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Michigan reference

Michigan Fish Stocking

What the MDNR planted from January 2024 to October 2026: totals by species, top waters and the largest 2026 plants.

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Photo of Platte River: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, CC BY 2.0

At a glance

MDNR fish stocking in Michigan, 2024 to October 2026

This dataset contains fish stocking events recorded by the Department of Natural Resources from January 1979 to present. Stocking events are entered by Fisheries Division staff in the Fish Stocking Information System (FSIS). FSIS entries are cleaned up and populate this table through DTMB processes. This may result in a delay between a stocking event and a corresponding record on this table.

This page reads 2,982 stocking events: 1,109 in 2024, 1,074 in 2025 and 799 in 2026, the latest dated October 14, 2026.

Walleye38,614,656 fish
Lake trout8,222,014 fish
Rainbow trout6,453,282 fish
Chinook salmon5,103,819 fish
Coho salmon4,519,536 fish
Brown trout3,241,477 fish
Atlantic salmon650,061 fish
Splake519,883 fish
Brook trout384,209 fish
Lake whitefish326,913 fish
Top waters

Michigan waters planted with the most fish

WaterCountyFish planted, 2024 to 2026
Kalamazoo RiverAllegan5,092,229
Lake MichiganCharlevoix3,542,129
Grand RiverKent3,529,790
Silver Lake, Grand Traverse CountyGrand Traverse2,489,579
South Manistique (Whitefish) LakeMackinac2,398,900
Black LakeCheboygan2,264,000
Grand RiverIonia2,219,656
Platte RiverBenzie2,097,183
Lake GeneserathCharlevoix1,881,666
Manistee RiverManistee1,446,664
Otsego LakeOtsego1,295,706
Escanaba River near Escanaba, Delta CountyDelta987,725
Teal Lake, Marquette CountyMarquette950,199
Lake MitchellWexford929,402
Nunns CreekMackinac910,664
Lake HuronMackinac873,839
Gun LakeBarry868,375
Lake MissaukeeMissaukee853,417
Grand River (Portland)Ionia850,000
Muskegon RiverNewaygo822,588
Lake MichiganDelta806,116
Little Manistee RiverManistee800,083
St. Joseph River, Berrien CountyBerrien760,289
Lake MichiganLeelanau752,578
Swan RiverPresque Isle739,857
Grand RiverJackson729,500
Au Sable RiverIosco700,047
St. Marys RiverChippewa681,848
Lake MichiganEmmet649,237
Crystal Lake, Montcalm CountyMontcalm540,327
Tahquamenon RiverChippewa519,690
Boardman RiverGrand Traverse502,374
Millecoquins LakeMackinac502,000
Lake HuronSanilac455,298
Grand RiverEaton447,500
Big Sable RiverMason436,471
Lake HuronPresque Isle429,274
Lake SuperiorBaraga428,749
Cheboygan RiverCheboygan407,443
White Lake near Whitehall, Muskegon CountyMuskegon405,974

MDNR Fish Stocking Report (FSIS) table, summed per water name and county.

2026 plants

Largest Michigan stocking events of 2026

DateWaterCountySpeciesStrainNumber
April 24, 2026Silver Lake, Grand Traverse CountyGrand TraverseWalleyeMuskegon2,000,000
May 27, 2026South Manistique (Whitefish) LakeMackinacWalleyeBay De Noc1,999,900
April 22, 2026Otsego LakeOtsegoWalleyeMuskegon1,244,000
April 21, 2026Grand RiverKentWalleyeMuskegon900,000
April 21, 2026Grand RiverKentWalleyeMuskegon850,000
April 27, 2026Grand RiverIoniaWalleyeMuskegon850,000
April 27, 2026Grand RiverIoniaWalleyeMuskegon850,000
April 27, 2026Grand River (Portland)IoniaWalleyeMuskegon850,000
April 27, 2026Grand RiverKentWalleyeMuskegon850,000
April 29, 2026Gun LakeBarryWalleyeMuskegon788,330
May 27, 2026Escanaba River near Escanaba, Delta CountyDeltaWalleyeBay De Noc724,585
April 29, 2026Crystal Lake, Montcalm CountyMontcalmWalleyeMuskegon499,500
April 29, 2026Grand RiverKentWalleyeMuskegon450,000
April 29, 2026Grand RiverKentWalleyeMuskegon450,000
April 21, 2026Rifle Lake near Lupton, Ogemaw CountyOgemawWalleyeMuskegon366,000
April 27, 2026Grand RiverJacksonWalleyeMuskegon249,500
April 29, 2026Grand RiverEatonWalleyeMuskegon247,500
April 29, 2026Grand RiverJacksonWalleyeMuskegon245,000
May 6, 2026Platte RiverBenzieCoho salmonMichigan228,964
June 9, 2026White Lake near Whitehall, Muskegon CountyMuskegonWalleyeMuskegon201,334
May 27, 2026Swan RiverPresque IsleChinook salmonMichigan186,582
May 6, 2026Little Manistee RiverManisteeChinook salmonMichigan158,645
June 24, 2026Black LakePresque IsleWalleyeMuskegon150,537
June 2, 2026Hamlin LakeMasonWalleyeMuskegon149,984
April 27, 2026Nunns CreekMackinacChinook salmonMichigan149,807
May 13, 2026Manistique RiverSchoolcraftChinook salmonMichigan139,643
June 30, 2026Lake MichiganDeltaWalleyeBay De Noc125,310
May 9, 2026Kalamazoo RiverAlleganChinook salmonMichigan124,672
May 8, 2026Black River (South Haven)Van BurenChinook salmonMichigan124,639
May 22, 2026Medusa CreekCharlevoixChinook salmonMichigan120,099
May 6, 2026Little Manistee RiverManisteeChinook salmonMichigan117,118
June 29, 2026Lake MissaukeeMissaukeeWalleyeMuskegon101,570
April 27, 2026Nunns CreekMackinacChinook salmonMichigan100,375
April 30, 2026Big Sable RiverMasonChinook salmonMichigan99,452
May 4, 2026Boardman RiverGrand TraverseChinook salmonMichigan96,113
May 27, 2026Swan RiverPresque IsleChinook salmonMichigan93,316
May 27, 2026Swan RiverPresque IsleChinook salmonMichigan93,287
June 30, 2026Bear Lake, Manistee CountyManisteeWalleyeMuskegon84,870
June 23, 2026Lake BellaireAntrimWalleyeMuskegon83,021
April 8, 2026Platte RiverBenzieCoho salmonMichigan76,134
May 11, 2026Cheboygan RiverCheboyganChinook salmonMichigan76,109
June 9, 2026West Twin LakeMontmorencyWalleyeMuskegon75,360
April 22, 2026Platte RiverBenzieCoho salmonMichigan75,131
June 10, 2026Lake MitchellWexfordWalleyeMuskegon73,835
May 25, 2026Lake MichiganMuskegonLake troutSeneca Lake70,650
May 1, 2026Lake MichiganCharlevoixLake troutBig (Parry) Sound70,082
April 26, 2026Lake MichiganCharlevoixLake troutBig (Parry) Sound69,993
April 30, 2026Lake MichiganEmmetLake troutSeneca Lake69,887
May 1, 2026Lake MichiganCharlevoixLake troutBig (Parry) Sound69,885
April 29, 2026Lake MichiganCharlevoixLake troutSeneca Lake69,872
Who stocks

Stocking operations in the Michigan table

State Plant2,374 events
Private Plant (under permit)231 events
Federal Plant180 events
Tribal Plant174 events
Tribal/DNR Coop Plant13 events
Transplant of Wild Fish4 events
Educational Institution3 events
Public Plant1 event
Photographs

Michigan water in pictures

Manistee River, Michigan
Manistee River
Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
Platte River, Michigan
Platte River
Photo: NPS, Public domain
Lake Mitchell, Michigan
Lake Mitchell
Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
Lake Michigan, Michigan
Lake Michigan
Photo: Sandysphotos2009, CC BY 2.0
Answers

Michigan stocking questions

Which fish does Michigan stock most?

Walleye (38,614,656), Lake trout (8,222,014) and Rainbow trout (6,453,282) from 2024 to October 2026.

How many stocking events are on this page?

2,982 events from January 2024 to October 14, 2026.

Is 2026 stocking complete here?

No; the 2026 rows run only to October 14, 2026, and the MDNR table can lag behind the plants.

Which Michigan water received the most fish?

Kalamazoo River (Allegan County), with 5,092,229 fish.

Does the MDNR stock Chinook salmon?

Yes; 5,103,819 Chinook salmon over the period, mostly at Great Lakes ports.

Are tribal plants in the table?

Yes; 174 events are marked as tribal plants.

Can I see the stocking for one lake?

Each lake and river page lists its own stocking events when the table has any.

How many species did the MDNR stock?

24 species and forage fish appear in the table.