Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the link above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:
Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.
Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more.
Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more.
Find a great trail experience near you - whether you want to hike, bike, snowmobile or ride an ORV. From long, paved linear trails to rugged forest terrain, Michigan offers trail opportunities for all abilities and interests.
Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.
We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:
Recreational Safety and Hunter Education
Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.
DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR
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We put together some marketing materials to help you promote your charter business. Included materials are a social media guide and calendar, videos, sample email marketing messages, a promotional flyer and more.
All charter boats used for fishing in Michigan waters are required to report their catch and effort. This reporting system, the Fishing Activity and Catch Tracking System (FACTS), provides valuable information for managing the fishery in Michigan and the Great Lakes.
Report your catch and effort »
Charter operators are identified from:
It is up to new charter operators to inform us they are now an active charter fishing operation.
Please email DNR-Fish-Charter@michigan.gov or call 231-330-2845 to acquire NEW account login information and assistance with entering fishing activity into the system.
The data collected includes date fished, fishing location, hours fished (dock to dock), total number of anglers, catch (harvested and released) and fish species targeted.
Three measures of fishing effort are summarized:
Example: If a charter operator took four anglers fishing for 6 hours, total fishing effort would be 24 angler hours, 4 angler trips, and 1 charter excursion.
Charter data is also used to summarize the harvest, catch, harvest rate, and catch rate of fish listed on the form. Summaries of catch and effort for selected ports around the Great Lakes, totals for each lake, and annual reports are prepared each year.
Data from the past few years is available below. Additional charter-specific data can be obtained by emailing DNR-Fish-Charter@michigan.gov.
Charter boat operators fishing for lake trout in Michigan waters are required to purchase a sport trolling license. It is not required for any other type of charter fishing activity. If you are taking minnows from Michigan waters and providing them for use by clients or selling them to another charter, you will need to be licensed. Learn more at the link below.
NOTE: Resident and nonresident charter boat captains who purchase minnows, wigglers or crayfish from a person licensed in Michigan to commercially sell minnows, wigglers or crayfish are no longer required to have a retail minnow dealers license in order to then provide that purchased live bait to their paying customers as part of a fishing excursion.
As of March 1, 2024, all charters and fishing guides running trips on inland lakes, rivers, and streams (including Michigan's boundary waters) will be required to have an Inland Sportfishing Guide License. Learn more at the link below.
Charter fishing businesses are located throughout the state and offer a great way to experience Michigan's world-class fisheries. Charters help new to experienced anglers have memorable fishing experiences, and make your trip easy and enjoyable as they provide the boat, the equipment and the knowledge!
Search online for charter businesses, contact area Chamber of Commerce or tourism offices; or visit the Michigan Charter Boat Association webpage. You can also use this list of sport trolling license holders.
Looking for a charter on the Great Lakes? Check out our Great Lake Fishing Charter page where we list hundreds of options across the Great Lakes.
