Splake Introduced
🔬 Salvelinus fontinalis x namaycush
A stocked hybrid of brook trout (female) and lake trout (male) produced at Michigan DNR hatcheries. Grows significantly faster than either parent species and reaches catchable size years earlier than lake trout. Provides quality fishing in cold, deep inland lakes where natural reproduction is not the goal. Sometimes called "wendigo" trout.
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Bite this month
Excellent
Best season
Winter, Spring, Fall
Keeper size
12" at ~3 yrs
Ice fishing
Viable target
Regulations
15" min · limit 5
Where to Catch Splake in Michigan
| Lake | County | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Ackerman Lake | Alger | |
| Anna River | Alger | |
|
Arbutus Lake
510 acres
|
Grand Traverse | |
| Arfelin Lake | Marquette | |
| Au Sable River | Crawford | |
| Au Sable River | Oscoda | |
| Avalon Lake | Montmorency | |
| Bass Lake | Dickinson | |
| Bass Lake (Long Lake Township) | Grand Traverse | |
| Beatons Lake | Gogebic | |
| Beaverhouse Lake | ||
| Belle Lake 1 | ||
| Benny Lake | ||
|
Big Blue Lake
620 acres
|
Muskegon | |
|
Big Twin Lake
210 acres
|
Wexford | |
| Blind Lake | ||
| Bullhead Lake | ||
| Camp Seven Lake | ||
|
Cass Lake
1,280 acres
|
Oakland | |
| Cedar Lake | Leelanau |
Splake Conservation Status
Introduced Splake was introduced to Michigan and is now an established part of the fishery. Sterile hatchery hybrid produced by crossing brook trout and lake trout. Stocked by MDNR in select northern Michigan lakes as a management tool -- provides quality trophy fishing without establishing a permanent population. Cannot be told apart from lake trout without close examination. Check the MDNR stocking report for your specific lake. Michigan requires a minimum length of 15" to keep. The daily bag limit is 5.
Splake Habitat & Behavior
Cold, deep inland lakes in northern Michigan. Stocked specifically in lakes that have suitable cold water depth but where establishing a self-sustaining lake trout population is not practical. Cannot reproduce -- all fish are hatchery-born. DNR records show Splake present in 113 Michigan water bodies. Highest stocking activity on record is in Marquette, Antrim and Gogebic counties. Bite activity rates Good or better in Jan, Feb, Mar, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec. Splake is a viable ice fishing target in Michigan.
Best Splake Techniques
Same techniques as lake trout and brook trout -- jigging spoons in deep water, trolling with downriggers, and ice fishing with large tube jigs and spoons near bottom in deep water
Best Splake Baits
Small jigs, minnows, spoons, wax worms, small swimbaits
Splake Fishing Regulations in Michigan
15"
Minimum size
5
Daily limit
10
Possession limit
Year-round on most stocked lakes
Season
Brook Trout à Lake Trout hybrid. Stocked in select deep, cold Michigan lakes. Great ice fishing target.
⚠️ Regulations shown are general statewide guidelines for 2025. Rules vary by water body and change annually.
Always verify current regulations in the official Michigan DNR Fishing Guide before you fish.
Michigan DNR Splake Stocking Records
Splake Stocking Events by Lake
| Date | Lake | County | Quantity | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Cheboygan harbor, Lake Huron Cheboygan County | Cheboygan | 40,490 total | 8.2" |
| Jun 30, 2026 | stocking event | 9,995 | 8.2" | |
| May 4, 2026 | stocking event | 20,500 | 8.2" | |
| May 4, 2026 | stocking event | 9,995 | 8.2" | |
| May 26, 2026 | Lake Angeline Marquette County | Marquette | 6,277 | 8.3" |
| May 22, 2026 | Lake Arfelin | 1,830 | 8.2" | |
| May 21, 2026 | Pretty Lake Luce County | Luce | 2,200 | 8.2" |
| May 21, 2026 | Tank Lake Luce County | Luce | 2,199 | 8.2" |
| May 14, 2026 | Neds Lake | 310 | 8.3" | |
| May 14, 2026 | Twilight Lake Schoolcraft County | Schoolcraft | 1,198 | 8.3" |
| May 8, 2026 | Waiska Bay, Lake Superior | 81,333 total | 8"–8.2" | |
| May 8, 2026 | stocking event | 7,568 | 8.1" | |
| May 8, 2026 | stocking event | 14,987 | 8" | |
| May 8, 2026 | stocking event | 17,987 | 8" | |
| May 7, 2026 | stocking event | 20,395 | 8" | |
| May 5, 2026 | stocking event | 20,396 | 8.2" | |
| Apr 28, 2026 | Lake Ellen Iron County | Iron | 4,300 | 7.8" |
| Apr 28, 2026 | Sporley Lake Marquette County | Marquette | 1,999 | 7.8" |
| Apr 28, 2026 | Big Twin Lake Wexford County | Wexford | 420 | 7.8" |
| Apr 27, 2026 | Moon Lake Luce County | Luce | 3,100 | 7.8" |
| Apr 27, 2026 | Imp Lake Gogebic County | Gogebic | 3,100 | 7.8" |
| Apr 27, 2026 | Moon Lake Gogebic County | Gogebic | 3,100 | 7.8" |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Thumb (Louise) Lake | 10,199 | 7.9" | |
| Apr 22, 2026 | Avalon Lake Montmorency County | Montmorency | 20,398 | 7.9" |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Clear Lake Schoolcraft County | Schoolcraft | 8,249 | 7.9" |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Clear Lake Houghton County | Houghton | 8,249 | 7.9" |
| Mar 26, 2026 | Maceday Lake Oakland County | Oakland | 10,200 | 7" |
Showing the 25 most recent stocking events for Splake, across 19 lakes. Lakes with several events can be expanded.
Splake DNR Stocking History
Total stocked: 17,309,387
Stocking events: 2,045
Peak year: 1995 (871,106)
2,045
Historical stocking events
100
Lakes stocked
Apr
Next likely stocking window
Peak Stocking Months
May
Apr
Jun
Top Stocked Lakes
Forecast based on historical DNR stocking patterns. Not a guarantee of future stocking. Verify with the Michigan DNR.
Estimated Mature Splake, November
Based on DNR stocking records from 2022–2024 (2–4 years ago), these 15 lakes likely hold mature Splake at or near 12" keeper size today.
1
Waiska Bay, Lake Superior
~35,400
est. mature
→
2
Cheboygan harbor, Lake Huron
~24,200
est. mature
→
3
Avalon Lake
~16,000
est. mature
→
4
Thumb (Louise) Lake
~10,900
est. mature
→
5
Lake Superior - Keweenaw Bay
~10,500
est. mature
→
6
Maceday Lake
~7,900
est. mature
→
7
Clear Lake
~5,900
est. mature
→
8
Clear Lake
~5,900
est. mature
→
9
Lake Angeline
~5,600
est. mature
→
10
Lake Ellen
~2700
est. mature
→
11
Imp Lake
~2200
est. mature
→
12
Mirror Lake
~2150
est. mature
→
13
Golden Lake
~1600
est. mature
→
14
Big Twin Lake
~1600
est. mature
→
15
Tank Lake
~1450
est. mature
→
Estimates based on average stocking-size survival rates. Actual populations vary by habitat, fishing pressure, and lake conditions. Data sourced from Michigan DNR.
Best Times to Fish Splake
❄️ Splake is a popular ice fishing target in Michigan.
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