2026 regulation year
Michigan Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
Michigan offers all-species licences covering inland and Great Lakes waters. Trout, salmon, steelhead, and lake trout have type-A waters with stream-specific seasons; the all-species licence covers them all but a free Lake Sturgeon harvest tag is required separately.
Get change alerts
Watch Michigan fishing regulations and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.
License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual all-species | $26.00 | |
| Resident 24-hour all-species | $10.00 | |
| Resident 72-hour all-species | $30.00 | |
| Resident senior (65+) annual | $11.00 | |
| Resident under-17 annual | $2.00 |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual all-species | $76.00 | |
| Non-resident 24-hour all-species | $10.00 | |
| Non-resident 72-hour all-species | $30.00 |
Buy directly from Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| SteelheadCompare across states → | Year-round on Great Lakes; Type-1 streams open last Sat April – Sep 30 | 3 / day (combined trout + salmon, Great Lakes); 1 / day on listed streams | 10 in minimum (most waters); 15 in on listed streams |
| Chinook (king) salmonCompare across states → | Year-round on Great Lakes; rivers open during fall run | 5 / day (combined Pacific salmon) | 10 in minimum |
| WalleyeCompare across states → | Inland: last Sat April – Mar 15; Great Lakes: year-round | 5 / day (most waters) | 15 in minimum (most waters); 13 in on listed bays |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Catch-and-release: last Sat April – Sat before Memorial Day; harvest after | 5 / day (combined with largemouth) | 14 in minimum |
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | C&R all year; possession May 23 – Dec 31 (Lake St. Clair June 20) | 5 / day (combined with smallmouth) | 14 in minimum |
| Lake troutCompare across states → | Zone-based; many Lake Huron and Lake Michigan zones year-round | 2–3 / day (zone-dependent) | 15–24 in minimum (zone-dependent) |
| MuskellungeCompare across states → | C&R all year; possession June 6 – Mar 15 | 1 per angler per license year | 42 in minimum |
| Yellow perchCompare across states → | Open year-round | 25 / day (50 on Lake Erie) | No minimum size |
Notable water-body special regulations
Flies-only artificial-only zone (M-37 to Gleason's Landing)
Flies-only, 15 in trout minimum, no-kill stretch
Manistee River below Tippy Dam
Fall salmon hot-spot, snagging prohibited, single-hook artificial only
Detroit River (border with ON)
Reciprocal licence required to cross; walleye special seasons
Muskegon River below Croton Dam
Major Lake Michigan tributary; salmon + steelhead run; snagging prohibited, single-hook artificial in season — verify designated-water rules at MI DNR
Lake Michigan tributary; salmon + steelhead seasonal run; snagging prohibited; weir + ladder access regulated
Trophy walleye fishery; designated harvest-zone restrictions and yellow perch slot rules — verify current bag at MI DNR
Shared MI/ON international water; muskie + walleye + smallmouth; reciprocal licence required to cross boundary line
Upper Peninsula trout + northern pike water; brook trout headwaters with no-kill / artificial-only stretches
Grand River (Sixth Street Dam, Grand Rapids)
Urban Lake Michigan tributary; fall salmon + spring steelhead run; snagging prohibited
Lake Michigan tributary via Grand Traverse Bay (Traverse City); restored corridor after Brown Bridge (2012) + Boardman + Sabin dam removals reopened upstream habitat; designated trout stream with gear regs on portions; fall salmon + spring steelhead — verify reach-specific rules at MI DNR
Lake Michigan tributary at Honor (Benzie County); site of the Platte River State Anadromous Fish Hatchery (origin of Great Lakes coho stocking, late 1960s); weir + ladder access regulated; documented gear restrictions in hatchery zones during coho + chinook runs
Lake Michigan tributary at Frankfort; Homestead Dam Weir at Benzie processes adult coho + chinook + steelhead returns; weir-zone gear restrictions; snagging prohibited; documented hatchery access regs
Only inland Michigan water with regulated lake-sturgeon harvest; short February spearing season with quota tags issued via MI DNR lottery (small annual quota — typical ~6 fish); also walleye + yellow perch fishery; verify current season + quota at MI DNR
Au Sable River, North Branch (Crawford County)
Flies-only gear-restricted trout water from Sheep Ranch downstream to the mainstream confluence (~20.7 mi); 2 trout / day with no more than 1 fish ≥ 18 in; size minimums brook + rainbow 10 in, brown 18 in; open all year
Au Sable River, South Branch (Crawford County)
Flies-only its entire length; the upper Mason Tract reach (Chase Bridge to Lower High Banks, ~4.3 mi) is no-kill (0 trout; children under 12 may keep 1 fish 8–12 in); the lower reach to the mainstream (~11.5 mi) allows 2 trout, no more than 1 fish ≥ 18 in; open all year
Au Sable River mainstream (Oscoda County)
Artificial-lures-only 'Trophy' reach from the Mio power line to Evans Road / McKinley Bridge (~15 mi); 2 trout / day with no more than 1 fish ≥ 18 in; size minimums brook 7 in, rainbow 10 in, brown 18 in; open all year
Manistee River, flies-only headwaters (Crawford / Kalkaska Counties)
Flies-only gear-restricted upper-river reach from M-72 to Sunset Trail Road (CCC Bridge, ~16.7 mi) — distinct from the lower salmon water below Tippy Dam; 2 trout / day, no more than 1 fish ≥ 18 in; size minimums brook + rainbow 10 in, brown 18 in; open all year
Manistee River, artificial-lures reach (Crawford County)
Artificial-lures-only upper-river reach from County Road 612 to M-72 (~9.2 mi); 2 trout / day, no more than 1 fish ≥ 18 in; size minimums brook + rainbow 10 in, brown 18 in; open all year
Pigeon River (Cheboygan / Otsego Counties)
Artificial-lures-only gear-restricted reach in the Pigeon River Country State Forest from the Elk Hill Campground horse trail to the Pine Grove Campground stairs (~5.3 mi); 2 trout / day with no more than 1 brown; size minimums brook + rainbow 10 in, brown 12 in; open all year
Artificial-lures-only Upper Peninsula reach from Boney Falls Dam to the mouth of Silver Creek (~14.2 mi); 2 trout / day; size minimums brook 10 in, brown + rainbow 12 in; open all year
Black River (Otsego / Montmorency Counties)
Artificial-lures-only reach in the Pigeon River Country State Forest from Tin Shanty Bridge Road to the Town Corner Lake stairs (~4.4 mi); 5 trout / day with no more than 2 brook; size minimums brook + rainbow 10 in, brown 8 in; open all year
Artificial-lures-only Upper Peninsula reach from the railroad bridge to the Middle Branch Ontonagon River confluence (~6.5 mi); 2 trout / day; 10 in minimum on all trout; open all year
Artificial-lures-only metro-Detroit trout stream from Gunn Road to Tienken Road (~5 mi); 2 trout / day; 14 in minimum on all trout; open last Saturday in April – September 30
Huron River — Proud Lake (Oakland County)
Extended-season flies-only reach below Proud Lake Dam (50 yd below the dam to 100 yd below Wixom Road, ~2 mi): flies-only, 0 trout (children under 12 may keep 1 fish 8–12 in) from April 1 to the Friday before the late-April trout opener; standard Type 1 rules in the regular season
Fox River (Schoolcraft County)
The Upper Peninsula stream Hemingway fictionalized as the 'Big Two-Hearted River'; the State Forest Campground-to-M-28 reach (~7.6 mi) carries an extended catch-season under artificial-lures-only from October 1 to the Friday before the late-April trout opener; standard Type 1 rules in the regular season
Upper Peninsula trout stream (US Forest Highway 16 to the South Branch Paint River, ~4.5 mi) with an extended flies-only catch-season from October 1 to the Friday before the late-April trout opener; Type 2 rules in the regular season
Paint River, South Branch (Iron County)
Upper Peninsula reach from the mouth of Cooks Run to the mouth of the North Branch Paint River (~10 mi) with an extended flies-only catch-season from October 1 to the Friday before the late-April trout opener; Type 2 rules in the regular season
Little Manistee River (Lake County)
Flies-only gear-restricted reach from North Peacock Trail (Spencer's Bridge) to Johnson Road (~7.5 mi); open April 1 – December 31; 2 fish / day in any combination of trout + salmon; size minimums brown 15 in, all other trout + salmon 10 in
Great-Lakes-strain muskellunge broodstock lake — 50 in minimum size limit on muskellunge (above the common statewide minimums) and pike + musky restricted to hook-and-line; statewide 1-musky-per-year harvest cap + 24-hour registration apply
Inland Waterway — Burt Lake & Mullett Lake (Cheboygan County)
On Burt Lake, Mullett Lake, Indian River, the Crooked River below Crooked Lake, and the Cheboygan River the muskellunge minimum size limit is 46 in (above the common 42 in standard); statewide 1-musky-per-year cap + 24-hour registration apply
Lake Gogebic (Gogebic / Ontonagon Counties)
Largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula (~13,400 acres); special yellow-perch rule — 25 / day with no more than 5 perch ≥ 12 in (the statewide inland default is 25 / day with no size limit); strong walleye fishery
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in Michigan?
- Yes. Michigan requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from Michigan Department of Natural Resources; resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in Michigan?
- Resident fees range from $2.00 (resident under-17 annual) to $30.00 (resident 72-hour all-species); Non-resident fees range from $10.00 (non-resident 24-hour all-species) to $76.00 (non-resident annual all-species). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare Michigan against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in Michigan?
- Michigan anglers most commonly target Steelhead, Chinook (king) salmon, Walleye, Smallmouth bass, Largemouth bass, Lake trout, and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in Michigan?
- It depends on the species — Michigan sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific Michigan waters?
- Yes. 32 named Michigan waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Pere Marquette River, Au Sable River — Mason Tract, Manistee River below Tippy Dam, and 29 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the authoritative source for Michigan fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official Michigan fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Michigan Department of Natural Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Michigan trip during the active season.