Fall walleye and smallmouth settle in as Indiana waters cool

What's biting

What's next

Expect water temperatures to keep sliding a degree or two as nights stay cool, which pushes baitfish and the gamefish chasing them toward the last green weed edges. Fishing the Midwest notes that as weeds die back, fish concentrate on whatever living green remains, so those edges are the first place to look.

Flow is the variable to watch. USGS gauge 03335500 shows 4,080 cfs, a solid current that tends to hold fish in slack water behind breaks and along softer edges. USGS gauge 05524500 reads 115 cfs and USGS gauge 03353200 reads 17 cfs, so smaller streams are low and clear. Low, clear water usually favors lighter line, slower presentations and early or late windows.

With the First Quarter moon, the evening half of the day should carry the better light and feeding movement. Plan around the last two hours before dark and the first hours after sunrise, and slow down midday. Check state regs before harvesting.

Context

Mid October in northern Indiana typically sits in the heart of the fall transition. Water has dropped out of the summer range, summer patterns break up, and fish feed hard ahead of winter. Smallmouth and walleye commonly move toward current breaks, rock and deeper edges as temperatures fall through the 50s, while panfish like crappie and bluegill hold near remaining cover. Lake Michigan tributaries also see fall trout and salmon runs in this window, so conditions are on schedule for the season.