Betsie River
Fishing and stocking
Stocked April to May in 2026, heaviest in April: brown trout and rainbow trout, 7 plants in all. One of 3 stocked waters on the Benzie County record.
Benzie County · Michigan · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Brown trout
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1 | Brown trout | adult | 25,990 | completed |
| Apr 1 | Brown trout | adult | 10,496 | completed |
| Apr 1 | Brown trout | adult | 10,500 | completed |
| Apr 13 | Rainbow trout | adult | 20,500 | completed |
| May 14 | Brown trout x 2 sections | adult | 4,000 | completed |
| May 14 | Brown trout | adult | 3,998 | completed |
When to fish Betsie River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:23 am-12:23 pm and 10:46 pm-12:46 am | 4:40-5:40 am and 4:53-5:53 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:09 am-1:09 pm | 5:52-6:52 am and 5:14-6:14 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked May 14
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grace Road | boat ramp | no fee · accessible facilities |
| Grass Lake State Forest Campground | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| Homestead Dam | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| Lower River Road | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
| River Road | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| US-31 | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
Access points from the Michigan DNR boating access inventory. Ramps, fees, and hours change; check before towing a boat a long way.
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (brown trout stocked 6 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Light spinning rod | 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches |
| Inline spinners | 1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams |
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lake | 4.2 mi | Apr 16 |
| Platte River | 8.4 mi | May 6 |
| Bear Lake | 14 mi | Jun 30 |
| Portage Lake | 19 mi | Jun 2 |
| Glen Lake | 21 mi | Apr 15 |
Follow Benzie County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule