Manistee River
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout and brown trout water; 3 stockings on the 2026 record, all in April. One of 6 stocked waters on the Kalkaska County record.
Kalkaska 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 9 | Rainbow trout | adult | 5,195 | completed |
| Apr 9 | Brown trout | adult | 11,295 | completed |
| Apr 27 | Rainbow trout | adult | 5,200 | completed |
When to fish Manistee 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 4:54-5:54 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:09 am-1:09 pm | 5:52-6:52 am and 5:15-6:15 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 27
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Mile Bend | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| Burnt Cabin | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| CCC Bridge State Forest Campground | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
| Hole in the Fence | boat ramp | no fee |
| Hole in the Wall | boat ramp | no fee |
| Rainbow Jim Bridge | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
| Sand Banks | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| Smithville | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
| West Sharon Road | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
| Yellow Trees Landing | boat ramp | no fee |
| 4 Mile Bend | carry-in launch | Recreation Passport required |
| Tin Can | carry-in launch | Recreation Passport required |
Plus 1 more listed access point on this water.
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 (rainbow trout stocked 2 times here in 2026, moving water)
| 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 |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Little Manistee River | 4.2 mi | May 6 |
| Portage Lake | 9.6 mi | Jun 2 |
| Hamlin Lake | 13 mi | Jun 2 |
| Bear Lake | 16 mi | Jun 30 |
| Big Sable River | 17 mi | May 13 |
Follow Kalkaska County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule