BirdTroutOpen the map Is the Kalamazoo River good for rainbow trout?
Yes, with a caveat. Michigan stocks rainbow trout into the Kalamazoo River, and the river's measured July mean of 69.2 °F runs above the 55–65 °F this fish prefers but below the 75 °F it stops feeding at — so the cold stretches carry it and the warm ones are marginal in high summer. Across 2 gauged stretches the July mean runs 65.0–77.6 °F, so the answer changes with where you stand on it. Fish of 8–16 inches are what Michigan reports as typical. The river is designated Type 1, Type 2 and Type 4 trout water, which is what sets the size and creel limits.
What the state's records say
- Species
- Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
- In Michigan
- introduced
- Record here
- stocked — no survey record on this water
- Holds in
- 55–65 °F, stops feeding above 75 °F
- Typical
- 8–16 inches
- Spawns
- Spring — March into May — on gravel, which is what separates it from the two autumn spawners above.
Introduced from Pacific-slope stock in the 1880s. The lake-run form — steelhead — is the same species, and the rivers that hold resident rainbows are largely the rivers steelhead run.
Is the water cold enough
Measured, not modelled: 2 gauged stretches of this river average 69.2 °F in July (65.0–77.6 °F across them), against the 55–65 °F this fish holds in and the 75 °F it stops feeding at.
| Gauge | Now | July mean |
|---|---|---|
| Dickinson Creek near Ceresco | 54.3 °F | 65.0 °F |
| New Richmond | 63.9 °F | 77.6 °F |
What you may keep
| Reach type | Miles | Minimum | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 3 Non Designated | 28.9 | 10″ | January 1st–December 31st |
From Michigan's own regulation tables, per designated type, and the current digest is the authority rather than this page. Full regulations for this river →
What to fish for it
- Fish Eggs — October–January and April, #10–16
- Little Black Stonefly — January–April, #16–18
- Little Brown Stonefly — February–April, #12–16
- Blue-Winged Olive — March–May and September–November, #16–22
- Blackfly — April–June, #18–22
- Blue Quill — April–May, #16–18
- Cranefly — April–June and September–October, #6–10
- Grannom — April–May, #14–16
The insects recorded from this river's region, earliest first. The full calendar →
More about Kalamazoo River
Kalamazoo River — live water temperature, regulations and access