Continuing the Spearfishing Adventures... I wasn't 100% sure about Michigan's spearfishing regulations, so I decided to do what any responsible outdoorsman does: spend half my time reading regulations and the other half wondering if I was reading them correctly.
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| (Illustrative Only) Whitefish can be caught with spear or traditional 🪝 hook. |
Since spearfishing is still fairly new to me, I wanted to make sure I understood the rules. I love being in the water—swimming, snorkeling, fishing, staying in shape, and now hopefully adding a little legal spearfishing to the list. You must read it for yourself and make your own determinations.
After hearing about a dozen different opinions from a dozen different people, I finally decided to go straight to the source and emailed someone with the state who actually knows the regulations. Imagine that—asking the people who wrote the rules!
They explained that certain fish species listed in the regulations can be legally speared year-round (i.e. Catfish and Whitefish). They also pointed me to the sections covering inland lakes and other waters that you can spear in, along with the trout stream maps that show where restrictions apply. That cleared up a lot of confusion and opened up a whole new list of places to explore. As always, anyone interested should read the current Michigan regulations for themselves before heading out.
One interesting thing I learned is that you can legally fish with a hook & line while you're in the water. Ok not spear fishing but if your in the water already you might as well open options. Think of it as fly fishing...except you're the one swimming instead of standing on the bank looking dramatically into the sunset.
That gave me an idea. I rigged my spear so I could also carry a hook & line. If I come across a fish that isn't legal to spear—say, a bass—I can simply switch over to the hook on my spear with an artificial lure. As long as the fish voluntarily takes the bait and you're not snagging it, that's a completely different method of fishing. Then, if I happen to see a species that is legal to spear, I can switch back (It takes just a second). It's basically the snorkeling version of a multitool.
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| A rocky bottom with foliage. Shoreline Fish Habitat |
One spot I visited recently had plenty of rocks and a few fishermen nearby. Usually, when local anglers are standing somewhere for hours, it's either because the fishing is good...or they're avoiding chores at home. I didn't see anything that made me want to break out either the spear or the hook, but that's part of exploring. Every trip teaches you something.
The biggest surprise was the water temperature. Even though it's summer, the water was incredibly cold that day. Most days very nice. It felt like the lake had reached down into its freezer and sent the bottom water up to greet me. The surface should have been warm, but that cold water definitely let me know I was in the Great Lakes. Michigan has a funny way of reminding you that "summer" and "warm water" don't always belong in the same sentence.
eRegulations Bow and Spear Fishing Michigan
Inland Trout and Salmon Regulations map
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