Betsie River

Overview

Below Grass Lake Dam near the Grand Traverse County line, the Betsie River flows about 48 miles through Benzie and Manistee counties to Betsie Lake and Lake Michigan at Frankfort and Elberta. It has been a state-designated Natural River since 1973. Michigan DNR says the river is best known for its runs of Chinook salmon and steelhead, with some migratory brown trout and coho salmon also caught. Chinook and coho are not stocked in the Betsie system, and DNR reports those runs are mostly wild fish or strays from other rivers. Fishing for steelhead and salmon is heaviest in spring and fall, and most of that effort is between Homestead Dam and Betsie Lake. Homestead Dam was largely removed in 1974 and now acts as a sea lamprey barrier, with a rebuilt spillway that lets fish pass. The DNR access site at the dam, on Dam Road near Benzonia, has 50 parking spaces, vault toilets and a carry-down launch for kayaks, canoes and car-top boats. Paddlers must portage the dam there, and the site is closed from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.

Regulations

Trout and salmon rules vary by river section. 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

Likely species (watershed)

Muskellunge, Ninespine Stickleback, Popeye Shiner, Silver Lamprey

Likely species come from USGS Aquatic GAP ranges for the whole watershed (HUC8). They show what may be here, not a count of this water.

Nearby waters

• Crystal Lake4.2 miles · MI
• Lower Herring Lake4.8 miles · MI
• Upper Herring Lake5.7 miles · MI
• Platte River8.5 miles · MI
• Bear Lake14.2 miles · MI
• Portage Lake18.5 miles · MI

More in Benzie

• Platte RiverMI
• Crystal LakeMI
• Lower Herring LakeMI
• Upper Herring LakeMI