Skip to main content
Indiana

Fishing

Fishing

Inland Trout Regulations

Inland Trout sizes & limits

Species

Daily Bag Limit

Minimum Size

Brook Trout

5, any combination of brook, rainbow, or brown trout; no more than one may be brown trout

7 inches*

Rainbow Trout

Brown Trout

Indiana anglers have two options when it comes to trout fishing: inland waters and Lake Michigan and its tributaries. The following information covers regulations for inland trout fishing. Lake Michigan trout and salmon regulations can be found on Lake Michigan Regulations.

Lakes: There is no closed season for taking trout from inland lakes.

Streams: The opening day of trout season for inland streams, other than Lake Michigan tributaries, is the last Saturday in April. The season runs through Dec. 31. The start time is 6 a.m. local time. For a list of trout stockings, see on.IN.gov/fish-stocking.

Catch-and-release applies to all trout streams from Jan. 1 through April 14. See Lake Michigan Regulations for special tributary restrictions and closure information for Lake Michigan streams.

A closed season for selected trout streams runs from April 15 to the last Saturday in April (opening day) while DNR staff complete the annual trout stockings. These streams include:

  • Pigeon River and Pigeon Creek in LaGrange County from the Steuben County line to CR 410 E (Troxel’s Bridge). This does not include the impoundment known as Mongo Mill Pond.
  • Harding Run, Curtis Creek, Bloody Run, and Graveyard Run (tributaries of Pigeon River) in LaGrange County
  • Turkey Creek north of CR 100 S in LaGrange County
  • Rainbow Pit located on Pigeon River Fish & Wildlife Area, approximately one mile east of Ontario in LaGrange County
  • Little Elkhart River and Rowe-Eden Ditch in LaGrange County
  • Solomon Creek and Cobus Creek in Elkhart County
  • Little Kankakee River in LaPorte County from CR 800 E upstream to Division Road
  • Spy Run Creek within Franke Park in Allen County
  • Mississinewa River within the boundaries of the Randolph County Wildlife Management Area
  • Big Blue River within the boundaries of Wilbur Wright Fish & Wildlife Area in Henry County

The following three streams in Elkhart County (totaling 2.8 miles) are designated as year-round “catch-and-release only” and “artificial lures or flies only” trout fishing areas:

  • Little Elkhart River from CR 43 downstream to CR 16, except for waters along Riverbend Park from CR 16 upstream to the pedestrian footbridge
  • Solomon Creek from CR 33 downstream to the Elkhart River
  • Cobus Creek from Old U.S. 20 downstream to the St. Joseph River

Brown Trout Minimum Size Limit Waters: There is an 18-inch minimum size limit at Oliver, Olin, and Martin lakes in LaGrange County, and the Brookville Lake tailwater in Franklin County.