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Tippecanoe River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Indiana’s smallmouth float: the Tippecanoe winds 180 miles of gravel and current through farm country to the Wabash.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
367 cfs
Air / High
90 / 91 F
Wind
SSE 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03331500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Tippecanoe River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 367 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 91. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 85 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Tippecanoe River near Ora.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03331500.

6311,2061,781367 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp90 F
High / Low91 / 74 F
WindSSE 6-8 mph
Pressure1012.0 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset07:16 / 20:14
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 91/74 F, wind 12 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Tippecanoe River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Tippecanoe River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Tippecanoe River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 93 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 92 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 91 F, wind to 11 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Indiana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Indiana license. Smallmouth bass and other species limits per current DNR regulations.

Access

Tippecanoe River State Park, plus numerous public access sites and liveries along the river.

About this water

A 182-mile river through northern Indiana joining the Wabash near Lafayette: premier smallmouth float water.

Fishing Tippecanoe River: the full guide

A river worth floating

The Tippecanoe River runs 182 miles through northern Indiana from Big Lake to the Wabash near Lafayette, a gravel-bottomed, moderately paced river that has become the state’s premier smallmouth float. It also holds an unusually rich mussel population and a diverse fish community: smallmouth lead the sport fishery, with rock bass, channel catfish, northern pike and, in the lower stretches, walleye and flathead catfish.

Smallmouth on gravel

The pattern is classic river smallmouth: work the current seams, gravel bars, wood and the deeper holes with tubes, small crankbaits, inline spinners and topwater at dawn. Fish average 10-14 inches with better fish in the deeper holes. Summer is prime, with the river low and clear enough to wade in many places, and floats of 5-10 miles the standard approach.

Pike and the reservoirs

Northern pike hold in the slower, weedier stretches and the backwaters, taking spinnerbaits and spoons. The river passes through Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman near Monticello, two reservoirs that add a different fishery with crappie, walleye and white bass. Below the dams the river resumes its gravel-and-riffle character toward the Wabash.

Access and floating

Tippecanoe River State Park and numerous public access sites along the river provide put-ins and take-outs, with liveries offering canoe and kayak rentals in the popular stretches. Flows matter: the Ora gauge running 300-1,200 cfs floats well, while summer lows favor wading. The park adds camping and trails for a multi-day trip.

Common questions

Is it good for canoe trips?

Excellent: gentle current, frequent access and liveries make multi-day floats straightforward.

When is the smallmouth best?

June through September, with low clear water in late summer making wading productive as well.

What are the reservoirs?

Lake Shafer and Lake Freeman near Monticello: impoundments on the river that add crappie, walleye and white bass fishing.

Is fishing good at Tippecanoe River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Mississinewa Lake38 miSalamonie Lake50 miLake Wawasee51 miSt. Joseph River58 miKankakee River58 miSugar Creek71 mi
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