Thunder Bay River

Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout water; 6 stockings on the 2026 record.

Alpena County · Michigan · see it on the national map

Water right now 12.03 ft gage height flow 459 cfs, 157% of the Aug 28 median USGS gauge 04133501 (THUNDER BAY RIVER AT HERRON ROAD NEAR BOLTON, MI) · 2026-08-28 16:30

6 stockings 2026

May 13 last stocked

88,601 fish reported

The year here

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

What swims here

Atlantic salmon 3 stockings

Rainbow trout 2 stockings

Coho salmon 1 stocking

Stocking record 2026

Date	Species	Size	Fish	Status
Apr 23	Coho salmon	adult	31,464	completed
May 12	Rainbow trout	adult	9,994	completed
May 12	Rainbow trout	adult	10,000	completed
May 12	Atlantic salmon	adult	13,330	completed
May 12	Atlantic salmon	adult	13,333	completed
May 13	Atlantic salmon	adult	10,480	completed

Getting on the water

Access point	Type	Notes
North Riverfront Park	boat ramp	Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities

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 (atlantic salmon stocked 3 times here in 2026, moving water)

Beads and egg imitations	drifted under a float where bait rules allow
Trolling flies and dodgers	for landlocked salmon in the lakes, early and late in the day
Medium spinning rod	8 to 9 ft with 8 to 12 lb line; big water, big runs

For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 2 times here in 2026, moving water)

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
Inline spinners	1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams

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
Avalon Lake	26 mi	Apr 22
Long Lake	27 mi	Jun 9
Swan River	27 mi	May 27
Churchill Lake	36 mi	May 8
Clear Lake	37 mi	Apr 17

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