Cheboygan River
Fishing and stocking
Chinook salmon and rainbow trout water; 2 stockings on the 2026 record, all in May. One of 5 stocked waters on the Cheboygan County record.
Cheboygan 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
Chinook salmon
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11 | Chinook salmon | yearling | 76,109 | completed |
| May 13 | Rainbow trout | adult | 11,692 | completed |
When to fish Cheboygan River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:16 am-12:16 pm and 10:38 pm-12:38 am | 4:32-5:32 am and 4:46-5:46 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:02 am-1:02 pm | 5:46-6:46 am and 5:05-6:05 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 13
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cheboygan Dam | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
| Garfield Road | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| The Forks | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
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 salmon and steelhead (chinook salmon stocked 1 time here in 2026, moving water)
| 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 |
| Trolling flies and dodgers | for landlocked salmon in the lakes, early and late in the day |
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 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Long Lake | 9.1 mi | Jun 9 |
| Little Sturgeon River | 19 mi | Apr 25 |
| Ocqueoc Lake | 21 mi | Jun 9 |
| Ocqueoc River | 22 mi | Apr 30 |
| Nunns Creek | 26 mi | Apr 27 |
Follow Cheboygan County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule