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Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive MarineTournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine


By Louie Stout

When Lake Michigan fish managers decided to cut king salmon stockings a few years ago, it didn’t set well with a lot of trollers.

Who could blame them? There are a lot of cool fish stocked in Lake Michigan, but none gets bigger or puts up a better fight than kings.

But those big salmon are eating machines, and with the alewife population diminishing – coupled with evidence that the kings were reproducing naturally - fish scientists felt it was necessary to cut back on stocking numbers.

Well, if you look at what’s happened on the lake since the cutbacks, that decision may have been the right one.


IDNR Report

Brown Trout Stocked in Northern Indiana WatersBrown Trout Stocked in Northern Indiana WatersSeveral northeast Indiana water bodies have been stocked with nearly 4,000 brown trout averaging 8 inches in length.

Trout from Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery in Kentucky were stocked by DNR fisheries biologists into the Oliver Lake chain in LaGrange County (Oliver, Olin, Martin lakes), Pigeon River at County Road 1100 West on the LaGrange-Steuben County line, Solomon Creek at County Road 33 in Elkhart County, and the Little Elkhart River at County Road 10 in Elkhart County.

The bag limit for trout in inland waters, not including Lake Michigan or its tributaries, is five fish per day with a minimum size of 7 inches. No more than one of these can be a brown trout. Anglers 18 years and older will need an Indiana fishing license and a trout/salmon stamp to fish for trout.

Anglers are advised that sections of Solomon Creek and The Little Elkhart River are designated as year-round "catch-and-release" only and "artificial lures or flies only" trout fishing areas. These sections include Solomon Creek from County Road 33 downstream to the Elkhart River and the Little Elkhart River from County Road 43 downstream to County Road 16, except for waters along Riverbend Park from C.R. 16 upstream to the pedestrian footbridge.

Brown trout taken from the Oliver Lake chain must be at least 18 inches in length.

For additional information on area trout stockings visit www.wildlife.IN.gov/5457.htm.


Hoosier anglers can expect additional rainbow trout in northern Indiana streams in the upcoming weeks.

Streams that will receive additional trout include:

  • Pigeon River in Steuben County and at the LaGrange-Steuben county line will receive bonus stockings at County Road 175 N and County Road 1100 W, Turkey Creek in LaGrange County at County Road 150 N.
  • Little Elkhart River in Elkhart County at Bonneyville Mill Park
  • Little Kankakee River and Slocum Ditch in LaPorte County at Slocum Ditch in Hunt Park in Wanatah for Slocum Ditch and County Road 500 E, County Road 100 S, and State Road 4 for Little Kankakee River
  • Potato Creek in St. Joseph County at Potato Creek State Park and North Liberty Town Park

Pigeon River, Turkey Creek and Little Elkhart River will be stocked for the weekend of May 11-12 and Memorial Day weekend, May 25-26.

Little Kankakee River, Potato Creek and Slocum Ditch will only be stocked for Memorial Day weekend, May 25-26.

The bag limit for trout in inland waters, other than Lake Michigan and its tributaries, is five fish per day with a minimum size of 7 inches. No more than one of these can be a brown trout. In addition, brown trout taken from the Oliver Lake chain must be at least 18 inches in length.

Anglers ages 18 years and older will need an Indiana fishing license and a trout/salmon stamp to fish for trout. For additional information on trout stockings in the state, see the Trout Stocking Plan on the DNR website.


IDNR Report

Trout Season on Inland Streams Opens SaturdayTrout Season on Inland Streams Opens Saturday

Thousands of stocked trout will be available to Indiana anglers on opening day of inland stream trout fishing on Saturday, April 27.

In order to protect stocked trout, certain streams are closed to all fishing from April 15 until opening day. In addition, some sections of streams are designated as year-round "catch and release only" and "artificial lures or flies only."

The DNR will have stocked 23,425 rainbow trout in 17 streams covering 12 counties for the opener. The stocked trout come from Curtis Creek Trout Rearing Station near Howe in LaGrange County and average roughly 11 inches in length.

Anglers can catch trout on natural live bait such as worms and wax worms. Corn and small marshmallows, either plain white or colored, are also popular. Artificial lures such as spinners and flies entice trout as well.


MDNR Report

Daily Lake Trout Possession Limit on Grand Traverse Bay Reduced for 2019Daily Lake Trout Possession Limit on Grand Traverse Bay Reduced for 2019Anglers fishing for lake trout in the waters of Grand Traverse Bay this year need to be aware of a new regulation now in effect. The Michigan Natural Resources Commission acted last week to reduce the daily possession limit of lake trout in these waters from two fish to one.

The lake trout season for the waters of the Management Unit MM-4 (covering the ports of Elk Rapids, Traverse City and Northport) runs Jan. 1 through Sept. 30. The previous daily possession limit was two fish with a 15-inch minimum size limit. Effective today, and for the rest of the 2019 season, the daily possession limit is one fish with a 15-inch minimum size limit.