Platte River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Coho salmon and rainbow trout water; 11 stockings on the 2026 record, spread April to May, heaviest in April. The most-stocked water on the Benzie County record for 2026. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Benzie 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
Coho salmon
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8 | Coho salmon | adult | 76,134 | completed |
| Apr 20 | Rainbow trout | adult | 20,998 | completed |
| Apr 22 | Coho salmon | adult | 75,131 | completed |
| Apr 27 | Coho salmon | adult | 28,799 | completed |
| Apr 27 | Coho salmon | adult | 9,351 | completed |
| Apr 27 | Coho salmon | adult | 57,600 | completed |
| Apr 28 | Coho salmon | adult | 66,250 | completed |
| Apr 28 | Coho salmon | adult | 28,971 | completed |
| Apr 30 | Coho salmon | adult | 61,200 | completed |
| Apr 30 | Coho salmon | adult | 33,988 | completed |
| May 6 | Coho salmon | adult | 228,964 | completed |
When to fish Platte River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:22 am-12:22 pm and 10:45 pm-12:45 am | 4:39-5:39 am and 4:53-5:53 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:09 am-1:09 pm | 5:52-6:52 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 May 6
- Flow near normal for the season
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan Road | boat ramp | no fee |
| Platte River State Forest Campground | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required |
| Veterans Memorial State Forest Campground | boat ramp | 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 salmon and steelhead (coho salmon stocked 10 times 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 |
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 1 time here in 2026, moving water)
| 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 |
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lake | 4.9 mi | Apr 16 |
| Betsie River | 8.4 mi | May 14 |
| Glen Lake | 13 mi | Apr 15 |
| Green Lake | 20 mi | Apr 20 |
| Bear Lake | 21 mi | Jun 30 |
Follow Benzie County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule