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Patoka Lake 16 mi
Photo: LouisvilleUSACE, CC BY 2.0 
Ohio River 17 mi
Photo: William Alden, CC BY-SA 4.0 
Clark County 45 mi
Photo: LunchboxLarry, CC BY 2.0 
Floyd County 38 mi
Photo: William Alden, CC BY-SA 2.0
Indiana rivers and streams
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Stinking Fork Fishing
Moving water in Crawford and Perry counties; NRC Outstanding River (2013 list).
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Crawford County
The Stinking Fork, sized up for Indiana anglers
Mapped NHD line puts 13 miles of the Stinking Fork inside Indiana, through Crawford and Perry counties. The state lists it as NRC Outstanding River (2013 list). Plan on roughly 18 miles to the town of Ferdinand.
Access, species and limits are in the bands below.
13mi of mapped NHD line in IN
0DNR ramps
2counties
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.
Status
Special status of the Stinking Fork
- DesignationNRC Outstanding River (2013 list)
- Reach as listedHeadwaters to confluence with Little Blue River
The rows for the Stinking Fork 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.
Access
Launch spots on the Stinking Fork
DNR access data skips the Stinking Fork; wade only where access is legal.
Neighbouring launches around Stinking Fork
- Oriole Lake boat rampOriole Lake, 3 miles
- Lake Celina boat rampLake Celina, 5 miles
- Indian Lake boat rampIndian Lake, 7 miles
- Alton boat ramp on Ohio RiverOhio River, 9 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.
Limits
How many fish leave the Stinking Fork 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 the Stinking Fork, the river versions of the bass and catfish rows replace the lake ones.
- 12-inch river bass countiesAll rivers and streams in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Clark, Jefferson, Switzerland, Ohio, and Dearborn counties (with the exception of the Blue River, where the slot limit applies in Crawford, Harrison, and Washington 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.
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Nearby Indiana current around the Stinking Fork
Little Blue River (Crawford County) is the nearest neighbour of the Stinking Fork, roughly 4 miles off.
| Stream | Distance | Mapped NHD miles in IN | USGS gauges | DNR ramps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stinking Fork | this stream | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Little Blue River (Crawford County) | 4 miles east | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| Middle Fork Anderson River | 11 miles southwest | 26 | 1 | 0 |
| Anderson River | 14 miles west | 45 | 0 | 1 |
| Blue River (Crawford and Harrison Counties) | 18 miles northeast | 72 | 2 | 4 |
| Indian Creek (Clark and Floyd Counties) | 23 miles east | 64 | 0 | 0 |
USGS NHD and gauges, Indiana DNR Fishing Access Sites; read November 5, 2026.
Nearby
A short haul from Stinking Fork
More Indiana lakes within reach of Stinking Fork
- Oriole Lake3 miles
- Hemlock Lake4 miles
- Porsche Lake4 miles
- Deuchers Pond6 miles
Stores stocking hooks and line around Stinking Fork
- Gilligan's Boatsmarina, Birdseye, 12 miles
- Patoka Lake Marinamarina, Birdseye, 13 miles
- Patoka Lake Boat and Marinebait and tackle shop, French Lick, 16 miles
- Hoosier Hills Marinamarina, Celestine, 16 miles
- Big Tales Fishing Tacklebait and tackle shop, Tell City, 23 miles
- Jeff's Bait & Gunsbait and tackle shop, Jasper, 25 miles
Places to eat and sleep near Stinking Fork
- Ferdinand19 miles
- Corydon21 miles
- Tell City22 miles
Further Hoosier streams by the Stinking Fork
- Little Blue River (Crawford County)4 miles
- Middle Fork Anderson River11 miles
- Anderson River14 miles
- Blue River (Crawford and Harrison Counties)18 miles
- Indian Creek (Clark and Floyd Counties)23 miles
County pages that take in Stinking Fork
- Crawford County
- Perry County
Piscifun
A Piscifun lineup sized for Stinking Fork
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Photos
Lakes and stream bends close to Stinking Fork, in pictures
Photo: LouisvilleUSACE, CC BY 2.0
Photo: William Alden, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: LunchboxLarry, CC BY 2.0
Photo: William Alden, CC BY-SA 2.0
Answers
Plain answers about the Stinking Fork
Which counties does the Stinking Fork cross?
Head for Crawford and Perry counties, and its mapped point is about 18 miles from Ferdinand.
How many mapped Indiana miles does the Stinking Fork run?
The NHD map shows 13 miles of line in Indiana; that is a mapping figure, not a DNR survey.
Which access sites serve the Stinking Fork?
No DNR access site names it.
Which fish does the DNR name in the Stinking Fork?
The DNR names no species for it.
Which bass limit covers the Stinking Fork?
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 The guide moves it to the 12-inch rule.
May an out-of-state visitor wet a line on the Stinking Fork?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Indiana fishing license ($23 a year for residents, $60 for nonresidents).
Is there a flow gauge on the Stinking Fork?
Nobody posts a stage for it.
Which Indiana bait counter is handiest to the Stinking Fork?
Nearest in our list: Gilligan's Boats, about 12 miles away,.
What designation does the Stinking Fork carry?
State lists name it: NRC Outstanding River (2013 list).
Give the Stinking Fork a Saturday
Get the Indiana license on the DNR site before the float.