Black Buffalo in Michigan
Seasons, records and stocking for black buffalo.
- No possession limitlimit
- 54.3 lbrecord
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How black buffalo fit Michigan fishing
Listed as other species by the Michigan DNR, Black buffalo (Ictiobus niger) inhabits great lakes and inland. Michigan allows No possession limit on statewide (species not listed, not trout or salmon, not threatened or endangered, open open all year.
A 54.3 lb fish from Grand River (2020) stands as the hook and line record.
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| Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide (species not listed, not trout or salmon, not threatened or endangered) | No possession limit | Open all year |
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Michigan DNR; rules run April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027). Retrieved October 22, 2026.
Michigan black buffalo record entries
| Category | Weight | Length | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 54.3 lb | 42.6 in | Grand River | Ottawa | 2020 |
MDNR State Record Fish table, retrieved October 22, 2026; the table prints the year only and no angler names.
Where black buffalo turn up in Michigan
Rivers to try for black buffalo
- Grand RiverIonia
MDNR Fish Atlas and Family Friendly Fishing lists, fishing site lists, trout stream layer, stocking and records; largest waters first.
More Michigan fish grouped with black buffalo
- Black Bullheadother species
- Brown Bullheadother species
- Yellow Bullheadother species
- Common Carpother species
- Freshwater Drumother species
- Bowfinother species
- Longnose Garother species
- White Perchother species
- Bigmouth Buffaloother species
- American Eelother species
- Quillbackother species
- White Suckerother species
Photographed water a drive from Black Buffalo
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region, Public domain
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Photo: starscream1211, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ted Miller, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
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The usual questions on Michigan black buffalo
What does the daily bag allow for black buffalo?
No possession limit on statewide (species not listed, not trout or salmon, not threatened or endangered; season open all year. Other waters carry their own rows.
How much did the record Michigan black buffalo weigh?
54.3 lb from Grand River, Ottawa County, in 2020 (hook and line).
Which lakes list black buffalo?
1 water page on this site name it, starting with Grand River.
Are black buffalo stocked in Michigan?
No plants are listed for it.
Which scientific name do biologists use for black buffalo?
Ictiobus niger; other species in great lakes and inland.
What season dates cover black buffalo?
Open all year on statewide (species not listed, not trout or salmon, not threatened or endangered.
Must out-of-state anglers buy a license for black buffalo?
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.
Is there a guide for black buffalo?
No operator lists it by name.
Plan a Michigan day for black buffalo
Start from the lists above.