Muskegon River

Rainbow trout and brown trout water; 15 stockings on the 2026 record.

Newaygo County · Michigan · see it on the national map

Water right now 7.17 ft gage height USGS gauge 04122025 (MUSKEGON RIVER AT BRIDGETON, MI) · 2026-08-28 17:00

15 stockings 2026

May 19 last stocked

252,334 fish reported

The year here

stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details

What swims here

Rainbow trout 8 stockings

Brown trout 6 stockings

Coho salmon 1 stocking

Stocking record 2026

Date	Species	Size	Fish	Status
Apr 6	Coho salmon	adult	42,497	completed
Apr 14	Rainbow trout	adult	36,119	completed
May 1	Rainbow trout	adult	21,986	completed
May 4	Brown trout x 2 sections	adult	9,400	completed
May 5	Rainbow trout	adult	10,300	completed
May 5	Brown trout	adult	18,800	completed
May 5	Brown trout	adult	9,400	completed
May 5	Rainbow trout	adult	20,700	completed
May 6	Rainbow trout	adult	20,700	completed
May 6	Brown trout	adult	9,400	completed
May 6	Rainbow trout	adult	20,695	completed
May 7	Rainbow trout	adult	8,708	completed
May 18	Rainbow trout	adult	6,489	completed
May 19	Brown trout	adult	7,740	completed

Getting on the water

Access point	Type	Notes
Anderson Flats	boat ramp	Recreation Passport required
Bridgeton River Launch Park	boat ramp	Recreation Passport required
High Rollway Thornapple	boat ramp	Recreation Passport required
Maple Island	boat ramp	Recreation Passport required
New Bridge	boat ramp	Recreation Passport required
Pine Street	boat ramp	Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities
Henning Park	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.

For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 8 times here in 2026, moving water)

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
Waders or wet-wading boots	stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge

For the salmon and steelhead (coho 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
Mona Lake	5.7 mi	Jun 9
White Lake	11 mi	Jun 9
Grand River (Ottawa County)	14 mi	Apr 22
Grand River	14 mi	Apr 29
Grand River (Portland)	14 mi	Apr 28

Records from Michigan DNR (official page). Placement from USGS GNIS. Schedules change without notice. Seasons, limits, and licenses: Michigan fishing regulations.