Eller Ditch Fishing
St. Joseph County carries this stream; DNR put-and-take salmonid stream.
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The Eller Ditch on the Indiana map
The NHD map gives the Eller Ditch 5 miles of line within Indiana, across St. Joseph County. Its state status: DNR put-and-take salmonid stream. The handiest town is Osceola, around 2 miles away.
The sections that follow cover access and limits.
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.
State designations on the Eller Ditch
- DesignationDNR put-and-take salmonid stream
These the Eller Ditch rows repeat state 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.
Fish the DNR names on the Eller Ditch
The fish shown for the Eller Ditch carry DNR labels from access sites, stocking rows or records, not catch reports.
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.
DNR access points along the Eller Ditch
The Eller Ditch has no DNR-mapped access point.
Other ramps if Eller Ditch is busy
- Baugo Bay boat ramp on Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties)Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties), 3 miles
- Twin Branch Dam boat ramp on Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties)Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties), 3 miles
- Prickett Landing on Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties)Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties), 3 miles
- Miami Island (Mishawaka) boat ramp on Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties)Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties), 4 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.
DNR releases logged for the Eller Ditch
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | October | Brown Trout | 300 | 5.0 |
| 2023 | November | Brown Trout | 500 | 4.5 |
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 limits in force on the Eller Ditch
| 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 |
The guide treats the Eller Ditch as moving water for bass and catfish limits.
- Inland troutInland 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 | *There is no minimum size limit for trout caught from lakes, except for an 18-inch size limit for brown trout at Oliver, Olin, and Martin lakes in LaGrange County and Brookville Lake tailwater (East Fork Whitewater River) in Franklin County. |
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents). Fishing for trout or salmon also needs the $11 trout/salmon stamp.
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.
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Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties) sits near 4 miles from the Eller Ditch, the closest listed.
| Stream | Distance | Mapped NHD miles in IN | USGS gauges | DNR ramps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eller Ditch | this stream | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties) | 4 miles northeast | 38 | 2 | 14 |
| Baugo Creek | 5 miles southeast | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Willow Creek (St. Joseph County) | 5 miles north | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Judy Creek | 6 miles northwest | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Cobus Creek | 6 miles northeast | 6 | 0 | 0 |
USGS NHD and gauges, Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites; read November 5, 2026.
Around the edges of Eller Ditch
Lakes in the same part of Indiana as Eller Ditch
- Mt Tea State Forest Lake6 miles
- Simonton Lake10 miles
- Yellow Creek Lake11 miles
- Pinhook Lake11 miles
Picking up nightcrawlers and minnows near Eller Ditch
- Wyland's Marinemarina, Mishawaka, 3 miles
- Midway Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Osceola, 4 miles
- Starboard Choice Marinemarina, Mishawaka, 5 miles
- Stacy's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, South Bend, 6 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Mishawakasporting goods store, Mishawaka, 7 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Mishawakasporting goods store, Mishawaka, 7 miles
Guide services listed around Eller Ditch
- Sea King Charterscharter, Granger, (269) 208-5064
Hoosier towns sitting near Eller Ditch
- Osceola2 miles
- Mishawaka5 miles
- Granger7 miles
One more river beside the Eller Ditch
- Saint Joseph River (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties)4 miles
- Baugo Creek5 miles
- Willow Creek (St. Joseph County)5 miles
- Judy Creek6 miles
- Cobus Creek6 miles
County guides tied to Eller Ditch
- St. Joseph County
Piscifun picks for a day out on Eller Ditch
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Telling Eller Ditch fish apart from a photo
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Things Indiana anglers ask about the Eller Ditch
Which town is near the Eller Ditch?
It runs through St. Joseph County, and its mapped point is about 2 miles from Osceola.
Is the Eller Ditch a long river?
The NHD map shows 5 miles of line in Indiana; that is a mapping figure, not a DNR survey.
How do I get onto the Eller Ditch?
No public site is mapped on it.
Which species does the DNR list for the Eller Ditch?
DNR sources name brown trout.
How many black bass may an Indiana angler keep from the Eller Ditch?
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
Can I fish the Eller Ditch without paying a fee to the state?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents). Fishing for trout or salmon also needs the $11 trout/salmon stamp.
Who measures the Eller Ditch?
No gauge reports from it.
Is there a bait shop by the Eller Ditch?
Our list starts with Wyland's Marine, about 3 miles away,.
Is the Eller Ditch a trout stream?
State lists name it: DNR put-and-take salmonid stream.
Plan a float down the Eller Ditch
Fees, stamps and river rules sit on one page.