Fishing in Michigan
Inland lakes, trout streams and four Great Lakes across all 83 counties, with MDNR limits.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 1,039lakes
- 625streams
- 266shore sites
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Manistique Lake: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
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Michigan inland lakes, trout streams and four Great Lakes
Michigan wraps around four Great Lakes, from the Lake Superior shore of the Upper Peninsula and the Keweenaw to the Lake Michigan ports, Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron and the St. Clair system and Lake Erie in the southeast. Inland, the Lower Peninsula holds Houghton Lake, Torch Lake, Higgins Lake and Burt Lake, and the Au Sable, Manistee and Pere Marquette lead a long list of trout rivers. The Michigan DNR sets one all-species license and splits walleye and pike seasons between the two peninsulas.
This guide holds 1,039 lake pages, 625 river and trout stream pages, 1,195 boat launch pages, 266 shore fishing sites, 632 bait shops and marinas, all 83 counties and 745 towns, with the MDNR limits on every water page.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The largest Michigan inland lakes
Houghton Lake
20,090 acres, Roscommon County
Lake pageTorch Lake
18,736 acres, Antrim County
Lake pageBurt Lake
17,404 acres, Cheboygan County
Lake pageLake Charlevoix
17,281 acres, Charlevoix County
Lake pageMullett Lake
16,712 acres, Cheboygan County
Lake pageLake Gogebic
13,125 acres, Gogebic County and Ontonagon County
Lake pageManistique Lake
10,354 acres, Mackinac County
Lake pageHiggins Lake
10,193 acres, Roscommon County
Lake pageMichigan on the Great Lakes and connecting waters
- Lake SuperiorKeweenaw, Marquette, Munising and Whitefish Bay
- Lake Michigansalmon ports from St. Joseph to the Bays de Noc
- Lake HuronSaginaw Bay walleye, Thunder Bay and the Straits
- Lake ErieMonroe County perch and walleye
- Lake St. Clairsmallmouth bass and muskellunge
- St. Marys RiverSault Ste. Marie rapids and Munuscong Bay
- St. Clair Riverwalleye and sturgeon below Port Huron
- Detroit Riverspring walleye run
- All Michigan Great Lakesharbors, lake trout units and levels
Michigan pages sorted by water type
- Lakes1,039 lakes
- Rivers and trout streams625 rivers and streams
- Trout streamsType 1 to 4 streams
- Shore fishingMDNR fishing sites
- Countiesall 83
- Towns745 towns
- Species55 species
- TournamentsMDNR registered events
Michigan season openers in 2026
| Species | Water | Opens |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye and northern pike | Lower Peninsula inland waters | Last Sat. in April |
| Walleye and northern pike | Upper Peninsula Great Lakes, inland waters and St. Marys River | May 15 |
| Bass (possession) | All waters except St. Clair system | Sat. before Memorial Day |
| Bass (possession) | Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River, Detroit River | 3rd Sat. in June |
| Muskellunge (possession) | All waters | 1st Sat. in June |
| Trout (Type 1 and 2 streams, Type A and D lakes) | Inland trout waters | Last Sat. in April |
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Michigan DNR; rules run April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027). Retrieved October 22, 2026.
Michigan rules, licenses and gauges
- Michigan A to Zeach lake, stream, county and town page
- Michigan state record fishhook and line and bow or spear entries
- Michigan water levelsUSGS lake gauges, Detroit District and NOAA stations
- Michigan trout streamsType 1 to 4 streams and Type A to F lakes
- Michigan Great LakesSuperior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, St. Clair and the connecting rivers
- Michigan guides and charterscharter captains and fishing guides
- Michigan stockingMDNR plants from 2024 through October 2026
- Michigan shore fishingFamily Friendly Fishing sites and piers
- Michigan boat launchesMDNR and local boat access sites
- Michigan bait shopsstores by MDNR management unit
- Michigan license and regulationsthe all-species license, seasons and limits
- Michigan free fishing weekendstwo license-free weekends a year
- Michigan tournamentsMDNR registered events and published winners
Michigan fishing questions
What license does fishing in Michigan require?
Anglers 17 and older carry a Michigan all-species fishing license: $26 a year for residents, $76 for nonresidents, $11 for seniors or $10 for one day. It covers trout, salmon and the Great Lakes with no stamp.
Which inland lake in Michigan is biggest?
Houghton Lake, at 20,090 acres in the EGLE lake layer.
When does walleye season open in Michigan?
Last Sat. in April on Lower Peninsula inland waters and May 15 in the Upper Peninsula.
Where do Michigan trout streams run?
Across both peninsulas; 525 streams with an MDNR trout Type have pages here.
Which agency manages Michigan fisheries?
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division.
Where are Michigan tournaments listed?
On the tournaments page, built from the MDNR Fishing Tournament Information System and organizer results.
Does Michigan hold license-free fishing days?
Two Free Fishing Weekends a year, in February and June, for everyone.
How many Great Lakes touch Michigan?
Four: Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie, joined by Lake St. Clair and three connecting rivers.