Traverse City

Why go

Traverse City sits at the foot of Grand Traverse Bay, which has two arms, West Bay and East Bay. That gives you two bodies of Lake Michigan water close to town, with lake trout and Chinook in the deep water and smallmouth bass on the flats.

It is the most comfortable base in northern Michigan for a mixed group. While you fish, the rest of the party can spend a day at Sleeping Bear Dunes or touring wineries on the peninsulas. The Boardman River runs right through town and gets a fall salmon run.

It suits families, couples and weekend trips. If your trip is all about open-lake Chinook trolling or a big river run, the Lake Michigan ports to the south, such as Frankfort and Manistee, are worth a look too.

The fishing

Traverse City Tourism lists smallmouth bass, walleye, Chinook and coho salmon, steelhead, lake trout, brown trout and Great Lakes muskie among the fish in the area’s waters. In practice, most bay trips focus on three:

• Lake trout. Lake trout like cold water and are often deep, though they come shallower in spring and fall. DNR reports describe anglers jigging spoons for them in 50 to 80 feet of water in West Bay in early summer, and trolling for them in East Bay in late summer.
• Chinook salmon. A late-summer and fall fish here. Trollers take them off the Boardman River mouth and out of Elk Rapids in late summer, and returning fish run up the Boardman in September and October.
• Smallmouth bass. DNR reports describe good smallmouth fishing on shallow flats and breaks in both arms of the bay in early summer, with swimbaits, drop-shot rigs and tubes.

These are patterns pulled from DNR fishing reports, not a calendar. Bay water warms through the summer and conditions change with wind, so read the DNR weekly fishing report before you go.

Where to fish

West Grand Traverse Bay

The west arm lies right off downtown. DNR reports describe lake trout around the Red 6 buoy and along the west shore north of Greilickville, Chinook around the Boardman River mouth in late summer, and smallmouth throughout the bay in 5 to 10 feet of water in early summer.

East Grand Traverse Bay

The east arm runs north toward Elk Rapids. In late summer, boats out of Elk Rapids and south of the Center Road launch troll for lake trout and Chinook in deep water. In early summer, smallmouth bite on the South Flats and off the state park, and in the Elk River.

The Boardman River

The Boardman flows into West Bay in downtown Traverse City. The DNR has stocked Chinook in it since the mid-1980s and also stocks brown trout, steelhead and coho as needed. Returning salmon are harvested at the DNR weir near the river mouth in September and October, while lake trout, brown trout, steelhead and Atlantic salmon are passed upstream.

The river has changed a lot. Sabin Dam came out in 2018, and in 2025 the Union Street Dam and its fish ladder were replaced by FishPass, a facility built to sort fish and pass the species managers want while blocking sea lamprey. It caps a restoration effort of more than 20 years. Because the lower river is short and changing, read the current regulations for the Boardman before you fish it.

Inland lakes nearby

Elk and Torch lakes are among the DNR’s better-known inland lake trout waters, fished with Great Lakes trolling tactics. The DNR also points to the lakes across the northern Lower Peninsula for smallmouth bass. For walleye, pike and panfish options in the wider region, see our northern Michigan guide.

Charters and guides

Traverse City Tourism lists about two dozen fishing guides and charters. Bay charters run on both arms, and at least one listed operator markets family-friendly trips on West Bay with all gear and bait provided.

When you book, ask which arm of the bay they fish and why, what species are biting that week, how deep they expect to fish, and what happens if wind keeps boats in. For fall salmon on the river, ask about crowding and which stretches are open. Our choosing a fishing charter and fishing charter cost guides cover what to ask and what drives the price.

Beyond fishing

• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is about 30 miles, or roughly 40 minutes, from downtown. It has freshwater beaches, the Dune Climb, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, island lighthouses and miles of trails, including the paved Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. Most visitors give it a full day.
• Wineries. Traverse City Tourism counts more than 50 wineries in the area, centered on the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas. Old Mission has about 10 wineries along a 19-mile stretch close to downtown.
• Platte River State Fish Hatchery, near Beulah, is free to visit, and adult salmon return there from mid-September to late October. It makes a good side trip for kids during the fall run.

See fishing with kids for ideas on keeping a family day on the water fun.

Trip costs

Costs depend on how you fish. Shore fishing and bay smallmouth from a small boat cost little beyond a license and gear. A bay charter for lake trout or Chinook is the main expense, and splitting a boat brings the per-person cost down. Traverse City Tourism lists hotels and motels, cabins and cottages, resorts and vacation rentals. The trip budget calculator helps you add it up.

Getting there and around

Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) is in Traverse City, with nonstop service to cities including Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul. A second terminal has been under construction since April 2026. Most visitors drive, and you will want a car to reach launches, both bay shores, the inland lakes and Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Licenses and rules

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources sells licenses and sets the rules. Rules differ between Great Lakes waters, inland lakes and trout and salmon streams, and the DNR publishes inland trout and salmon maps to show which rules apply where. The regulations year turns over at the end of March, so check the current Michigan Fishing Regulations for the bay, the Boardman and any lake you plan to fish before each trip. Our fishing licenses guide covers the basics, and the fall salmon run guide covers river etiquette during the run.