Little Muskegon River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Rainbow trout and brown trout water; 6 stockings on the 2026 record, all in April. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live, water temperature included.
Mecosta 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
Brown trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7 | Brown trout x 2 sections | adult | 1,200 | completed |
| Apr 7 | Rainbow trout | adult | 1,300 | completed |
| Apr 7 | Rainbow trout x 3 sections | adult | 1,800 | completed |
When to fish Little Muskegon River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:21 am-12:21 pm and 10:43 pm-12:43 am | 4:37-5:37 am and 4:52-5:52 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:07 am-1:07 pm | 5:48-6:48 am and 5:13-6:13 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 7
- Water 53 °F, prime coldwater range
- Flow 63% of the seasonal median
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rustford Pond | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| Altona | carry-in launch | 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. The gauge reads 53 degrees, prime coldwater temperature; fish confidently through the day.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 4 times 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tamarack Creek | 4.1 mi | May 21 |
| Fremont Lake | 15 mi | Jun 3 |
| Lincoln Lake | 20 mi | Jun 9 |
| North Branch Crockery Creek | 22 mi | May 21 |
| Condon Lake | 25 mi | May 7 |
Follow Michigan stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule