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Michigan may have the best freshwater fishing infrastructure in the United States. The state has 3,288 miles of Great Lakes coastline — more than any other state. Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair produce walleye that are nationally significant. The AuSable River through the northern Lower Peninsula is designated a National Fly Fishing Trail and has produced legendary brown trout fishing for 150 years. Lake Michigan tributaries run steelhead and Chinook salmon from fall through spring.
The Upper Peninsula adds another dimension. Lake Superior tributaries hold brook trout and coho. The Two-Hearted River, made famous by Hemingway, still holds brook trout in its cedar swamp stretches. Muskie fishing on the Manitowish Waters draws dedicated anglers from the Midwest.
Resident licenses cost $26. Michigan is built for fishing. Every small town in the northern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula has a bait shop. If fishing is central to your identity, Michigan is a state worth moving to.
Michigan has more freshwater coastline than any other state — 3,288 miles on the Great Lakes. Lake St. Clair produces world-class walleye and muskellunge. The AuSable River is one of the most storied wild brown trout streams in North America.
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Sources: State wildlife agencies, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bassmaster, Field & Stream, In-Fisherman, Fly Fisherman magazine. License costs reflect annual resident/non-resident fishing license only; additional stamps (trout, salmon) may apply. Updated May 2026.