Mississinewa River Fishing Guides
An east-central Indiana smallmouth river with limestone ledges, easy wading and a long stretch of public access.
Guides on the Mississinewa River
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
No guides listed yet
Guide or outfit this water? Create your profile. Listing is free, the commission is 10% or 7% with a premium profile, and premium profiles list first on this water.
About the Mississinewa River
The Mississinewa runs west across east-central Indiana from Randolph County, through Marion and Peru, and into the Wabash. The upper river near Ridgeville is a small limestone stream, intimate and wadeable, and it grows steadily as it goes. Mississinewa Lake sits in the lower third and splits the river into distinct upper and lower fisheries, which is worth knowing when planning where to go.
Above the reservoir the river is smallmouth water and quite good at it. Limestone ledges and gravel riffles alternate with deeper pools, and the smallmouth hold on the current seams and against the rock. Rock bass are abundant and often outnumber the bass, longear sunfish are common, and channel catfish use the deeper holes. Northern pike turn up in the slower weedy reaches, particularly in the upper river, and are an underrated part of the fishery.
The stretch through Marion and the county parks along the way provide the most reliable access, and there are enough bridge crossings through Delaware, Grant and Randolph counties to plan short floats. A kayak or canoe covers the water well in spring flows; by late summer the upper river is a wading proposition and a very pleasant one. Below the dam at Mississinewa Lake the tailwater draws local attention and the lower river to Peru fishes for catfish and smallmouth both.
This is a self-guided river – there is no organised guide trade – but the access is good enough and the water forgiving enough that it suits anglers doing their own planning. The drainage at the Ridgeville gauge is modest, so the upper river responds fast to rain and drops back quickly, and slightly stained falling water is the condition to look for.
This water needs a real photo
The photo at the top of this page is not Mississinewa River.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
Add a photo of this water
Landscape, not fish — the water itself. Reviewed by hand before it appears. The first one published here earns the Pioneer badge.
Fished this water? Add a photo
Reviewed by hand before it appears. Pick the water, not the spot — we never publish exact locations.
Access
Ridgeville - the gauge crossing at the top of the fishable water.
Randolph County bridge crossings - frequent upper river access.
Eaton - upper middle river access.
Matthews - the covered bridge crossing and a popular put-in.
Marion - city river access and the largest service base.
Mississinewa Lake tailwater - the reach below the dam.
Peru - lower river access near the Wabash confluence.
Seasons
Spring: high water, northern pike active and the best floating flows.
Summer: low clear water, easy wading and steady smallmouth and rock bass.
Fall: cooling temperatures and aggressive smallmouth on the ledges.
Winter: cold, low and lightly fished outside the tailwater.
From the water
No logged trips yet. Be the first to put this water on your map.
Log this water
Fished it or cleaned it? Log in or create a free account to log a trip with photos and earn the waterway badge.
Questions
What is the current flow on the Mississinewa River?
As of Sep 17, 5:00 am, the USGS gauge MISSISSINEWA RIVER AT RIDGEVILLE, IN reads 53 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Mississinewa River?
Anglers target Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass on the Mississinewa River in Indiana.
Where can you access the Mississinewa River?
Ridgeville - the gauge crossing at the top of the fishable water. Randolph County bridge crossings - frequent upper river access. Eaton - upper middle river access. Matthews - the covered bridge crossing and a popular put-in. Marion - city river access and the largest service base. Mississinewa Lake tailwater - the reach below the dam. Peru - lower river access near the Wabash confluence.
When is the best time to fish the Mississinewa River?
Spring: high water, northern pike active and the best floating flows. Summer: low clear water, easy wading and steady smallmouth and rock bass. Fall: cooling temperatures and aggressive smallmouth on the ledges. Winter: cold, low and lightly fished outside the tailwater.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Mississinewa 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/fishing-guide-and-regulations/