Michigan charges visitors seventy-six dollars against twenty-six for a resident, the widest gap in the Great Lakes. What softens it is the structure: one all-species licence covers trout, salmon, walleye and everything else across the inland lakes and all four Great Lakes, with no stamps to add. The trap is the calendar. The licence year ends 31 March whatever date you buy, so an August trip buys you eight months, not twelve.
What you will pay
The calculator opens on the visitor rate. Change the length to see what a short trip costs instead.
Every visitor fee in Michigan
The licence year runs 1 April to 31 March, whatever date you buy.
| Licence | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Daily, 24 hours | 1 day | $10.00 |
| All-species, annual | Annual | $76.00 |
Fees verified against DNR on 2026-09-07.
Annual or short-term?
The annual visitor licence costs $76.00. The cheapest short option is $10.00 for 1 day. That puts the break-even at about 8 trips: fish Michigan fewer times than that in a year and the short-term licence is the cheaper buy.
Worth doing the sum rather than defaulting to the annual, which is what most visitors buy out of habit.
What you are buying access to
We track 27 Michigan waters daily, with live flow, tides and conditions. A sample:
- Lake St. Clair — Wayne County
- Manistee River — Manistee County
- Pere Marquette River — Mason County
- Grand River — Kent County
- Muskegon River — Newaygo County
- Detroit River — Wayne County
- Lake Gogebic — Gogebic County
- St. Clair River — St. Clair County
- Houghton Lake — Roscommon County
- Saginaw Bay — Bay County
Questions
How much is a non-resident fishing licence in Michigan?
$76.00 for the year. A Michigan resident pays $26.00 for the same thing, which is the gap most visitors are checking.
Is the annual or a short-term licence better value in Michigan?
The cheapest short-term option is $10.00 for 1 day. At that rate the annual pays for itself on about the 8th trip, so below that the short-term licence wins.
Can I buy a Michigan licence before I travel?
Yes. Michigan Department of Natural Resources sells online, so you can buy before you leave home and screenshot the confirmation. Cell service is unreliable where the fishing is good.
Does a Michigan non-resident licence cover the Great Lakes?
Yes. Michigan sells one all-species licence covering inland waters and the Great Lakes alike, with no separate salmon or trout stamp to buy.
When does my Michigan licence expire?
On 31 March, whatever date you bought it. Buy in late summer and you are paying $76.00 for eight months.