Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) Fishing
Moving water in Fountain and Warren counties; NRC Outstanding River (2013 list).
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Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties), sized up for Indiana anglers
Mapped NHD line puts 4 miles of Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) inside Indiana, through Fountain and Warren counties. The state lists it as NRC Outstanding River (2013 list). Plan on roughly 6 miles to the town of Covington.
Access, species and limits are in the bands below.
USGS NHD named flowlines (mapped length in Indiana, not a DNR figure); Indiana DNR stream designation layers and Fishing Access Sites, read November 5, 2026.
Special status of Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
- DesignationNRC Outstanding River (2013 list)
- Reach as listedCR 250W to Wabash River
- Navigableon the Indiana navigable waterways list
The rows for Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) quote the state stream lists.
Natural Resources Commission Outstanding Rivers list (2013), DNR put-and-take and salmonid stream layers, Indiana navigable waterways list; read November 5, 2026.
DNR-listed fish in Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
For Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) each name traces to a DNR label or row.
Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites species fields, Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026; Indiana DNR Indiana Record Fish Program list (keeper: Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife (Indiana Record Fish Program); angler names left off here), read November 5, 2026.
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DNR access data skips Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties); wade only where access is legal.
Neighbouring launches around Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
- Water Street Access Site on Wabash RiverWabash River, 5 miles
- Covington boat ramp on Wabash RiverWabash River, 6 miles
- Attica boat ramp on Wabash RiverWabash River, 7 miles
- Waterman boat ramp on Wabash RiverWabash River, 18 miles
Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites layer (shown on the DNR Where to Fish map; attributes as recorded, blank where not recorded), read November 5, 2026.
Hatchery rows for Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | October | Channel Catfish | 200 | 9.3 |
| 2018 | October | Channel Catfish | 400 | 8.5 |
| 2016 | October | Channel Catfish | 400 | 8.65 |
| 2014 | October | Channel Catfish | 400 | 9.1 |
| 2012 | October | Channel Catfish | 400 | 8.7 |
| 2010 | Multiple | Channel Catfish | 330 | 11.37 |
| 2008 | October | Channel Catfish | 330 | 9.7 |
| 2006 | November | Channel Catfish | 330 | 8.8 |
| 2004 | October | Channel Catfish | 330 | 8.5 |
| 2002 | October | Channel Catfish | 330 | 9.0 |
| 2000 | November | Channel Catfish | 330 | 7.6 |
| 1990 | October | Channel Catfish | 330 | 8.2 |
Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026.
How many fish leave Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) in your cooler
| Species as printed | Daily limit | Size limit |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bass: largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass (in rivers and streams) | 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass | No fish 12 to 15 inches may be kept, and no more than two fish over 15 inches may be kept |
| Catfish: Channel, Blue, Flathead (in rivers and streams) | Unlimited | 13 inches; not more than one blue catfish that’s at least 35 inches, one flathead catfish at least 35 inches, and one channel catfish at least 28 inches or longer may be kept |
| Bluegill | Unlimited | no size limit |
| Redear Sunfish | 25 | no size limit |
| White Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass | 12, any combination of white bass or hybrid striped bass | No more than two fish may exceed 17 inches |
| Walleye, Walleye-Sauger Hybrid (Saugeye), Sauger | 6, any combination of walleye, walleye-sauger hybrid, and sauger | For walleye: 14 inches south of SR 26; 16 inches north of SR 26 For sauger and saugeye: No size limit |
| Northern Pike | 3 | 24 inches; no more than one 30 inches or longer |
On Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties), the river versions of the bass and catfish rows replace the lake ones.
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents).
Statewide limits as printed, 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide (eRegulations, linked from the Indiana DNR), read November 5, 2026. Indiana DNR license fees (license year April 1 to March 31), read November 5, 2026.
Nearby Indiana current around Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
Sugar Mill Creek is the nearest neighbour of Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties), roughly 18 miles off.
| Stream | Distance | Mapped NHD miles in IN | USGS gauges | DNR ramps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) | this stream | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Sugar Mill Creek | 18 miles southeast | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Little Pine Creek (Tippecanoe and Warren Counties) | 19 miles northeast | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Big Pine Creek | 21 miles north | 45 | 1 | 0 |
| Mud Pine Creek | 21 miles north | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Wabash River | 24 miles south | 368 | 18 | 30 |
USGS NHD and gauges, Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites; read November 5, 2026.
A short haul from Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
More Indiana lakes within reach of Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
- Shades State Park Pond23 miles
- Lake Waveland25 miles
- Armstrong Park Pond26 miles
- Bicentennial Nature Park Big Pond29 miles
Places to eat and sleep near Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
- Covington6 miles
- Williamsport6 miles
- Attica7 miles
Further Hoosier streams by Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
- Sugar Mill Creek18 miles
- Little Pine Creek (Tippecanoe and Warren Counties)19 miles
- Big Pine Creek21 miles
- Mud Pine Creek21 miles
- Wabash River24 miles
County pages that take in Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
- Fountain County
- Warren County
A Piscifun lineup sized for Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)
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Lakes and stream bends close to Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties), in pictures
Photo: Kevin Burkett, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: LouisvilleUSACE, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jim Hammer, CC BY-SA 2.0
Sorting out Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) before the cooler gets packed
Which counties does Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) cross?
Head for Fountain and Warren counties, and its mapped point is about 6 miles from Covington.
How many mapped Indiana miles does Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) run?
The NHD map shows 4 miles of line in Indiana; that is a mapping figure, not a DNR survey.
Which access sites serve Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)?
No DNR access site names it.
Which fish does the DNR name in Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)?
DNR labels name channel catfish and largemouth bass.
Which bass limit covers Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)?
The guide row for rivers and streams reads: 5, any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass; No fish 12 to 15 inches may be kept, and no more than two fish over 15 inches may be kept
May an out-of-state visitor wet a line on Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents).
Is there a flow gauge on Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)?
Nobody posts a stage for it.
Which Indiana bait counter is handiest to Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties)?
Buy bait before the drive.
What designation does Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) carry?
State lists name it: NRC Outstanding River (2013 list).
Give Bear Creek (Fountain and Warren Counties) a Saturday
Get the Indiana license on the DNR site before the float.