The fishing season never ends in Michigan. Depending on your preferences and hardiness, you can move from one type of fish to the next, fishing year-round. With a little patience and know-how, you can catch just about anything in the state's many rivers, streams and lakes, as well as the Great Lakes.
Spring
Early spring brings one the most-anticipated fishing events in Michigan: the start of walleye season on the state's rivers. You can fish all year for walleye in the Great Lakes, but the real fun begins on the last Saturday in April when the season reopens after closing on March 15 to give the fish an opportunity to spawn. Many anglers make a yearly tradition of the opening of walleye season. Another spring ritual is smelt dipping. These tiny fish swarm in Great Lakes tributaries in the early spring not long after the ice melts. Fishermen catch them in large numbers in nets at night, then fry them and eat them whole.
Summer
Summer fishing brings lazy days on the lake or the riverbank fishing for perch or bass, or trolling the deep, cold waters of one of the big lakes for the trophy lake trout that have moved back out into open water. You can take a charter fishing trip on the big lakes, or use your own boat or a rental on the many smaller inland lakes. Bass is the primary fish of the summer season, when lakes are warm and calm, and bait fish abound, bringing in some large tournament bass events. But you can catch many kinds of fish during the Michigan summer.
Fall
Steelhead and salmon, like walleye, move into the inland rivers in the fall. While some anglers prefer the spring run, many wait until fall to head to the riverbanks, sometimes shoulder to shoulder with others trying to catch these great-tasting fish. After the heat of summer dissipates, many fish begin to move again. Fish follow the urge to bulk up for leaner months, and salmon especially begin the migration for their spawning grounds.
Winter
Ice fishing is a winter tradition in many areas of Michigan. As soon as the ice is thick enough, anglers head to their favorite spots. You don't need an ice-fishing shanty, but they can come in handy in the cold Michigan winter. On some lakes, entire cities of shanties spring up, although some areas prohibit these seasonally permanent structures on the ice. Popular species for winter fishing are pike, crappie, black bass, bluegill and perch.
Regulations
Regardless of when and where you fish, you need a license to fish in Michigan if you are 17 or older, except for two weekends a year when anyone can fish without a license. There are many license options, depending on whether you are a Michigan resident, your age and the species you want to catch. You also need to follow the state's regulations regarding when you can fish for certain species. And, there are size or catch number limits on many species. Check the the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, in References, for specifics.
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