Northern Michigan fishing offers some of the finest freshwater angling in the world, with more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, more than 11,000 inland lakes, and tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams.  On Saturday, June 7th and Sunday, June 8th, enjoy every angling inch of Northern Michigan’s outdoors without needing a fishing license during the summer’s free fishing weekend.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division looks to connect as many individuals as possible with our state’s plentiful recreation opportunities, and strives to create special opportunities to do so—including its annual Free Fishing Weekends. Conducted each winter and summer, these events allow anyone to enjoy Michigan’s premier fishing for free.

For these two weekends, all fishing license fees are waived for two days. Residents and out-of-state visitors are allowed to enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes’ waters for all species of fish during their respective open seasons, without having to purchase a fishing license. Please note all other regulations will still apply during this time.

To encourage involvement in Free Fishing Weekends, organized activities are offered in communities across the state. These activities are coordinated by individuals, constituent groups, schools, parks (local/state), businesses and others.  Visit Michigan.gov/FreeFishing to register a free fishing event or to find one near you.


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