Michigan Great Lakes Fishing
Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Lake St. Clair and the connecting rivers: harbors, launches, limits and levels.
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Four Great Lakes and the connecting waters of Michigan
Michigan touches four of the five Great Lakes, Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie, plus Lake St. Clair and the St. Marys, St. Clair and Detroit rivers that join them. Under the 2026 digest these are not inland waters, so their own walleye, perch, bass and trout and salmon rows apply, with lake trout and splake limits set by management unit.
The MDNR lists 92 Great Lakes harbors (state and grant-in-aid), 141 coastal boat access sites and, from USGS place names, 385 named bays and 491 river mouths along the Michigan shore.
Lake Superior
31,700 sq mi of water, 1,332 ft deep at most
Water pageLake Michigan
22,300 sq mi of water, 925 ft deep at most
Water pageLake Huron
23,000 sq mi of water, 750 ft deep at most
Water pageLake Erie
9,910 sq mi of water, 210 ft deep at most
Water pageLake St. Clair
5 harbors, 7 public launches
Water pageSt. Marys River
3 harbors, 7 public launches
Water pageSt. Clair River
1 harbor, 7 public launches
Water pageDetroit River
1 harbor, 8 public launches
Water page
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| Water | Harbors | Public launches | Named bays | River mouths | Level stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Superior | 19 | 17 | 109 | 171 | 4 |
| Lake Michigan | 33 | 35 | 87 | 164 | 5 |
| Lake Huron | 26 | 37 | 91 | 113 | 7 |
| Lake Erie | 4 | 3 | 9 | 28 | 3 |
| Lake St. Clair | 5 | 7 | 65 | 15 | 3 |
| St. Marys River | 3 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 |
| St. Clair River | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Detroit River | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3 |
MDNR harbors and boat access layers, USGS GNIS and NOAA CO-OPS, retrieved October 22, 2026.
Michigan lake trout and splake limits by unit
| Lake | Unit | Ports | Season | Daily | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Superior | MI 1-3 | Windigo, Rock Harbor, Black River Harbor, Ontonagon, Upper Entry, Copper Harbor | Open all year | 3 | 15-inch minimum; no more than 1 lake trout 34 inches or greater |
| Lake Superior | MI 4-8 | Big Bay, Marquette, Au Train, Munising, Grand Marais, Keweenaw Bay, Whitefish Bay | Open all year | 5 | 15-inch minimum; no more than 1 lake trout 34 inches or greater |
| Lake Superior | Stannard Rock (MI-5) and Big Reef (MI-6) | Stannard Rock, Big Reef | Open all year | 1 | 15-inch minimum (new limit in 2026, see pp. 9, 20) |
| Lake Huron | MH 1 | DeTour, Cedarville, St. Ignace, Mackinaw City, Cheboygan, Rogers City | Jan. 1 – Sep. 30 | 3 | 15-inch minimum |
| Lake Huron | MH-2 | Presque Isle, Rockport, Alpena, Black River | Jan. 1 – Sep. 30 | 3 | 15-inch minimum |
| Lake Huron | MH 3-6 | Harrisville, Tawas, Grindstone, Harbor Beach, Lexington | Open all year | 3 | 15-inch minimum |
| Lake Michigan | MM 1-5 | Menominee, Escanaba, Manistique, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Elk Rapids, Traverse City, Northport, Leland, Fra | Jan. 1 – Sep. 30 | 2 | 15-inch minimum |
| Lake Michigan | MM 6-8 | Arcadia, Manistee, Ludington, Grand Haven, Holland, New Buffalo | Open all year | 3 | 15-inch minimum |
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Michigan DNR; rules run April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), pages 20 and 21. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
MDNR fisheries management units on the Great Lakes
| Unit | Counties | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Central Lake Michigan Management Unit | Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Clare, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Roscommon, Wexford | Traverse City Customer Service Center, 2122 South M-37, Traverse City, MI 49685; Cadillac Customer Service Center, 8015 Mackinaw Trail, Cadillac, MI 49601 |
| Lake Erie Management Unit | Hillsdale, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Sanilac, Washtenaw, Wayne | Waterford Fisheries Station, 7806 Gale Road Waterford, MI 48327 |
| Lake Superior Management Unit (Eastern Lake Superior) | Alger, Chippewa, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette | Newberry Customer Service Center, 5666 State Highway M-123, Newberry, MI 49868 |
| Lake Superior Management Unit (Western Lake Superior) | Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Marquette, Ontonagon | Baraga Customer Service Center, 427 US 41 North, Baraga, MI 49908 |
| Northern Lake Huron Management Unit | Alcona, Alpena, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Crawford, Emmet, Iosco, Mackinac, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon | Gaylord Customer Service Center, 1732 W M-32 Gaylord, MI 49735 |
| Northern Lake Michigan Management Unit | Gogebic, Iron, Baraga, Dickinson, Marquette, Menominee, Delta, Alger, Schoolcraft, Luce, Mackinac | Escanaba DNR Office, 6833 Hwy. 2, 41 & M-35, Gladstone, MI 49837; Norway Field Office, 500 West US-2, Norway, MI 49870; Crystal Falls DNR Office, 1420 US 2 West |
| Southern Lake Huron Management Unit | Arenac, Bay, Clare, Genesee, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Iosco, Isabella, Lapeer, Livingston, Midland, Ogemaw, Roscommon, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee, Tuscola | Bay City Customer Service Center, 3580 State Park Drive, Bay City, MI 48706, 989-684-9141 |
| Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit | Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Livingston, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa, Shiawassee, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Wa | Plainwell Customer Service Center, 621 N. 10th Street, Plainwell, MI 49080 |
Lake trout refuges and NOAA stations on Michigan water
Lake trout refuges
- Lake Michigan (North part)MDNR refuge polygon
- Lake Michigan (Mid lake)MDNR refuge polygon
- Lake Huron (North end)MDNR refuge polygon
- Lake Huron (6 Fathom Bank)MDNR refuge polygon
- Lake Superior (Big Reef)MDNR refuge polygon
- Lake Superior (Stannard Rock)MDNR refuge polygon
NOAA water level stations
- AlgonacSt. Clair River
- St. Clair State PoliceSt. Clair River
- Dry DockSt. Clair River
- Mouth of the Black RiverLake Huron
- Fort GratiotLake Huron
- St Clair ShoresLake St. Clair
- GibraltarLake Erie
- WyandotteDetroit River
- Fort WayneDetroit River
- Windmill PointLake St. Clair
- Fermi Power PlantLake Erie
- LakeportLake Huron
- Harbor BeachLake Huron
- EssexvilleLake Huron
- AlpenaLake Huron
- Mackinaw CityLake Huron
- De Tour VillageLake Huron
- Rock Cut
- West Neebish Island
- Little RapidsSt. Marys River
- U.S. SlipSt. Marys River
- S.W. Pier, St. Marys RiverSt. Marys River
- LudingtonLake Michigan
- HollandLake Michigan
- MenomineeLake Michigan
- Port InlandLake Michigan
- Point IroquoisLake Superior
- Marquette C.G.Lake Superior
- OntonagonLake Superior
MDNR fisheries data layers and NOAA CO-OPS station list.
MDNR Roadmaps to Fishing the Michigan Great Lakes
Michigan Great Lakes questions
Which Great Lakes border Michigan?
Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie, plus Lake St. Clair and the St. Marys, St. Clair and Detroit rivers.
Which Great Lake has the most Michigan harbors?
Lake Michigan, with 33 in the MDNR layer.
Do inland rules apply on the Great Lakes?
No; the digest defines the Great Lakes, their bays and the connecting waters as separate from inland waters.
How are lake trout limits set?
By management unit: 8 units across Superior, Huron and Michigan in the 2026 digest.
What is a lake trout refuge?
A mapped MDNR area where lake trout are protected; the layer lists 6 of them.
Where can I see Great Lakes water levels?
On each water page and the water levels page, from 29 NOAA stations.
Do I need a Great Lakes stamp in Michigan?
No; the all-species license covers the Great Lakes.
What are the MDNR Roadmaps?
Four PDF guides to fishing Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and the St. Clair system with Lake Erie.