammond | Sep 26 | Oct 6 | Oct 20 |
| Indianapolis | Sep 28 | Oct 8 | Oct 21 |
| Lafayette | Sep 28 | Oct 8 | Oct 18 |
| Muncie | Oct 2 | Oct 12 | Oct 25 |
| South Bend | Sep 26 | Oct 6 | Oct 23 |
| Terre Haute | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 19 |
Dates are typical-year model outputs, not forecasts — each city guide carries the live widget that tracks the current year against them.
How to use these dates
Each "close by" deadline is the model's two-clock compromise for that city: ten days after its 7-day mean temperature falls back through 61°F (water goes algae-dormant soon after), but never later than a week before its 50% first-freeze date from the NOAA 1991–2020 normals. Closing inside the window seals cold, stable water under the cover; closing early seals a warm algae incubator instead.
Treat the dates as typical-year guidance, not forecasts. An early cold snap moves the real deadline — each city guide runs a live water-temperature widget that flags a 32°F night inside the 10-day forecast as urgent, and carries the full winterizing checklist in working order.
What drives Indiana's closing deadlines
Humid Midwest summers support a dependable Memorial Day to Labor Day season, with lake-effect clouds cooling the northern counties while the Ohio Valley south warms noticeably earlier. Evansville holds the state's latest deadline (October 27), and the Indiana season index lists every other city's.