The St. Joe River and its tributaries drain approximately 2,600 square miles in southwestern Michigan and 1,685 square miles in northern Indiana.
Located primarily in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, the river is home to thirty-six species of fish, as of a 1989 DNR survey.Angling opportunities are available for a number of sport fish including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, rock bass, walleye and bluegill.
The lower 13 miles of the river from the state line upstream to the Twin Branch Dam also provides steelhead and salmon fishing.

Anglers fishing the river have had good success fishing for smallmouth bass, catfish and panfish. The St. Joe provides many shore fishing opportunities for families.
A few walleye have also been taken but most have been sub-legal and released.

Rainbow or steelhead trout

Ever popular among Indiana anglers is the trout family, which includes the brown, lake and rainbow or steelhead trout. Many fisherman can be spotted on the shores during spawning season when the trout begin their runs into the tributaries. Rainbow or steelhead trout have a white mouth, teeth and gums and small black spots on their backs, sides, and caudal and dorsal fins. The caudal fin margin of the rainbow or steelhead trout is square and the fish has 9-12 anal fin rays.

Bait: NA
Depth: NA

Steelhead returns continue to remain very low. Water tempertures of nearly 81 degrees have impacted all movement on the river. As temperatures cool during the fall season we will begin to see move movement into Indiana waters of the St. Joe.