Fishing in Michigan public spots, conditions & reports
7 of 9worth the trip today
Mostly walleye and yellow perch today. Each spot is scored for whatever is in season and biting best there.
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Every Michigan spot
9 public spots, best first. Each is scored for whatever is in season and biting best there.
The state report
Michigan DNR hasn’t published one we can date.
Licenses and rules
Rules for what people fish for here
- Smallmouth bass14" minimum · 5 a dayMichigan Great Lakes: largemouth and smallmouth combined, 14" minimum, 5 a day. Possession season opens the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 29 in 2027) and runs to Dec 31; catch and immediate release is open the rest of the year.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Walleye15" minimum · 5 a dayLower Peninsula Great Lakes: 15" minimum, 5 a day, open all year.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Common carpno daily limitMichigan: "All others", carp included, have no size limit, no possession limit and are open all year. Live carp may not be used as bait. Bighead, silver, black and grass carp may not be possessed alive.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 18, 2026 · source
- Yellow perch25 a dayMichigan: no size limit, 25 a day, open all year.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Brown trout8" minimum · 5 a dayMichigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Brown trout 8" minimum.Catch and release · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Steelhead10" minimum · 3 a dayMichigan Great Lakes: 10" minimum, 5 trout and salmon a day in any combination, no more than 3 of any one species except up to 5 coho, chinook or pink salmon. Open all year.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Coho salmon10" minimum · 5 a dayMichigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Salmon 10" minimum.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Chinook salmon10" minimum · 5 a dayMichigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Salmon 10" minimum.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Rainbow trout10" minimum · 5 a dayMichigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Rainbow trout 10" minimum. Type 2–4 and gear-restricted reaches differ.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Brook trout7" minimum · 5 a dayMichigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Brook trout 7" minimum.Catch and release · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Muskellunge42" minimum · 1 a dayMichigan: 42" minimum, 1 muskellunge per angler per license year (Apr 1–Mar 31), registered within 24 hours. Great Lakes possession season is the first Saturday in June (Jun 5 in 2027) to Mar 15; catch and immediate release otherwise.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Northern pike24" minimum · 2 a dayLower Peninsula Great Lakes: 24" minimum, 2 a day, open all year.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Lake trout15" minimum · 3 a dayLake trout and splake: 15" minimum, 3 a day combined in units MM 6–8 (Arcadia to New Buffalo, Ludington included) and MH 3–6; 2 a day in MM 1–5. Michigan Great Lakes: 10" minimum, 5 trout and salmon a day in any combination, no more than 3 of any one species except up to 5 coho, chinook or pink salmon. Open all year.Open · Michigan · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
Limits differ by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water.
What’s biting in Michigan
Species people fish for at Michigan spots, and how many of those spots are worth the trip for them today.
Smallmouth bassMicropterus dolomieu4 of 6 spots worth the trip in Michigan
Best now at Detroit River, MI90
Bites in 55–78° water
WalleyeSander vitreus4 of 6 spots worth the trip in Michigan
Best now at Detroit River, MI90
Bites in 50–72° water
Common carpCyprinus carpio3 of 5 spots worth the trip in Michigan
Best now at Detroit River, MI84
Bites in 52–86° water
Yellow perchPerca flavescens3 of 4 spots worth the trip in Michigan
Best now at Detroit River, MI96
Bites in 45–70° water
Coho salmonOncorhynchus kisutch3 of 3 spots worth the trip in Michigan
Best now at Port Crescent, MI84
Bites in 44–58° water
Brown troutSalmo trutta2 of 4 spots worth the trip in Michigan
Best now at Manistee River, MI73
Bites in 45–68° water
SteelheadOncorhynchus mykiss1 of 4 spots worth the trip in Michigan
Best now at Pere Marquette River, MI74
Bites in 40–55° water
Chinook salmonOncorhynchus tshawytscha1 of 3 spots worth the trip in Michigan
Best now at Pere Marquette River, MI74
Bites in 42–58° water
About fishing in Michigan
Michigan's 9 public access points span the Great Lakes, lakes, and rivers and streams, across 8 counties. Across them, the species anglers most often target are Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Common Carp, and Steelhead. Each is scored live on water temperature, river flow, moon phase, barometric pressure, and weather. Always confirm current size, creel, and season limits with the Michigan state fishery agency before keeping fish — we flag any species whose regulations we haven't yet verified.
9 public access points across 0 water bodies. Data from NOAA, NWS, USGS, and Michigan DNR.
Coastal regions
- Lake MichiganLake Michigan shore access across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.