Is the Muskegon River good for brown trout?

Yes, with a caveat. Michigan stocks brown trout into the Muskegon River, and the river's measured July mean of 72.1 °F runs above the 54–66 °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 4 gauged stretches the July mean runs 66.0–74.3 °F, so the answer changes with where you stand on it. Fish of 8–18 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.

Open Muskegon River on the map See Muskegon River on the live map → Every reach coloured by water temperature, with the public land and access points along it.

What the state's records say

Species: Brown trout (Salmo trutta)
In Michigan: introduced
Record here: stocked — no survey record on this water
Holds in: 54–66 °F, stops feeding above 75 °F
Typical: 8–18 inches
Spawns: Late October into December, on gravel riffles, later in the season than the rainbow and overlapping the brook trout.

Introduced. The first brown trout planted in North American water went into the Pere Marquette in April 1884, from German eggs by way of the Northville hatchery — the river is still fished for the descendants.

Is the water cold enough

Measured, not modelled: 4 gauged stretches of this river average 72.1 °F in July (66.0–74.3 °F across them), against the 54–66 °F this fish holds in and the 75 °F it stops feeding at.

Gauge	Now	July mean
Big Rapids	59.9 °F	72.9 °F
Stanwood	61.5 °F	74.3 °F
Oxbow	66.2 °F	66.0 °F
Croton	66.0 °F	70.8 °F

What you may keep

Reach type	Miles	Minimum	Season
Type 4 Designated	36.3	10″	January 1st–December 31st
Type 3 Designated	55.4	15″	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 Muskegon River

Muskegon River — live water temperature, regulations and access

Nearby rivers for brown trout

Hersey River 1.1 mi