BirdTroutOpen the map Is the Muskegon River good for rainbow trout?
Yes, with a caveat. Michigan stocks rainbow trout into the Muskegon River, and the river's measured July mean of 72.1 °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 4 gauged stretches the July mean runs 66.0–74.3 °F, so the answer changes with where you stand on it. Fish of 8–16 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: 4 gauged stretches of this river average 72.1 °F in July (66.0–74.3 °F across them), against the 55–65 °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 | 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 Muskegon River
Muskegon River — live water temperature, regulations and access