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White River Fishing Report

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

Indianapolis’ river: the White runs smallmouth, catfish and a recovering fishery through central Indiana.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
3,280 cfs
Air / High
96 / 97 F
Wind
W 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03360500, 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

White River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 3,280 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings a mixed sky, wind W around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 97. 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

Smallmouth bassExcellent

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

WalleyeExcellent

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

MuskellungeExcellent

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

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

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

Tomorrow: Similar at 96 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 White River at Newberry.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03360500.

6,41715,19523,9733,280 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp96 F
High / Low97 / 76 F
WindW 7-9 mph
Pressure1013.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain57% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset07:16 / 20:11
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 · Overcast, 97/76 F, wind 9 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. A 9 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on White 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 White 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 White 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 96 F, wind to 11 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 96 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

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 97 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 and catfish limits per current DNR regulations; check consumption advisories for urban reaches.

Access

Indianapolis city parks and greenways, county access areas and road crossings; canoe liveries on popular reaches.

About this water

A 362-mile river through central and southern Indiana to the Wabash, Marion and Morgan counties.

Fishing White River: the full guide

A river through the capital

The White River flows about 362 miles through central and southern Indiana to the Wabash, passing through Indianapolis and Muncie along the way. Long degraded by pollution and a notorious 1999 fish kill, it has recovered substantially: smallmouth bass, channel and flathead catfish, rock bass, sunfish and, in the lower river, larger species make up the fishery today.

Smallmouth water

The reaches above and below Indianapolis hold smallmouth on the gravel riffles, ledges and current breaks: tubes, small crankbaits and topwater on light tackle, fished by wading or canoe. The West Fork through the city has improved markedly, and the East Fork in southern Indiana offers longer stretches of quality water with less development.

Catfish and the lower river

Channel catfish are abundant throughout and flatheads grow large in the deeper holes and around log jams, taken on live and cut bait at night in summer. The lower river toward the Wabash is broader and slower, holding larger fish generally and seeing very little angling pressure.

Central Indiana logistics

Access is via city parks and greenways in Indianapolis, county areas and road crossings elsewhere, with canoe liveries serving popular reaches. Flows rise quickly with rain in a developed watershed. Consumption advisories apply in some reaches: check current guidance before keeping fish.

Common questions

Has the river recovered?

Substantially since the 1999 fish kill and decades of pollution: smallmouth and catfish populations have rebuilt.

Where is the best fishing?

The gravel reaches above and below Indianapolis, and the East Fork in southern Indiana with less development.

Are there advisories?

Yes in some reaches: check current consumption guidance before keeping fish from urban water.

Is fishing good at White River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Geist Reservoir19 miCagles Mill Lake41 miSugar Creek42 miLake Monroe50 miBrookville Lake66 miMississinewa Lake68 mi
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