Thunder Bay River

Fishing, stocking, and current conditions

Brown trout water, stocked 4 times in 2026, all in April; 6,500 fish reported. The most-stocked water on the Montmorency County record for 2026. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.

Montmorency County · Michigan · see it on the national map

last stocked Apr 30 176 days ago

flow 143% of seasonal normal

best window 10:34 pm-12:34 am solunar major today

Water right now 12.30 ft gage height flow 546 cfs, 143% of the Oct 23 median USGS gauge 04133501 (THUNDER BAY RIVER AT HERRON ROAD NEAR BOLTON, MI) · read 7:30 pm this evening

4 stockings 2026

6,500 fish reported

The year here

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

What swims here

Brown trout 4 stockings

Stocking record 2026

Agency feed checked Oct 14.

Date	Species	Size	Fish	Status
Apr 30	Brown trout x 2 sections	adult	1,900	completed
Apr 30	Brown trout	adult	1,400	completed
Apr 30	Brown trout	adult	1,300	completed

When to fish Thunder Bay River

	Major periods (~2 h)	Minor periods (~1 h)
Today	10:12 am-12:12 pm and 10:34 pm-12:34 am	4:28-5:28 am and 4:42-5:42 pm
Tomorrow	10:57 am-12:57 pm	5:41-6:41 am and 5:02-6:02 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 30
Flow 143% of the seasonal median

Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast

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 (brown trout stocked 4 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
Hubbard Lake	19 mi	Sep 1
Avalon Lake	26 mi	Apr 22
Long Lake	27 mi	Jun 9
Swan River	27 mi	May 27
Churchill Lake	36 mi	May 8

Follow Montmorency County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule

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