Flat River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Rainbow trout water; one stocking on the 2026 record, in April. One of 7 stocked waters on the Kent County record. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Kent 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
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28 | Rainbow trout | adult | 5,295 | completed |
When to fish Flat River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:19 am-12:19 pm and 10:42 pm-12:42 am | 4:36-5:36 am and 4:51-5:51 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:05 am-1:05 pm | 5:47-6:47 am and 5:12-6:12 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 Apr 28
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)
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
| 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 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pratt Lake Creek | 3.3 mi | May 6 |
| Lake Creek | 6.3 mi | May 6 |
| Duck Creek | 11 mi | May 20 |
| Bellamy Creek | 11 mi | May 6 |
| Coldwater River | 12 mi | May 6 |
Follow Kent County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule