Black River (South Haven)
Fishing and stocking
Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, and walleye water, stocked 3 times in 2026, spread May to June; 155,307 fish reported. The most-stocked water on the Van Buren County record for 2026.
Van Buren 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
Rainbow trout
Chinook salmon
Walleye
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | Rainbow trout | adult | 20,101 | completed |
| May 8 | Chinook salmon | yearling | 124,639 | completed |
| Jun 10 | Walleye | fingerling | 10,567 | completed |
When to fish Black River (South Haven)
| 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 4:54-5:54 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:09 am-1:09 pm | 5:50-6:50 am and 5:17-6:17 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 Jun 10
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
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 (rainbow trout stocked 1 time here in 2026, moving water)
| Waders or wet-wading boots | stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge |
| 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 |
For the salmon and steelhead (chinook salmon stocked 1 time here in 2026, moving water)
| Medium spinning rod | 8 to 9 ft with 8 to 12 lb line; big water, big runs |
| Spoons and spinners | 1/4 to 1/2 oz metal; cast across and swing through the run |
| Beads and egg imitations | drifted under a float where bait rules allow |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pine Creek | 14 mi | Apr 27 |
| Mill Creek | 15 mi | Apr 21 |
| Brush Creek | 17 mi | Apr 27 |
| Shafer Lake | 17 mi | Apr 1 |
| Blue Creek | 19 mi | Apr 21 |
Follow Van Buren County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule