Clarifying possession limits, identifying current fish communities and aligning certain fishing rules with Wisconsin all are part of updated trout, salmon and sturgeon regulations now in effect following Michigan Natural Resources Commission action earlier this week.
During its Sept. 9 meeting, the NRC enacted regulation changes to Fisheries Orders 254 and 205, effective Sept. 10, 2026. These updates include:
Fisheries Order 254, governing trout and salmon regulations for Michigan’s inland lakes: The changes clarify possession limits and better reflect the fish communities present in those waters.
Fisheries Order 205, governing fishing regulations on the Michigan-Wisconsin boundary waters: The updates align Michigan’s regulations with Wisconsin’s for the lake sturgeon catch-and-immediate release season on the Menominee River (Dickinson, Iron and Menominee counties).
The NRC — a public body whose members are appointed by the governor — has the exclusive authority to regulate the taking of game and sportfish in Michigan.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries managers use fish survey data and angler input to determine which regulations should apply to a body of water and recommend changes to the NRC when necessary to benefit the resource and angling community. Here are additional details about each of these fisheries order updates:
Fisheries Order 254
For the Silver Lake Basin (Marquette County), Type B fishing regulations have been removed; general fishing regulations apply. The lake has been evaluated and found to lack adequate habitat to support stocked or naturally reproducing trout populations. Stocking ended in 2002 and the Silver Lake Dam failed in spring 2003. When the basin was refilled, the fish community shifted toward warmwater species (smallmouth bass and northern pike). Therefore, the previous trout fishing regulations were no longer appropriate, and management will focus on warmwater species better suited to the current conditions.
The Type E classification in Fisheries Order 254 does not list salmon and refers to the daily possession limit as three trout per day. However, recent successful Atlantic salmon stocking activities have resulted in an emerging fishery in Torch Lake (Antrim County) and some connected waters. Adding salmon to the possession limit under Type E-designated lakes will help clear up confusion anglers may have regarding possession limits for Atlantic salmon in these waters.
Fisheries Order 205
To maintain fishing opportunities and continuity with Wisconsin regulations, the lake sturgeon regulations for the Menominee River (Dickinson, Iron and Menominee counties) have been updated to reflect the following:
Menominee River (upstream from the Grand Rapids Dam): Catch-and-immediate-release season from the first Saturday in June to the first Sunday in March.
Menominee River (upstream from the Grand Rapids Dam): Possession season from the first Saturday in September to Sept. 30, with a possession limit of one lake sturgeon per angling season with a minimum size limit of 60 inches.
Menominee River (from the Grand Rapids Dam downstream to end of the breakwall in Green Bay): Catch-and-immediate-release season from the first Saturday in September to Sept. 30.
These changes ensure the fishing regulations on the shared boundary waters of Michigan and Wisconsin are uniform, making enforcement easier and simplifying the regulations for anglers.
Please note that these regulation changes are not reflected in the printed version of the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations. Anglers are reminded to check the digital version of the regulations online at Michigan.gov/DNRRegs or in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app for the most current regulatory information.
