Join us at upcoming community events
Each year the Indiana Department of Natural Resources allows Indiana residents to fish without a license. On Free Fishing Days, Indiana residents do not need a fishing license or a trout/salmon stamp to fish the state's public waters. All other rules such as seasons, bag, and size limits apply.
Free Fishing Days are an excellent opportunity to learn how to fish, take your family fishing, or introduce a friend to fishing. The Friends of Pogue's Run host a free fishing event on the first Sunday in June according to the IDNR's free fishing days calendar. The event is held at the Pogue's Run Art & Nature Park located at 2300 N Dequincy St. The event is open to adults and children. FOPR partners with Go Fishin With Clint (gofishinwithclint.com). Snacks and light refreshments are provided by FOPR.
Click here for more information on the 2026 eventStarting in 2023, the FOPR started a fun educational series of bike tours along the Pogue's Run Trail. Each year a theme is chosen, and a corresponding bike tour is developed. Our Summer Bike Tours are geared primarily to adults but in some instances young adults are allowed to participate. This event is a paid event and the FOPR's only money making event of the year.
Each "Fall Back" Daylight Savings Day the FOPR offer a fun free ride along the Pogue's Run Trail. Use that extra hour and come along for a leisurely ride while learning some fun facts about the Pogue's Run!
2026 date will be Sunday November 1st. Click here for more details and to sign up.
A huge part of FOPR effort to keep the waterway healthy are the annual trash clean ups along the waterway. For more than a decade, FOPR has partnered with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) to host at least two trash clean ups per year. KIB provides all of the staffing, clean up tools, trash removal services and provides volunteers through their volunteer sign up portal. KIB is an invaluable resource for our ongoing goal of providing a healthier waterway for all to enjoy.
Neighborhood groups also provide clean ups in their areas which helps to keep the waterway clean of blowing debris. They will also do cleans up along the waterway itself.
Along with the trash clean ups, FOPR along with several partners including KIB, Cummins Corporation, and neighborhood groups are continually making efforts to restore the natural habitat along the waterway. This process includes invasive plant removal, mainly Asian Bush Honeysuckle, and other species by clear cutting and treating the plants. The second part of habitat restoration is the planting of native species that are commonly found along the waterways.
Both of these efforts are ongoing and require time, energy and resources and FOPR are extremely grateful to have these partnerships helping to make the waterway a healthy environment.
View map of clean ups and habitat restoration effortsOne of the main tenets of ROW was to provide the community with educational opportunities to help see the importance of keeping our waterways healthy. Starting in 2025, FOPR partnered with Friends of Brookside and Spades parks (FOBAS) to keep this tradition going. In our first year we had a walk and talk along the Pogue's Run hosted by the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation Service learning about the ways to keep your waterway healthy. We also had the Indiana Phenology organization come to talk about phenology and how to make the Pogue's Run Trail and phenology trail.
Plans in 2026 include a walk and talk on nature foraging and a Birding 101 event.
