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Lake Trout ⚠ Special Concern

🔬 Salvelinus namaycush

Deep, cold-water species. Excellent in the Great Lakes and deep inland lakes.

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🏆 Michigan record 61 lbs 8 oz ·Robert Tait ·Lake Superior ·Keweenaw County ·1952 All records →
Bite this month
Excellent
📅
Best season
Winter, Spring
📏
Keeper size
18" at ~8 yrs
🧊
Ice fishing
Viable target
📋
Regulations
15" min · limit 5

🌊 Where to Catch Lake Trout in Michigan

Lake County Population
Charlevoix Lake
17,260 acres
 Charlevoix Excellent
Crooked Lake
650 acres
 Emmet Excellent
Crystal Lake
9,854 acres
 Benzie Excellent
Elk Lake
7,793 acres
 Antrim Excellent
Glen Lake
4,944 acres
 Leelanau Excellent
Higgins Lake
9,600 acres
 Roscommon Excellent
Lake Michigamme
4,149 acres
 Marquette Excellent
Otsego Lake
1,989 acres
 Otsego Excellent
Pickerel Lake
830 acres
 Cheboygan Excellent
Portage Lake
800 acres
 Washtenaw Excellent
Ackerman Lake Alger Good
Anna River Alger Good
Au Sable River Crawford Good
Au Sable River Oscoda Good
Au Train River Alger Good
AuGres Arenac Good
Avalon Lake Montmorency Good
Barber Creek Allegan Good
Bass Lake (Long Lake Township) Grand Traverse Good
Beatons Lake Gogebic Good

🛡 Lake Trout Conservation Status

⚠ Special Concern Lake Trout is listed as a species of special concern in Michigan. Native to Michigan and all Great Lakes. Not listed as Threatened in the current DNR fish list, reflecting significant recovery from near-extirpation caused by sea lamprey predation in the 1950s-60s. Ongoing sea lamprey control and MDNR stocking programs have rebuilt inland and Great Lakes populations. Still carefully managed with size and bag limits. Michigan requires a minimum length of 15" to keep. The daily bag limit is 5.
Lake Trout

🌿 Lake Trout Habitat & Behavior

Deep, cold inland lakes and the Great Lakes. Requires 55°F or colder water. Found in depths of 60–200 feet in summer. DNR records show Lake Trout present in 157 Michigan water bodies. Highest stocking activity on record is in Allegan, Antrim and Cheboygan counties. Bite activity rates Good or better in Jan, Feb, Mar, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec. Lake Trout is a viable ice fishing target in Michigan.

🎣 Best Lake Trout Techniques

Jigging spoons deep, vertical jigging

🪱 Best Lake Trout Baits

Tube jigs, swimbaits, spoons, live smelt, cut bait

📋 Lake Trout Fishing Regulations in Michigan

15"
Minimum size
5
Daily limit
10
Possession limit
Year-round on Great Lakes; inland lakes vary
Season

Primarily found in Great Lakes and deep cold inland lakes. Jigging in 60–120 feet is most productive.

⚠️ 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 Lake Trout Stocking Records

📋 Lake Trout Stocking Events by Lake

Date Lake County Quantity Size
Jun 17, 2026 Cheboygan harbor, Lake Huron Cheboygan County Cheboygan 405,189 total 6.8"–7.5"
Jun 16, 2026 St. Marys River Chippewa County Chippewa 100,275 total 7.5"
Jun 3, 2026 Lake Michigan Allegan County Allegan 502,863 total 6.7"–7.3"

Showing the 25 most recent stocking events for Lake Trout, across 3 lakes. Lakes with several events can be expanded.

📦 Lake Trout DNR Stocking History

Total stocked: 242,838,106
Stocking events: 5,440
Peak year: 1989 (9,981,501)
5,440
Historical stocking events
122
Lakes stocked
Apr
Next likely stocking window
Peak Stocking Months
May Apr Jun
Top Stocked Lakes
Lake Michigan Allegan Co.
Lake Michigan Antrim Co.
Cheboygan harbor, Lake Huron Cheboygan Co.
Waiska Bay, Lake Superior
Crystal Lake Benzie Co.

Forecast based on historical DNR stocking patterns. Not a guarantee of future stocking. Verify with the Michigan DNR.

🎯 Estimated Mature Lake Trout, October

Based on DNR stocking records from 2016–2020 (6–10 years ago), these 15 lakes likely hold mature Lake Trout at or near 18" keeper size today.

1
Lake Michigan
Allegan County  ·  Stocked May 2020  ·  8,906,879 fish stocked
~1,929,900 est. mature
→
2
Lake Michigan
Antrim County  ·  Stocked May 2020  ·  8,046,163 fish stocked
~1,739,400 est. mature
→
3
Cheboygan harbor, Lake Huron
Cheboygan County  ·  Stocked May 2020  ·  4,477,473 fish stocked
~915,800 est. mature
→
4
Manistique River
Schoolcraft County  ·  Stocked Apr 2020  ·  1,085,489 fish stocked
~167,100 est. mature
→
5
Grid 0816
Michigan  ·  Stocked Apr 2020  ·  349,326 fish stocked
~59,300 est. mature
→
6
Crystal Lake
Benzie County  ·  Stocked Apr 2020  ·  209,364 fish stocked
~41,400 est. mature
→
7
St. Marys River
Chippewa County  ·  Stocked Apr 2020  ·  153,337 fish stocked
~33,000 est. mature
→
8
Higgins Lake
Roscommon County  ·  Stocked Apr 2020  ·  183,205 fish stocked
~29,000 est. mature
→
9
Waiska Bay, Lake Superior
Michigan  ·  Stocked Apr 2020  ·  105,669 fish stocked
~26,400 est. mature
→
10
Grid 0213
Michigan  ·  Stocked Apr 2020  ·  139,261 fish stocked
~20,900 est. mature
→
11
Betsie River
Manistee County  ·  Stocked Apr 2019  ·  135,543 fish stocked
~20,300 est. mature
→
12
Betsie River
Benzie County  ·  Stocked Apr 2019  ·  135,543 fish stocked
~20,300 est. mature
→
13
Grid 0314
Michigan  ·  Stocked Jun 2018  ·  80,512 fish stocked
~20,100 est. mature
→
14
Glen Lake
Leelanau County  ·  Stocked Mar 2020  ·  71,723 fish stocked
~13,900 est. mature
→
15
North Lake Leelanau
Leelanau County  ·  Stocked Mar 2020  ·  67,906 fish stocked
~12,500 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 Lake Trout

❄️ Lake Trout is a popular ice fishing target in Michigan.

💡 Angler Tips for Lake Trout

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📋 Quick Lake Trout Facts

📈 Growth Timeline

🔗 Resources

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