Whitewater River Fishing Guides
Indiana anglers name the Whitewater first when the subject is smallmouth bass, and the few cold miles below Brookville Dam make it the closest thing the state has to genuine trout water.
Guides on the Whitewater River
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About the Whitewater River
The Whitewater is the river Indiana anglers name first when the subject is smallmouth bass, and it earns that standing through geology rather than stocking. It runs through a deep, fossil-rich limestone valley in the southeastern corner of the state, where the bedrock breaks into the ledges, gravel bars and clean riffles that smallmouth need and that most Midwestern rivers simply do not have. The valley is steep and wooded enough to feel unlike the rest of Indiana, and the water running through it is clearer and faster than the agricultural streams to the north and west.
Brookville Lake sits immediately upstream of the gauge, and the releases from its dam make the river unusual twice over. Cold water drawn from the reservoir supports a brown trout fishery in the first miles below the dam, stocked by the state and among the only real trout water in Indiana. Further downstream the river warms into its proper character, and smallmouth, rock bass and longear sunfish take over, with channel catfish and flathead catfish holding in the deeper bends and drum and carp spread throughout. A float from Brookville down toward Cedar Grove covers both of those personalities in a single day.
The gauge at Brookville reports discharge and stage, and on a dam-controlled river that reading is worth more than usual, because the flow here is a management decision rather than simply a function of last week rainfall. Moderate releases spread fish across the riffles and leave the gravel bars wadeable; a heavy release turns the same reach into a pushy, turbid float with few places to stop. The old canal towpath at Metamora still gives walk-in access to water that would otherwise be awkward to reach.
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Access
Brookville - the gauge town and the usual launch, with the tailwater reach and the best trout water immediately upstream.
Brookville Lake dam - the top of the river, where the cold release enters and the trout fishery begins.
Cedar Grove - the standard downstream takeout for a day float through the limestone valley.
Metamora - the restored canal village, where the towpath gives walk-in access to the middle reaches.
Whitewater Memorial State Park - state land near the reservoir with parking, camping and reliable access.
Laurel - an upstream village on the West Fork, useful for reaching the smaller water above the lake.
Harrison - the downstream end of the Indiana reach, where the river approaches the Ohio state line.
Seasons
Spring: high, cold and the strongest trout window below the dam, with smallmouth waking in the lower riffles as the water climbs through the fifties.
Summer: the classic smallmouth season, with low clear water over the gravel bars and the trout reach holding only as far down as the cold release carries.
Fall: the best floating of the year, with settled flows, light pressure and smallmouth feeding hard ahead of winter.
Winter: low and cold, with the tailwater immediately below the dam the only consistently productive water.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Whitewater River?
As of Nov 2, 6:45 am, the USGS gauge WHITEWATER RIVER AT BROOKVILLE, IN reads 866 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Whitewater River?
Anglers target Bluegill, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Sucker on the Whitewater River in Indiana.
Where can you access the Whitewater River?
Brookville - the gauge town and the usual launch, with the tailwater reach and the best trout water immediately upstream. Brookville Lake dam - the top of the river, where the cold release enters and the trout fishery begins. Cedar Grove - the standard downstream takeout for a day float through the limestone valley. Metamora - the restored canal village, where the towpath gives walk-in access to the middle reaches. Whitewater Memorial State Park - state land near the reservoir with parking, camping and reliable access. Laurel - an upstream village on the West Fork, useful for reaching the smal...
When is the best time to fish the Whitewater River?
Spring: high, cold and the strongest trout window below the dam, with smallmouth waking in the lower riffles as the water climbs through the fifties. Summer: the classic smallmouth season, with low clear water over the gravel bars and the trout reach holding only as far down as the cold release carries. Fall: the best floating of the year, with settled flows, light pressure and smallmouth feeding hard ahead of winter. Winter: low and cold, with the tailwater immediately below the dam the only consistently productive water.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Whitewater River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Indiana agency site: https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/fishing/