Little Elkhart River Fishing
This river crosses Elkhart and LaGrange counties; DNR put-and-take salmonid stream.
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Reading the Little Elkhart River before you wade in
The Little Elkhart River is an Indiana river that runs 20 miles of mapped NHD line in Elkhart and LaGrange counties. On state lists it is DNR put-and-take salmonid stream. Gas and ice are closest in Middlebury, about 2 miles away.
Further down are the access sites and the keep rules.
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.
The Little Elkhart River on DNR stream lists
- DesignationDNR put-and-take salmonid stream
Each line above for the Little Elkhart River is a state list entry, printed as listed.
Natural Resources Commission Outstanding Rivers list (2013), DNR put-and-take and salmonid stream layers, Indiana navigable waterways list; read November 5, 2026.
What swims in the Little Elkhart River, per the DNR
DNR sources, not anglers, named these fish in the Little Elkhart River.
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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| Site | Type | Recorded attributes | Managed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Bend Park on Little Elkhart River | shore access | restrooms, lights, no fee recorded | City of Middlebury |
| Bonneyville Mill shore access on Little Elkhart River | shore access | restrooms, no fee recorded | Elkhart County Parks Dept. |
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.
Fish the DNR released into the Little Elkhart River
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Multiple | Brown Trout | 4,213 | 11.0 |
| 2026 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 4,000 | 11.48 |
| 2025 | April | Rainbow Trout | 1,788 | 9.48 |
| 2025 | Multiple | Brown Trout | 6,350 | 9.21 |
| 2024 | May | Brown Trout | 3,757 | 13.19 |
| 2024 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 4,000 | 9.19 |
| 2023 | Multiple | Brown Trout | 5,716 | 3.81 |
| 2023 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 2,930 | 10.47 |
| 2022 | May | Brown Trout | 242 | 15.0 |
| 2022 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 4,013 | 10.38 |
| 2021 | Multiple | Brown Trout | 1,637 | 11.26 |
| 2021 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 4,450 | 10.58 |
Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Rainbow and brown trout planned for the Little Elkhart River
| Season | Water as printed | Location | Planned number | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening day streams, north | Little Elkhart River | 3,000 | Rainbow Trout | |
| Opening day streams, north | Little Elkhart River | 3,750 | Brown Trout | |
| Opening day streams, north | Little Elkhart River | 1,000 | Rainbow Trout | |
| Opening day streams, north | Little Elkhart River | 400 | Brown Trout | |
| Second weekend after opening day | Little Elkhart River | Bonneyville Mill | 200 | Rainbow Trout |
| Memorial Day weekend | Little Elkhart River | Bonneyville Mill | 250 | Rainbow Trout |
The plan gives the Little Elkhart River goals, not counts of fish.
Indiana DNR 2026 trout stocking plan (updated March 20, 2026; planned targets, DNR notes actual numbers may vary), read November 5, 2026.
Bag counts and inch rules on the Little Elkhart River
| 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 |
River and stream rows apply to the Little Elkhart River for bass and catfish; other species follow the statewide table.
- 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. |
Guide regulations written for Little Elkhart River
| Water as printed | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Little Elkhart River (LaGrange, Elkhart) | Trout | Closed April 15 to the last Saturday in April (opening day) on the stocked section while DNR completes trout stockings |
| Little Elkhart River (LaGrange, Elkhart) | Trout | Year-round catch-and-release only, artificial lures or flies only, from CR 43 downstream to CR 16, except along Riverbend Park from CR 16 upstream to the pedestrian footbridge |
Special regulation waters as printed, 2026-2027 Indiana Fishing Regulations Guide (eRegulations, linked from the Indiana DNR), read November 5, 2026.
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.
Five streams close to the Little Elkhart River
The closest stream page to the Little Elkhart River is Rowe-Eden Ditch, about 5 miles away.
| Stream | Distance | Mapped NHD miles in IN | USGS gauges | DNR ramps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Elkhart River | this stream | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Rowe-Eden Ditch | 5 miles southeast | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Elkhart River | 12 miles southwest | 41 | 1 | 10 |
| Fawn River (LaGrange County) | 12 miles northeast | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Pigeon River | 13 miles east | 21 | 1 | 6 |
| Juday Ditch | 15 miles south | 3 | 0 | 0 |
USGS NHD and gauges, Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites; read November 5, 2026.
A Hoosier back-road drive from Little Elkhart River
Other lakes a county or two from Little Elkhart River
- Cass Lake3 miles
- Shipshewana Lake4 miles
- Hunter Lake4 miles
- Fish Lake (Elkhart County)6 miles
Grab bait on the way into Little Elkhart River
- Tackle Shackbait and tackle shop, Middlebury, 2 miles
- JR's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Topeka, 7 miles
- Allstar Custom Baitsbait and tackle shop, Topeka, 10 miles
- Yoder Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Shipshewana, 10 miles
- Hochstetler Furniture Shop & Live Baitbait and tackle shop, Topeka, 10 miles
- Premier Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Syracuse, 16 miles
Indiana towns close to Little Elkhart River
- Middlebury2 miles
- Bristol9 miles
- Goshen10 miles
Other Indiana rivers near the Little Elkhart River
- Rowe-Eden Ditch5 miles
- Elkhart River12 miles
- Fawn River (LaGrange County)12 miles
- Pigeon River13 miles
- Juday Ditch15 miles
The counties Little Elkhart River passes through
- Elkhart County
- LaGrange County
Piscifun gear a Hoosier angler might bring to Little Elkhart River
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Fish to know on sight at Little Elkhart River
Photo: Yellowstone National Park, Public domain
Photo: rjp, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Sorting out the Little Elkhart River before the cooler gets packed
Through which Indiana country does the Little Elkhart River wind?
Its counties are Elkhart and LaGrange counties, and its mapped point is about 2 miles from Middlebury.
What is the mapped length of the Little Elkhart River?
The NHD map shows 20 miles of line in Indiana; that is a mapping figure, not a DNR survey.
Can I put a boat in the Little Elkhart River?
The DNR maps 2 access sites; River Bend Park on Little Elkhart River is one.
What might bite for a Hoosier angler in the Little Elkhart River?
Look for smallmouth bass, trout, rainbow trout and brown trout.
Is there a slot limit on the Little Elkhart River?
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
Which Indiana license papers cover the Little Elkhart River?
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.
How high is the Little Elkhart River running?
No live flow exists for it.
Which listed shop can outfit a Hoosier trip to the Little Elkhart River?
Stop at Tackle Shack, about 2 miles away,.
Is the Little Elkhart River on a special state list?
State lists name it: DNR put-and-take salmonid stream.
Load the canoe for the Little Elkhart River
Check the stream rows before you keep a bass.