Potato Creek Fishing
An Indiana creek through St. Joseph County; DNR put-and-take salmonid stream.
Pick for largemouth bassPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 Photo of South Bend: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0
Potato Creek, the Hoosier rundown
Potato Creek covers 12 miles of NHD-mapped channel in St. Joseph County. State lists class it as DNR put-and-take salmonid stream. North Liberty is the nearest Census place, about 1 mile from the mapped point.
Below: access, the DNR fish list and 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.
What the state lists Potato Creek as
- DesignationDNR put-and-take salmonid stream
For Potato Creek, the reach notes are the wording of the source lists.
Natural Resources Commission Outstanding Rivers list (2013), DNR put-and-take and salmonid stream layers, Indiana navigable waterways list; read November 5, 2026.
The fish the DNR records for Potato Creek
DNR lists produced this Potato Creek species line.
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.
For the largemouth bass herePiscifun AlinoX 300 low profile baitcaster34% OFFSale $104.99 Getting onto Potato Creek
| Site | Type | Recorded attributes | Managed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potato Creek – North Liberty Town Park | shore access | restrooms, lights, no fee recorded | Town of North Liberty |
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.
Stocking dashboard lines for Potato Creek
| Year | Month | Species as listed | Number | Avg length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | April | Brown Trout | 153 | 12.37 |
| 2026 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 800 | 10.98 |
| 2025 | April | Rainbow Trout | 300 | 9.4 |
| 2025 | Multiple | Brown Trout | 396 | 9.88 |
| 2024 | Multiple | Brown Trout | 300 | 10.8 |
| 2024 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 800 | 9.54 |
| 2023 | November | Brown Trout | 150 | 8.04 |
| 2023 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 800 | 10.57 |
| 2022 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 800 | 10.7 |
| 2021 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 1,100 | 10.89 |
| 2020 | Multiple | Rainbow Trout | 900 | 11.17 |
| 2019 | April | Rainbow Trout | 500 | 11.3 |
Indiana DNR fish stocking dashboard (year, month, water, species, number and average length as listed; repeat stockings summed by DNR), read November 5, 2026.
Where the trout plan sends fish on Potato Creek
| Season | Water as printed | Location | Planned number | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening day streams, north | Potato Creek | 800 | Rainbow Trout | |
| Opening day streams, north | Potato Creek | 150 | Brown Trout | |
| Memorial Day weekend | Potato Creek | Within State Park | 200 | Rainbow Trout |
| Memorial Day weekend | Potato Creek | No. Liberty Town Park | 200 | Rainbow Trout |
| Fall (mid-to-late October) | Potato Creek | 150 | Brown Trout |
Planned, not delivered: Potato Creek trout numbers.
Indiana DNR 2026 trout stocking plan (updated March 20, 2026; planned targets, DNR notes actual numbers may vary), read November 5, 2026.
Bag and size rules on Potato Creek
| 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 |
Bass and catfish in Potato Creek fall under the river and stream rows of the guide.
- 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.
Potato Creek in a table with nearby streams
Next over from Potato Creek: Little Kankakee River, around 10 miles away.
| Stream | Distance | Mapped NHD miles in IN | USGS gauges | DNR ramps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potato Creek | this stream | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Little Kankakee River | 10 miles west | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Judy Creek | 17 miles northeast | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Eller Ditch | 18 miles east | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Willow Creek (St. Joseph County) | 18 miles northeast | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Yellow River | 19 miles south | 57 | 4 | 1 |
USGS NHD and gauges, Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites; read November 5, 2026.
A few Hoosier miles off Potato Creek
Other lakes a state-road drive from Potato Creek
- Rupel Lake1 mile
- Worster Lake3 miles
- Upper/Lower Fish Lake7 miles
- Pleasant Lake (St. Joseph County)7 miles
Topping off the minnow bucket near Potato Creek
- Kelley's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Lakeville, 7 miles
- The Anglers Arsenalfly shop, Walkerton, 10 miles
- Lake Effect Living, LLP Small Engine Repair & Bait Salesbait and tackle shop, New Carlisle, 13 miles
- Stacy's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, South Bend, 14 miles
- Starboard Choice Marinemarina, Mishawaka, 15 miles
- Hubers Marinemarina, Kingsbury, 15 miles
Indiana guides who fish Potato Creek
- Sea King Charterscharter, Granger, (269) 208-5064
Towns with a motel near Potato Creek
- North Liberty1 mile
- Walkerton7 miles
- South Bend12 miles
Indiana streams near Potato Creek
- Little Kankakee River10 miles
- Judy Creek17 miles
- Eller Ditch18 miles
- Willow Creek (St. Joseph County)18 miles
- Yellow River19 miles
Indiana counties along Potato Creek
- St. Joseph County
Piscifun tackle for the next run to Potato Creek
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Picture ID for the fish swimming at Potato Creek
Photo: Rex Hammock, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Plain answers about Potato Creek
Where in Indiana is Potato Creek?
It crosses St. Joseph County, and its mapped point is about 1 mile from North Liberty.
How many miles of Potato Creek are in Indiana?
The NHD map shows 12 miles of line in Indiana; that is a mapping figure, not a DNR survey.
Which DNR access site puts me on Potato Creek?
The DNR maps a single access site on it: Potato Creek – North Liberty Town Park.
What swims in Potato Creek?
The DNR lists bluegill, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout and channel catfish.
May I keep a 13-inch bass from Potato Creek?
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
What will an Indiana license run me for Potato Creek?
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.
Where can I check the flow of Potato Creek?
No gauge sits on it.
What tackle store is closest on the drive to Potato Creek?
Kelley's Bait & Tackle, about 7 miles away, heads the list.
Is Potato Creek an Outstanding River?
State lists name it: DNR put-and-take salmonid stream.
Wade into Potato Creek this season
The flow panel tells you when to go.