Saint Joseph River
Fishing and stocking
Stocked March to June in 2026: rainbow trout, walleye, and coho salmon, 12 plants in all. The most-stocked water on the Berrien County record for 2026.
Berrien 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
Walleye
Coho salmon
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | Rainbow trout | adult | 19,900 | completed |
| Mar 26 | Rainbow trout | adult | 6,545 | completed |
| Apr 1 | Rainbow trout | adult | 20,584 | completed |
| Apr 1 | Coho salmon | adult | 53,000 | completed |
| Apr 1 | Coho salmon | adult | 26,492 | completed |
| Apr 1 | Rainbow trout | adult | 35,238 | completed |
| Apr 1 | Rainbow trout | adult | 5,245 | completed |
| Jun 3 | Walleye | fingerling | 23,062 | completed |
| Jun 3 | Walleye | fingerling | 15,072 | completed |
| Jun 3 | Walleye | fingerling | 20,105 | completed |
| Jun 9 | Walleye | fingerling | 25,986 | completed |
| Jun 9 | Walleye | fingerling | 19,427 | completed |
When to fish Saint Joseph River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:24 am-12:24 pm and 10:47 pm-12:47 am | 4:41-5:41 am and 4:55-5:55 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:10 am-1:10 pm | 5:51-6:51 am and 5:18-6:18 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 Jun 9
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Benton Harbor | boat ramp | |
| Buchanan | boat ramp | |
| Jasper Dairy Road | boat ramp | |
| Riverview Drive | carry-in launch | no fee |
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 5 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 walleye (walleye stocked 5 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Jig and minnow | 1/8 to 1/4 oz round jigs tipped live or plastic; drag the bottom slowly |
| Crawler harness | slow-trolled over flats and breaks once water warms |
| Medium spinning rod | 6.5 to 7 ft medium, 8 lb line; sensitivity beats power here |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Paw Paw River | 0.9 mi | Apr 1 |
| Blue Creek | 4.7 mi | Apr 21 |
| Singer Lake | 11 mi | Mar 31 |
| Mill Creek | 13 mi | Apr 21 |
| Pine Creek | 16 mi | Apr 27 |
Follow Berrien County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule