Michigan rivers
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Grand River Fishing
Ionia County and 6 other counties.
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Michigan rivers
Meet the Grand River
Across Ionia County and 6 other counties, the Grand River winds along as a river. Its mapped length comes to roughly 231.3 miles. Portland is the closest Census place, under a mile from its MDNR point.
There are 6 active gauges on the stream. Launch points on file: 35 public launches.
231.3miles mapped
7counties
6USGS gauges
35launches
Fish
Fish the MDNR lists for the Grand River
Bullhead Common carp Catfish Crappie Largemouth bass Northern pike Smallmouth bass White sucker Sunfish Walleye Yellow perch Nothing provided Black buffalo Gizzard shad Coho salmon Rainbow trout Chinook salmon
These chips reflect MDNR records tied to the Grand River.
MDNR trout stream layer, fishing sites, stocking table and state records.
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Flow at the Grand River gauges
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Grand River At Jackson, Mi | 70 cfs, 9.00 ft gage height | Nov 13 6:30 am |
| Grand River At Lansing, Mi | 375 cfs, 2.52 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:00 am |
| Grand River At Portland, Mi | 414 cfs, 5.53 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:00 am |
| Grand River At Ionia, Mi | 735 cfs, 8.29 ft gage height | Nov 13 6:45 am |
| Grand River At Ada, Mi | 7.09 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:00 am |
| Grand River At N Park St Ne At Grand Rapids, Mi | 3.46 ft gage height | Nov 13 7:00 am |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 13, 2026 7:33 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
Access
Public launches on the Grand River
- Grand Haven Municipal Boat Accessboat ramp, Ottawa County
- Mill Point Parkboat ramp, Ottawa County
- Rogue River Mouth Boat Access2 lanes, 37 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport, Kent County
- Scott A. Flahive Memorial Boat Accessboat ramp, Ottawa County
- Robinson Boat Access1 lane, 64 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport, Ottawa County
- Indian Channel Boat Access2 lanes, 10 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport, Ottawa County
- Ottawa Riverside County Parkboat ramp, Ottawa County
- Riverside Park #32 lanes, 8 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Kent County
- Deer Creek Parkboat ramp, Ottawa County
- Riverside Park #22 lanes, 14 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, Kent County
- Knapp Street Bridge Boat Access1 lane, 8 trailer spaces, Recreation Passport, Kent County
- Bass River Recreation Area Boat Access2 lanes, 20 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, Recreation Passport, Ottawa County
- Lyons Boat Access1 lane, Ionia County
- Ionia Fairground Boat Access1 lane, Ionia County
- Riverside Drive Boat Accesscarry-in launch, Recreation Passport, Ionia County
- Ada Boat Access1 lane, 15 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport, Kent County
- Webber Impoundment Boat Access1 lane, 17 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport, Ionia County
- Webber Dam Portage Boat Accessboat ramp, toilet, Ionia County
- Grand River Park1 lane, 6 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Ottawa County
- Saranac Boat Access1 lane, 9 trailer spaces, Ionia County
- Johnson Park1 lane, 10 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, Kent County
- Grandville Boat Access2 lanes, 5 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, Kent County
- Towner Road Boat Accessboat ramp, Ionia County
- Fitzgerald Park Dam Portagecarry-in launch, courtesy pier, toilet, Eaton County
- Jaycee Park1 lane, 8 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Eaton County
- Riverfront Parkboat ramp, Ingham County
- Sweeney's Landing1 lane, 8 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, Ingham County
- Moores Parkcarry-in launch, Ingham County
- McNamara Landingcarry-in launch, 3 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, toilet, Recreation Passport, Ingham County
- Bunker Road Boat Accesscarry-in launch, toilet, Eaton County
- McArthur Park1 lane, 3 trailer spaces, toilet, Eaton County
- Gale Road Boat Access1 lane, 5 trailer spaces, courtesy pier, Recreation Passport, Ingham County
- Trestle Bridge Boat Accessboat ramp, 2 trailer spaces, Recreation Passport, Jackson County
- Tompkins Bridge Boat Access1 lane, 3 trailer spaces, Recreation Passport, Jackson County
- Maple Grove Bridge Boat Access1 lane, 2 trailer spaces, Recreation Passport, Jackson County
- Grand River-Eaton Rapids fishing site, Eaton Rapidsbank fishing area
- Grand River fishing site, Spring Lakebank fishing area
MDNR boat access sites, MDNR fishing sites, USGS gauges.
Regulations
Limits and seasons for the Grand River
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 5 in any combination; minimum 14 inches | Possession: Sat. before Memorial Day – Dec. 31; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Walleye (Lower Peninsula) | 5; minimum 15 inches | Last Sat. in April – March 15 |
| Northern pike (Lower Peninsula) | 2; minimum 24 inches | Last Sat. in April – March 15 |
| Muskellunge | Only 1 per angler per license year (April 1 – March 31); mandatory harvest registration within 24 hours; minimum 42 inches (46, 50 or 38 inches on listed waters) | Possession: 1st Sat. in June – March 15; catch-and-immediate-release open all year |
| Yellow perch | 25 | Open all year |
| Sunfish and crappie | 25 in any combination of the listed species | Open all year |
| Channel catfish | 10; minimum 12 inches | Open all year |
| Flathead catfish | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open all year |
| White bass | 10 | Open all year |
| Cisco and whitefish | 5 in any combination | Open all year |
| Burbot | 5 | Open all year |
| Trout in unclassified lakes | 5, no more than 3 of which may be 15 inches or greater; minimum 8 inches | Open all year |
For the Grand River, the table shows statewide inland limits for the Lower Peninsula.
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027). All Michigan limits.
Stocking
MDNR plants in the Grand River
Between 2024 and 2026, 35 plants put 7,265,783 fish into the Grand River.
| Date | Species | Strain | Avg length | Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 20, 2026 | Coho salmon | Michigan | 13.2 in | 67,080 |
| April 21, 2026 | Coho salmon | Michigan | 13.8 in | 58,537 |
| April 20, 2026 | Coho salmon | Michigan | 13.4 in | 32,210 |
| April 21, 2026 | Coho salmon | Michigan | 13.8 in | 29,272 |
| April 22, 2026 | Coho salmon | Michigan | 13.8 in | 2,099 |
| April 27, 2026 | Rainbow trout | Michigan | 18.7 in | 23,978 |
| April 28, 2026 | Rainbow trout | Michigan | 18.4 in | 8,121 |
| April 21, 2026 | Walleye | Muskegon | 900,000 | |
| April 27, 2026 | Walleye | Muskegon | 850,000 | |
| April 27, 2026 | Walleye | Muskegon | 850,000 | |
| April 21, 2026 | Walleye | Muskegon | 850,000 | |
| April 27, 2026 | Walleye | Muskegon | 850,000 |
MDNR Fish Stocking Report table, January 2024 to October 2026.
Records
The Grand River in the Michigan record book
| Species | Weight lb | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Black Buffalo | 54.3 | 2020 |
| Gizzard Shad | 4.45 | 2026 |
MDNR State Record Fish table.
Tournaments
Club events on the Grand River
Nearby
A short drive from the Grand River
Lakes in the same corner as the Grand River
- Grand River8 miles
- Tamarock Lake11 miles
- Saubee Lake12 miles
- Sessions Lake12 miles
Shops to stop at on the way to the Grand River
- Mystic Rodsbait and tackle shop, Portland, 1 mile
- Wendell's Wholesale Baitbait and tackle shop, Woodland, 13 miles
- Sportsman's Warehouse, 8757 Delta Market Drbait and tackle shop, Lansing, 14 miles
- Sierra, 8110 W Saginaw Hwybait and tackle shop, Lansing, 14 miles
- Gander Mountain, 430 N Marketplace Blvdbait and tackle shop, Lansing, 15 miles
Guides that list the Grand River
- Fishin 4 Trophies Charterscharter, Wyoming, (616) 318-0102
- reel down outfitterscharter, hastings, (616) 914-7416
Base camps for the Grand River
- Portlandunder a mile
- Mulliken7 miles
- Eagle7 miles
- Westphalia7 miles
Other rivers a short drive from the Grand River
- Sebewa Creek6 miles
- Prairie Creek, Ionia County14 miles
- Bellamy Creek15 miles
- Lake Creek15 miles
Counties that the Grand River spans
- Ionia County
- Kent County
- Jackson County
- Ottawa County
- Eaton County
- Ingham County
- Clinton County
Piscifun
Piscifun gear picked for the Grand River
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Photographs
Water around Grand River as the camera saw it
Photo: The original uploader was Triphook at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Christian Collins, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Photo: Aenet, CC BY 4.0
Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Answers
What to know ahead of a day on the Grand River
Which part of Michigan holds the Grand River?
It flows across Ionia County and 6 other counties.
Is the Grand River regulated trout water?
Not trout stream water under MDNR rules.
Does USGS report live data for the Grand River?
USGS runs 6 USGS gauges; readings are above.
Where do anglers get onto the Grand River?
35 public launches; Bunker Road Boat Access is one.
Which rules cover the Grand River?
Statewide inland limits apply unless the digest names it.
Can visitors fish the Grand River on a Michigan license?
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.
Who has minnows on the drive to the Grand River?
Drive 1 mile to reach Mystic Rods.
What bites in the Grand River?
Expect bullhead, common carp, catfish, crappie, largemouth bass and northern pike.
Which Michigan town is closest to the Grand River?
Use Portland as a base, under a mile away.
Pencil the Grand River into this season
Check the flow and regulations before the trip.