Department of Natural Resources fish stocking trucks will travel well over 100,000 miles to stock more than a thousand locations this spring.

Fish stocking trucks are hitting the road! It’s a busy season: This time of year, Michigan Department of Natural Resources fish stocking trucks are releasing their prized cargo — trout, salmon, muskie and walleye — at hundreds of lakes and streams statewide.

The DNR accomplishes this work by rearing fish at its six fish production facilities located throughout the state, along with other cooperative rearing facilities, and by maintaining a fleet of 18 specialized fish stocking vehicles.

More than 20 million fish (weighing more than 350 tons) are stocked by the DNR annually. Species stocked include steelhead; Atlantic, Chinook and coho salmon; splake (a hybrid of brook and lake trout) and brown, brook, lake and rainbow trout; muskellunge and walleye. Beginning in mid-March and ending in early June, the DNR fish stocking trucks will travel well over 100,000 miles to stock more than a thousand locations.

Some of the many fish stocked will be salmon that have been implanted with a coded-wire tag or are otherwise marked or tagged. These tags provide useful information on the fishery to fisheries managers. To learn more or report a marked or tagged fish, visit Michigan.gov/TaggedFish. Read more

April 23, 2026
Contact: Christian LeSage, 517-449-7073 or Lucas Nathan, 517-599-9323

New, interactive map makes inland trout regulations easier to navigate this season

Break out that rod and tacklebox: Michigan’s trout and Lower Peninsula inland walleye and northern pike seasons open Saturday, April 25. Mark your calendar, find your fishing spot and invite an old fishing buddy — or a new one — to enjoy some spring fishing!

With the Department of Natural Resources’ new, interactive Inland Trout and Salmon Regulations map, it’s easier than ever to check the regulations for the areas you plan to fish. Find the map online at Michigan.gov/FishingMaps or in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, so you always have it on hand.

Anglers should be aware that in Upper Peninsula waters, the walleye and northern pike possession seasons open May 15, which falls on a Friday this year. Michigan’s muskellunge possession season on all Great Lakes, inland waters, the St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers opens Saturday, June 6 (catch-and-immediate-release fishing for muskellunge is open all year). Read more

April 17, 2026
Contact: Scott Heintzelman, 231-433-9782 or Paul Stowe (Platte River State Fish Hatchery) 231-325-4611 x122

Following recent storm damage at the Little Manistee River Weir (Manistee County), which resulted in a loss of fish, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is evaluating other options to obtain the desired quantity of steelhead eggs for future stocking. The Lower Platte River Weir (Benzie County) is being considered as a potential backup egg source.

The DNR’s steelhead egg collection target for this season is 3.5 million eggs for Michigan’s state fish hatcheries. Once the egg quota for Michigan’s stocking needs has been met, out of state requests will be considered.

To attempt to meet this target, the Lower Platte River Weir has been deployed to secure additional steelhead eggs, should they be required. While the lower weir is in operation, anglers are reminded that the Platte River is closed to fishing within 300 feet of the structure.

Despite the damage to the facilities caused by heavy storms, steelhead egg collection continued this past week at Little Manistee River Weir, and over a million eggs were collected. Additional egg collection efforts at this location are planned for next week.

To check on the status of the egg-collection schedule, call the Little Manistee River Weir hotline at 231-775-9727, then press 8.

April 14, 2026
Contact: Scott Heintzelman, 231-433-9782 or Joe Mickevich 231-878-5234

Steelhead egg collection was scheduled to begin today, Tuesday, April 14, at the Little Manistee River Weir in Stronach, Michigan. However, electrical damage during overnight storms caused a power failure at the weir facility, resulting in the loss of some of the fish being held for egg collection.

This electrical damage not only affected the main source of power, but also the backup power source and the notification system that alerts staff to power failures. Without power, the systems that sustained the fish were inoperable, resulting in the loss of many of the fish held in the facility at the time.

The weir’s main power source and three of the four pumps have been restored and Read more

April 13, 2026
Contact: Addie Myers, 989-778-0389 or Jay Wesley, 616-490-5090

The Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division has partnered with the Michigan Muskie Alliance, Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (GLATOS) and Grand Valley State University to track movement of muskellunge in Lake Macatawa (Ottawa County) with acoustic telemetry.

In April 2025, acoustic telemetry tags — provided by the Michigan Muskie Alliance — were implanted in 20 Great Lakes strain muskellunge from Lake Macatawa. These acoustic tags are about the size of an AA battery and have a life of approximately seven years. After tagging, the fish were returned to the lake.

Next, eight GLATOS receivers were placed in Lake Macatawa. This equipment and other receivers in the GLATOS network “listen” for signals from fish that have been implanted with acoustic transmitters. As of November 2025, there were over 69,000 detections of the 20 tagged muskie by GLATOS receivers. Read more

April 8, 2026
Contact: Scott Heintzelman, 231-433-9782 or Steve Lenart, 231-350-8669

DNR reminds anglers of lake sturgeon fishing regulations and rehabilitation efforts

Anglers fishing Michigan’s rivers this spring may unexpectedly find themselves with a lake sturgeon on the line. While encountering one of these iconic fish can be memorable and exciting, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that special regulations exist for lake sturgeon, and fishing for lake sturgeon is prohibited except in a few locations in the state.

Can anglers fish for lake sturgeon?

In the Lower Peninsula, lake sturgeon may be encountered in waters such as Manistee Lake, the Manistee River, Muskegon Lake, the Muskegon River, the Grand River, the Kalamazoo River and Saginaw Bay and its tributaries. However, it is unlawful to fish for lake sturgeon in these locations, and any lake sturgeon incidentally caught while targeting other species must be  released immediately. If you unintentionally catch a lake sturgeon, follow the steps below to ensure a safe release for the fish: Do not hold the sturgeon in a vertical position by its head, gill covers or tail. Do not touch the fish’s eyes or gills. Handle the fish as little as possible and only with wet hands. Keep the fish in the water, if possible. Release the fish as quickly as possible. Read more

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division officials are closely monitoring water levels in the Mullett Lake Watershed after recent weather events, including rain, snow and melting.

“We are experiencing very high water levels. All the dam gates are open, and we are passing as much water through the dam gates as we can,” said Rich Hill, DNR Gaylord District supervisor.

The DNR is working with local officials to manage the situation. A comprehensive plan is in place to help keep the public safe should high water conditions persist.

The outflow from Mullett Lake and the Black River feed the Cheboygan River behind the Cheboygan Dam, before the river flows through the town of Cheboygan and north to its mouth at Lake Huron.

The DNR has been checking water levels at Mullett Lake, along the Cheboygan River and at the dam over several days. The water level at the dam today measured 21.5 inches below the top of the dam.

Normal spring runoff, a significant recent snowstorm and rains have all contributed to the high water. Rain or snow are forecasted for the area tomorrow.

The Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex is comprised of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam, as well as a privately owned hydroelectric facility. The complex is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The watershed covers approximately 1,455 square miles.

April 7, 2026
Contact: Jim and Mary Paulson (Sturgeon For Tomorrow), 989-763-7568 or Neal Godby (DNR), 231-340-2621

The Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow is working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and tribal governments to protect lake sturgeon from illegal harvest during their six-week spawning season. The organization is seeking volunteers in mid-April through early June to stand guard as mature fish head upstream to their spawning sites along the Black River in Cheboygan County.

Sgt. Mike Mshar, who leads the DNR Law Enforcement Division’s efforts on the river, said, “This program, which protects this iconic species when the fish are most vulnerable, is a model of how agencies and the public can cooperate to get needed work accomplished.”

Volunteers are assigned shifts along the river to stand watch and report suspicious activity to the DNR conservation officers patrolling the area. The program also uses aerial surveillance for additional monitoring. Read more

Love fishing for steelhead? Collection of steelhead eggs at the Little Manistee River Weir in Stronach (Manistee County), Michigan, is tentatively scheduled to begin Tuesday, April 14. The facility is open to the public for up-close viewing during egg-collection operations. This annual egg collection is popular viewing for anglers, students and anyone interested in learning more about fish.

Steelhead provide sport fishing opportunities for both open-water fishing on the Great Lakes and tributary stream fishing, making the species a favorite of many anglers. Yearling steelhead produced through hatchery operations are stocked in select tributaries of all the Great Lakes.

Since 1968, the Little Manistee River Weir has served as the sole source of winter-run steelhead eggs for fish hatcheries in Michigan and the main source for Ohio and Indiana. Read more

Is there a favorite lake where you love to swim, boat or fish? Do you want to take part in protecting the water quality of that lake? If so, you’re invited to become a volunteer lake monitor for the MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program.

For more than 50 years, CLMP volunteers have collected valuable data on inland lakes statewide. This information is used by residents, local communities, researchers and state agencies like the DNR to better protect and manage Michigan’s 11,000 inland lakes and the fish and wildlife that rely on them.

This community science opportunity gives an inside look into what’s happening in your favorite lake. Volunteers receive detailed instructions, training and equipment to collect this data. You choose which lake to sample and which measurements to take. You can collect data on water quality (water clarity, nutrients, dissolved oxygen and algae), invasive species, native plants and shoreline conditions.

Free training is available May 1 and May 7. There is a small fee to cover the costs of supplies and analyzing samples, but volunteers often can collaborate with local lake associations or other organizations to help pay for these costs. Read more