← Jackson County

Swains Lake

📍 Jackson County, Michigan

Swains Lake is a fishing water in Jackson County, Michigan (Southern Lake Michigan management unit).

30
Fish species
0
Boat launches
✓
Public access
Conditions today D 40/100 Below-average Last stocked Mar 31, 2026 Rainbow Trout, 215 days ago Keeper size (estimated) Rainbow Trout Stocked fish likely at keeper size by now Access 0 boat launches Public access

📊 Fishing Conditions

The fishing conditions score rates how favorable Swains Lake looks for the day you pick (today by default), from 0 to 100. It adds up five things: how recently the lake was stocked, the moon phase, the season, how many game and panfish species live here (such as bluegill, rainbow trout and yellow perch), and the size of the lake. It does not include the weather forecast. The cards below show how many points each factor contributed.

D
40/100
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Conditions score

Below-average, consider a different lake or time of day.

🎣 Stocking
Last stocked Mar 31, 2026
Last: Mar 31, 2026
🌗 Moon Phase
Last Quarter
Feeding bonus
🍃 Season
Late Fall: fish fattening up
November
🐟 Species
5 game species present
Game & panfish
📐 Lake Size
Size unknown
Surface area

Fishing Tips for Swains Lake Today

Fall fish at Swains Lake are feeding heavily before winter. Match the forage: shad, crawfish, and perch patterns work well.

📊 Fishing Pressure

Fishing pressure is our estimate of how busy Swains Lake is likely to be today. It looks at the day of the week, the time of year, and whether the lake has been stocked recently, because fresh stockings tend to draw anglers. Lower pressure usually means more room to work the water for bluegill, rainbow trout and yellow perch.

Moderate estimated pressure today
Weekend Popular stocking lake

Moderate activity expected. Midweek mornings are typically quieter.

Estimate based on day of week, season, and recent stocking. Not a live crowd count.

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📅 Best Time to Fish Swains Lake

Combined bite activity across all 30 species in this lake.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

📏 Fishing Regulations

Statewide general rules for the species found here. Individual waters can have exceptions (special size limits, closed seasons, trout lake types), so check this lake's listing in the official DNR Fishing Guide before heading out.
SpeciesMin sizeDaily limit
BluegillNone25 sunfish combined
Rainbow Trout8" (most inland lakes)5 trout, max 3 over 15"
Yellow PerchNone25
Redear SunfishNone25 sunfish combined
📅 Stocking Timeline 5-year history
10 Stocking events
51,852 Fish stocked
1 Species
216d Since last stock
373d Longest gap
Rainbow Trout 51,852
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Today
Qty / event
May '17
Apr '18
Apr '19
Apr '20
Apr '21
Apr '22
Apr '23
Apr '24
Apr '25
Mar '26

📋 Swains Lake Stocking Records

Date Species Quantity Size
Mar 31, 2026 Rainbow Trout 5,200 6.0"
Apr 9, 2025 Rainbow Trout 5,200 6.5"
Apr 1, 2024 Rainbow Trout 5,485 6.4"
Apr 4, 2023 Rainbow Trout 4,785 6.4"
Apr 12, 2022 Rainbow Trout 5,000 6.9"
Apr 8, 2021 Rainbow Trout 4,997 6.1"
Apr 8, 2020 Rainbow Trout 4,800 6.7"
Apr 24, 2019 Rainbow Trout 5,499 6.2"
Apr 24, 2018 Rainbow Trout 5,397 6.2"
May 1, 2017 Rainbow Trout 5,489 6.2"
Apr 18, 2016 Rainbow Trout 4,900 6.5"
Apr 20, 2015 Rainbow Trout 5,200 6.5"
Apr 16, 2014 Rainbow Trout 5,197 6.6"
Apr 30, 2013 Rainbow Trout 5,100 6.9"
Mar 20, 2012 Rainbow Trout 4,999 6.5"
Apr 13, 2011 Rainbow Trout 5,197 6.5"
Apr 12, 2010 Rainbow Trout 5,199 6.6"
Apr 20, 2009 Rainbow Trout 5,397 6.5"
Apr 9, 2008 Rainbow Trout 5,000 6.5"
Apr 3, 2007 Rainbow Trout 5,398 5.9"
Apr 13, 2006 Rainbow Trout 4,996 6.0"
Apr 19, 2005 Rainbow Trout 6,045 7.2"
Apr 12, 2004 Rainbow Trout 5,496 7.0"
Apr 10, 2003 Rainbow Trout 5,000 5.9"
Apr 17, 2002 Rainbow Trout 5,000 6.3"
Showing 25 of 51 stocking records, newest first

* Records shown are from our database. For the most current data, visit the Michigan DNR directly.

📅 Stocking Forecast

Based on 51 historical stocking events at this lake. Next likely stocking window: Mar.
Peak Stocking Months
Apr Mar May
Most Stocked Species
Rainbow Trout Redear Sunfish

* Forecast is based on historical DNR data and is not a guarantee of future stocking.

⚓ Swains Lake Boat Launches

No launch data on record for this lake. Browse all Michigan boat launches.

💡 Angler Tips for Swains Lake

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🌤 Current Swains Lake Weather Conditions

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🔗 Resources

📋 DNR Stocking Database 📖 Michigan Fishing Guide (PDF) 🗺 View on Map 📍 Google Maps 🎣 Log a catch here