Fly Fishing Trail Creek, Indiana: Sections, Seasons and Trip Plan
Location Details / Indiana / Trail Creek
Fly Fishing Trail Creek, Indiana: Sections, Seasons and Trip Plan
Trail Creek is a small Lake Michigan tributary in Michigan City, Indiana, stocked with Skamania steelhead and visited by winter-run steelhead, Chinook and coho salmon. Indiana DNR lists ten public fishing sites, including Hansen Park and Creek Ridge Park. Skamania run mid-July to mid-October, salmon September to mid-November, and winter fish mid-November to mid-March.
The Fly Fishing Insider Podcast archive has no episode on Trail Creek yet, so the facts below come from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and every podcast tip on this page is labeled transferable.
Trail Creek is one of three Indiana tributaries where DNR stocks Skamania summer steelhead, with the St. Joseph River and the East Branch of the Little Calumet. It is small water, so a careful, close-range approach beats long casts.
Species
Skamania and winter-run steelhead; Chinook and coho salmon; brown trout in fall
Best months
Skamania mid-July to mid-October; salmon September to mid-November; winter-run mid-November to mid-March
Character
Small, wadeable Lake Michigan tributary; mostly private banks between public sites
Nearest towns
Michigan City; La Porte
Nearest airports
South Bend International (SBN); Chicago Midway (MDW) and O'Hare (ORD)
Rule to know
No fishing near the sea lamprey barrier at Springland Avenue; check DNR rules
Trail Creek Section by Section
DNR's Lake Michigan shoreline and tributaries guide lists ten public fishing sites on Trail Creek; two, the DNR access site and Creek Ridge Park, are handicap accessible. Most of the creek runs through private land, so stick to public sites or get landowner permission. It is all wade or bank fishing; we group the sites into three areas in the order DNR lists them.
Area 1: Lower Creek and Harbor
Sites: the access site next to the DNR building, Hansen Park (E Street) and Winding Creek Cove (8th and Dickson streets). Trail Creek Marina, a municipal ramp, sits upstream on the creek, and the Michigan City pier and basin give lake access.
Best for: fresh fish. DNR says Skamania stage near shore and rush upstream, especially after heavy rain, and the pier fishes for Skamania from mid-June to mid-August.
Area 2: Middle Creek and the Barrier
Sites: Fire Station #2 (2005 E. U.S. 12), Robert Peo Public Access (Liberty Trail), Karwick Nature Park (Karwick Road) and U.S. 35 (Chapala Parkway).
The barrier: the sea lamprey barrier at Springland Avenue blocks lampreys; a jumping pool below it lets adult steelhead and salmon pass upstream, per an Army news report. Fish gather there, and the water within 100 feet upstream and down to the golf course line is closed.
Area 3: Upper Creek and the Forks
Sites: Trail Creek Forks (U.S. 20), Johnson Road (Johnson and Wozniak roads) and Creek Ridge Park (7943 W. 400 North), a 112-acre La Porte County park open sunrise to sunset.
Best for: quieter water and fish that have already run the creek, especially in fall and winter.
Live gauge: USGS 04095300, Trail Creek at Michigan City, IN.
Reading the flows: our calculation from USGS monthly records (1969-2026) puts typical flow near 116 cfs in March, 108 in April, about 50 in August and September, and 77 in November. Because fish push in on rain, a bump well above those numbers is when to go.
When to Fly Fish Trail Creek
Our reading of Indiana DNR run timing for Lake Michigan tributaries; general guidance, not survey data.
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skamania steelhead | ||||||||||||
| Winter-run steelhead | ||||||||||||
| Chinook and coho | ||||||||||||
| Brown trout (fall) |
LightModerateHeavy
Skamania spawn from early February to mid-March, and winter-run fish from March to mid-April, per DNR.
Trail Creek Fishing Rules
- Lamprey barrier: no fishing within 100 feet upstream of the Trail Creek sea lamprey barrier or downstream to the Pottawattomie Country Club golf course property line at Springland Avenue. Lake Michigan regulations
- Gear ban: no possession of a spear, gig, gaff, snag hook or bowfishing gear in or next to Trail Creek and its tributaries.
- Fair hooking: trout and salmon must be hooked in the mouth; foul-hooked fish go back.
- Bag limit: five trout and salmon combined, 14-inch minimum.
- Private land: most of the creek is private; DNR says to get landowner permission. DNR Lake Michigan fishing
Plan a 3-Day Trail Creek Trip
Day 1: Lower Creek
Start at the DNR site and Hansen Park, then Winding Creek Cove. In summer, check the harbor and pier at first light for Skamania staging off the creek.
Day 2: Middle Creek and the Barrier
Work Karwick Nature Park and the U.S. 35 site, and walk Robert Peo access. Fish the runs below the barrier closure line, where fish gather.
Day 3: Upper Creek
Fish Trail Creek Forks and Creek Ridge Park for quieter water, or drive to the St. Joseph River in South Bend for bigger water.
Base: Michigan City. Bring: a 7- or 8-weight rod, a floating line with a short sink tip, waders, and the DNR fly list: black or brown stoneflies, chartreuse flies, green and orange woolly worms and egg-sucking leeches.
Want it planned for you?
Book a Local Pro on Trail Creek
Guide or outfitter on Trail Creek? Get listed. No FFIP Certified guide, lodge or outfitter covers Trail Creek yet. Put your business in front of anglers planning Trail Creek steelhead and salmon trips.
See all pros in the FFIP Certified directory.
Plan a Trip with Frontiers
We represent many great lodges, and we will help you choose based on your specific travel, timing, budget and species objectives. We have no Trail Creek lodge to feature; tell Frontiers International Travel what you want and where else you would like to fish.
Trail Creek Tips from Podcast Guests
No guest has talked about Trail Creek on the record. These come from similar small Great Lakes tributaries, and each one is labeled transferable.
-
Study the run before you make a cast (transferable)
Roger Hinchcliff, Great Lakes steelhead angler; Great Lakes fish often sit close to the bank -
Stop bombing casts: steelhead sit closer than you think (transferable)
Jeff Liskay, Ohio steelhead guide; small water rewards short, accurate casts -
Search upstream for pinch points that stack fish (transferable)
Tad Murdock, salmonid species hunter; the barrier is Trail Creek's pinch point -
Match fly size and sink rate to water temperature (transferable)
Brian Silvey, steelhead guide; for cold winter water -
Carry a black leech as your default fly (transferable)
Kyle Shea, Alaska lodge marketing director; DNR lists egg-sucking leeches too
See the Tips Library.
Hear It on the Podcast
No Fly Fishing Insider Podcast episode covers Trail Creek yet. For tributary steelhead, start with Episode 90: Jeff Liskay, A Steelheader's 6th Sense and Episode 88: Steelhead Month.
Shop the Water: Flies and Gear for Trail Creek
Hot Orange Egg, Size 16
Oregon Cheese Egg, Size 16
Hot Pink Jig Egg, Size 16
Kaufmann's Black Stone, Size 8
Black Stonefly Assortment, Sizes 4-12
Olive/Black Woolly Bugger, Size 4
Chartreuse Woolly Bugger, Size 8
HOGzilla Sinking Furled Leader
Trail Creek Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
When is the best time to fly fish Trail Creek?
Trail Creek fishes for most of the year. Skamania steelhead run from mid-July to mid-October, with some fish from mid-June and more entering through winter. Chinook and coho run from September to mid-November, and winter-run steelhead from mid-November to mid-March, according to Indiana DNR. Go after rain, when fresh fish push in.
Where can you fish Trail Creek legally?
Trail Creek has ten public fishing sites listed by Indiana DNR, including Hansen Park, Karwick Nature Park, Trail Creek Forks and Creek Ridge Park. Most of the creek runs through private property, so stay at public sites or ask landowners for permission. Skip the closed zone at the lamprey barrier.
Is Trail Creek good for fly fishing?
Trail Creek suits fly fishing because it is small, wadeable and close to Chicago and South Bend. Steelhead sit in readable runs, so short, accurate drifts with eggs, stoneflies and leeches work. Expect company on public sites during the fall salmon run.
Trail Creek or the St. Joseph River: which should you fish?
Pick Trail Creek for small water you can wade and read from the bank. Pick the St. Joseph River in South Bend and Mishawaka for big water, boat access and dams that stack fish. Both get Skamania steelhead from Indiana DNR, so you can fish both on one trip.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed November 2026.
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