Michigan Fish Stocking

The DNR’s 2018 fall fish-stocking totals are in! From September through December, fisheries crews stocked nine different species: more than 1.1 million fish that weighed in at over 17 tons. These fish were stocked at 153 different locations throughout Michigan and – when combined with spring and summer efforts – bring the total number of fish stocked last year to more than 22 million!

Species stocked this fall included Atlantic salmon, channel catfish, brook trout, brown trout, coho salmon, rainbow trout (Eagle Lake and Michigan strain steelhead), lake sturgeon, walleye and muskellunge (northern and Great Lakes strains).

See a breakdown of which state hatchery stocked which fish at Michigan.gov/Fishing.

Several other fisheries management units also stocked fall fingerling walleye last year, including 15,564 Muskegon strain (1,554.2 pounds) and 7,437 Bay de Noc strain (555.1 pounds).

Two additional species of coolwater fish also were stocked in 2018 – 50 adult channel catfish (181.8 pounds) and 585 fall fingerling lake sturgeon (20.7 pounds).

Wondering if any fish were stocked in your favorite spots? Visit the DNR’s fish stocking database at MichiganDNR.com/FishStock/. For more information, contact Steve Vanderlaan, 269-668-2696, ext. 26 or Elyse Walter, 517-284-5839.