Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) Fishing
Indiana river fishing in Allen County and 5 other counties; NRC Outstanding River (2013 list).
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First Indiana notes on the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
Across Allen County and 5 other counties, the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) shows 89 miles of mapped NHD line. Indiana names it as NRC Outstanding River (2013 list). North Manchester is some 2 miles off, the closest town.
The DNR plots 7 ramps along its banks. It has 2 USGS gauges reporting.
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.
Outstanding River and trout stream status of the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
- DesignationNRC Outstanding River (2013 list)
- Reach as listedSouth Whitley to Logansport
- Navigableon the Indiana navigable waterways list
Nothing above about the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) is our wording; it is list text.
Natural Resources Commission Outstanding Rivers list (2013), DNR put-and-take and salmonid stream layers, Indiana navigable waterways list; read November 5, 2026.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Discharge in cfs along the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Eel River At North Manchester, In | 113 cfs, 2.94 ft gage height | Nov 6 11:30 pm |
| Eel River Near Logansport, In | 306 cfs, 3.26 ft gage height | Nov 6 11:45 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 7, 2026 12:34 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
USGS posts the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) values live, subject to review.
Dam pool and tailwater stages on the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
| NWS gauge | Reading | Flow | Flood category | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eel River (IN) near Logansport (Adamsboro) | 3.22 ft | 0.288 kcfs | no flooding | 2026-11-05 19:45:00 UTC |
| Eel River (IN) at North Manchester | 3.06 ft | 0.132 kcfs | no flooding | 2026-11-05 19:30:00 UTC |
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge readings (water.noaa.gov), read November 5, 2026; dated readings, not live (kcfs = thousand cubic feet per second).
USGS instantaneous values, provisional.
Species the Indiana DNR lists for the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
Species for the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) come from DNR layers and tables only.
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.
Concrete and gravel slopes into the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
| Site | Type | Recorded attributes | Managed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adamsboro Bridge boat ramp on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | boat ramp | concrete ramp, ADA access, lights, no fee recorded | Division of Fish & Wildlife, Public Access North |
| Bear Grass boat ramp on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | boat ramp | concrete ramp, ADA access, no fee recorded | Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area |
| Laketon boat ramp on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | boat ramp | concrete ramp, ADA access, no fee recorded | Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area |
| Liberty Mills boat ramp on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | boat ramp | concrete ramp, ADA access, no fee recorded | Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area |
| Old Mill Site on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | boat ramp | concrete ramp, ADA access, no fee recorded | Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area |
| Riverside Park Public Access Site on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | boat ramp | boat ramp, ADA access, restrooms, lights, no fee recorded | Division of Fish & Wildlife, Public Access North |
| South Whitley boat ramp on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | boat ramp | concrete ramp, ADA access, restrooms, lights, no fee recorded | Division of Fish & Wildlife, Public Access North/ Town of South Whitley |
| Spencer Park on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | shore access | restrooms, no fee recorded | Logansport Park Dept. |
| Chili Canoe Site on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | shore access | no fee recorded | Division of Fish & Wildlife, Public Access North |
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.
Keep rules for the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
| 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 |
Moving-water rows for bass and catfish govern the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties).
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.
Lining up the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) against nearby streams
Nearest to the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) in this table: Grassy Creek (Kosciusko and Whitley Counties), some 21 miles out.
| Stream | Distance | Mapped NHD miles in IN | USGS gauges | DNR ramps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) | this stream | 89 | 2 | 7 |
| Grassy Creek (Kosciusko and Whitley Counties) | 21 miles north | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| Mill Creek (Fulton County) | 22 miles west | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Little River | 23 miles east | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Tippecanoe River | 28 miles west | 160 | 8 | 16 |
| Juday Ditch | 33 miles north | 3 | 0 | 0 |
USGS NHD and gauges, Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites; read November 5, 2026.
Near Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
Nearby water to fish after Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
- Lukens Lake6 miles
- Silver Lake (Kosciusko County)8 miles
- North Little Lake8 miles
- Hill Lake10 miles
Hoosier tackle stops handy to Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
- Splendor Boatsmarina, Silver Lake, 8 miles
- West Harbor Cove & Marinamarina, Warsaw, 11 miles
- Pirate's Cove Marinamarina, Andrews, 18 miles
- Fletchers Bait & Loni Florybait and tackle shop, Warsaw, 18 miles
- Peacepipe Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Andrews, 18 miles
- Doc Side Mobile Boat Servicemarina, Warsaw, 18 miles
Home bases for anglers fishing Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
- North Manchester3 miles
- Akron12 miles
- South Whitley12 miles
Moving water past the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) drainage
- Grassy Creek (Kosciusko and Whitley Counties)21 miles
- Mill Creek (Fulton County)22 miles
- Little River23 miles
- Tippecanoe River28 miles
- Juday Ditch33 miles
Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties), broken out by Indiana county
- Allen County
- Cass County
- Kosciusko County
- Miami County
- Wabash County
- Whitley County
Piscifun reels to toss in the boat for Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)
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Hardwood shorelines around Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) through a lens
Photo: Kevin Burkett, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: LouisvilleUSACE, CC BY 2.0
Photo: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties): questions Hoosier anglers bring up
What part of Indiana does the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) drain?
Look in Allen County and 5 other counties, and its mapped point is about 2 miles from North Manchester.
How far does the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) run?
The NHD map shows 89 miles of line in Indiana; that is a mapping figure, not a DNR survey.
Where is public access on the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)?
Use Adamsboro Bridge boat ramp on Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) or another of 9 access sites.
Are there smallmouth in the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)?
The DNR list starts with common carp, catfish, crappie and smallmouth bass.
What is the bass rule on the Eel River (Allen and Cass 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
Does a Hoosier fishing license cover the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents).
How do I see current flow on the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)?
Check Eel River at North Manchester, IN in the flow band.
Where do Hoosiers fishing the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) stock up on hooks?
Splendor Boats, about 8 miles away, is first on our list.
How does the state list the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties)?
State lists name it: NRC Outstanding River (2013 list).
Put the Eel River (Allen and Cass Counties) on the calendar
River limits and fees are on the Indiana license page.