Skip to content
Bield:Fish
Regional spawn calendar

Great Lakes Basin spawn calendar.

7 species with documented spawn timing in Great Lakes Basin. Spawn timing is driven by water temperature — these calendar windows reflect the typical years when water reaches each species' threshold.

Spawning now — May

  • Smallmouth Bass
    Mid-May – Late June

    Smallmouth bass nest abandonment causes complete egg/fry mortality from invertebrate predation within hours. Repeated catch and release of nest-guarding males during peak spawn can…

  • Walleye
    Late March – Mid-May

    Spawn-run walleye in dam tailwaters concentrate in small areas and are exceptionally vulnerable to harvest pressure. Many states impose closed seasons or slot limits during spawn; …

  • Muskellunge
    Mid-April – Late May

    Muskellunge are large, slow-growing apex predators — their conservation depends on careful catch and release year-round. Most states close muskie season during spawn (April–May in …

All species — Great Lakes Basin

  • Smallmouth BassMicropterus dolomieu
    Typical window: Mid-May – Late June
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-May – Late June

    Great Lakes smallmouth spawn at varied depths in 5–15 ft on rocky structure.

  • WalleyeSander vitreus
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Mid-May

    Lake Erie western basin walleye run peaks April; Saginaw Bay and Bay of Quinte similar.

  • Northern PikeEsox lucius
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-March – Late April

    Great Lakes connecting waters and tributaries peak April.

  • MuskellungeEsox masquinongy
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-April – Late May

    Lake St. Clair and northern Great Lakes muskie peak in May.

  • Yellow PerchPerca flavescens
    Typical window: Late March – Late April
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Pre-spawn — water rising toward 42°FMarMar — Peak spawn (45–52°F)AprApr — Peak spawn (45–52°F)MayMay — Post-spawn — water at 58°F+JunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Late March – Late April

    Great Lakes shoreline spawning bays peak in April.

  • Brown TroutSalmo trutta
    Typical window: Mid-October – Mid-December
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-October – Mid-December

    Great Lakes tributary brown run peaks late October–November.

  • Lake TroutSalvelinus namaycush
    Typical window: Mid-October – Late November
    JanJan — Outside spawn windowFebFeb — Outside spawn windowMarMar — Outside spawn windowAprApr — Outside spawn windowMayMay — Outside spawn windowJunJun — Outside spawn windowJulJul — Outside spawn windowAugAug — Outside spawn windowSepSep — Outside spawn windowOctOct — Outside spawn windowNovNov — Outside spawn windowDecDec — Outside spawn window
    Typical window: Mid-October – Late November

    Great Lakes lake trout spawn on shoals November; Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron.

Great Lakes Basin spawn alerts.

Bield: Fish ties USGS gauges in your area to species spawn thresholds — get notified the day water temperature hits pre-spawn for your target.

Download Bield: Fish
← All spawn calendars