Thunder Bay River
Michigan · Alpena
- County: Alpena
- Shoreline outline: not yet matched (basemap OSM)
The pin is approximate, near the middle of the water. The shoreline on the map comes from OpenStreetMap.
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Overview
The Thunder Bay River drains about 1,250 square miles of northeastern Lower Michigan across parts of Montmorency, Oscoda, Alcona, Presque Isle and Alpena counties, and enters Thunder Bay of Lake Huron at Alpena. Ninth Street Dam in Alpena blocks fish moving up from Lake Huron, so the short reach below it is the only part of the river open to migratory fish. Michigan DNR manages that reach for trout and salmon. Per DNR's river assessment, stocked steelhead support a seasonal fishery below the dam, and Chinook salmon from stocking elsewhere in Lake Huron add a fall run. Lake sturgeon, a rare species, may also be found below the dam. The river below the dam runs fast over rubble and gravel, and the shoreline is almost entirely developed.
Regulations
DNR manages the reach below Ninth Street Dam for trout and salmon. See the current Michigan Fishing Regulations and inland trout and salmon maps: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/fishing/fishing-regulations
Stocking history
| Species | Qty | Size | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic salmon | 10480 | 15.76 | 05-13-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 19994 | 18.4 | 05-12-2026 |
| Atlantic salmon | 26663 | 16.27, 15.76 | 05-12-2026 |
| Brown Trout | 4600 | 10.45 | 04-30-2026 |
| Coho Salmon | 31464 | 14.4 | 04-23-2026 |
| Walleye | 10000 | 3.81 | 06-26-2025 |
| Atlantic salmon | 25000 | 17.77, 17.51 | 05-14-2025 |
| Rainbow Trout | 9998 | 18.8 | 05-07-2025 |
| Atlantic salmon | 15049 | 17.1 | 04-29-2025 |
| Coho Salmon | 43392 | 13.5 | 04-29-2025 |
| Brown Trout | 4700 | 12.15 | 04-28-2025 |
Michigan Department of Natural Resources