Local guide · Port AustinSpearfishing in Port Austin: spots, seasons and rules
Updated 2026-09-04 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher
The Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve is terrain first and wrecks second: limestone ledges, walls and submerged islands on the Port Austin reef under the 1878 reef light, which is itself described as littered with the remains of many wrecks. At least 22 major wrecks lie in the area, and the old grindstone works left cut stone on the bottom at Grindstone City. Legally Port Austin sits inside a named 2026 water: the Lake Huron underwater-spear water runs from the Thunder Bay River pier at Alpena south to Fort Gratiot Light, so lake trout, northern pike and walleye are on the table alongside the year-round list. Freedive only, daylight only, and a free underwater spearfishing licence on top of the fishing licence, with no monthly reporting since the 2026 season.
TL;DR
- The Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve is terrain first and wrecks second: limestone ledges, walls and submerged islands on the Port Austin reef under the 1878 reef light, which is itself described as littered with the remains of many wrecks.
- Port Austin is inside Michigan's Lake Huron game-fish zone: lake trout, northern pike and walleye may be taken with an underwater spear, on top of the year-round list.
- Two licences: the All Species fishing licence plus a free but mandatory underwater spearfishing licence with no monthly reporting since the 2026 season. Freedive only, daylight only, spear fired submerged on a line of 20 ft or less.
- Marks worth the trip: Port Austin Reef, Flat Rock Point Reef, Jacob Bertschy, with depths from a snorkel to 39 m. Ice runs from January to March, reliably in Saginaw Bay and along the Thumb, and the dive season is June to October.
Where are the dive and hunting spots near Port Austin?
Depths below are the published site depths, not a promise about conditions. Outside the buoyed preserve sites you find the mark yourself.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|
| Port Austin Reef | Limestone reef | 0.5–6 m | Beginner to intermediate | Boat, under the reef light | The limestone reef off Port Austin, from under a metre at the crest to about 6 m on the flanks, with the 1878 reef light standing on it. Ledges, walls and small submerged islands — the Thumb's signature terrain. |
| Flat Rock Point Reef | Reef | 3–5 m | Beginner | Short boat run west of town | Named limestone reef west of Port Austin. Flat bedrock shelves with cracks and rubble — the same geology as the Thumb shoreline, and shallow enough to snorkel in flat conditions. |
| Jacob Bertschy | Wreck | 2.5 m | Beginner, snorkel | Small boat from Grindstone City | An 1879 wreck near Grindstone City, where the old grindstone works also left cut stone on the bottom. Snorkel depth and one of the friendliest sites in the Thumb. |
| Iron Chief | Wreck | 39 m | Technical, decompression | Long boat run north-east | Wooden bulk carrier lost in 1904, upright north-east of Port Austin. One of the Thumb's best-preserved deep wrecks; cold water below the thermocline and decompression planning required. |
Is spearfishing allowed in Port Austin?
Yes, and Port Austin sits in the better half of the map. Michigan is the only Great Lakes state with a purpose-built underwater-spearfishing regime, and its Lake Huron game-fish zone runs from the southernmost pier of the Thunder Bay River at Alpena south to Fort Gratiot Light. Inside that zone lake trout, northern pike and walleye may be taken with an underwater spear, on top of the year-round list that applies in all Michigan waters. Everything rests on one instrument: the Bow & Spear Fishing Regulations table of the Michigan Fishing Guide, a Fisheries Order under NREPA Part 487.
Which fish can you spear at Port Austin?
The year-round Michigan list is the backbone: bowfin, bullheads, burbot, common carp, catfish, cisco, freshwater drum, gizzard shad, goldfish, grass carp, longnose gar, rainbow smelt, suckers and lake whitefish. On these lakes whitefish, cisco and burbot are real targets on it, not a consolation prize. Inside the zone add lake trout, northern pike and walleye: pike 24 in minimum and a possession season of 1 July to 15 March by underwater spear, walleye 15 in and five a day. Lake trout limits are zone-specific — read the DNR table before you go. Lake sturgeon is off the table: spearing it is prohibited except in a special Black Lake winter season, and on every water here it is closed or release-only. Michigan's table is an enumerating one: trout and salmon other than lake trout, bass, sunfishes and crappie are not named, so they are not open.
What licence and gear does Michigan require?
Two licences, not one. You need the Michigan All Species fishing licence — 26 USD resident, 76 USD non-resident, 10 USD a day, from age 17 — plus a free annual underwater spearfishing licence, which is mandatory — though its monthly effort-and-harvest report was abolished for the 2026 season. The gear rules are just as concrete. A rubber- or spring-propelled spear may be fired only while you are fully submerged, and it must be tethered to a line no longer than 20 ft. Scuba and rebreathers are prohibited while underwater spearfishing, so this is a freedive discipline. Daylight only, bands unloaded whenever you move between areas, and 150 ft off swimming areas, docks, boat access sites and power intakes — which effectively closes harbour mouths.
What do the preserve and sanctuary rules mean for you?
Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve is a bottomland preserve created under NREPA Part 761 (MCL 324.76101 et seq.). What it protects is abandoned property and artifacts on Great Lakes bottomlands — no fishing or spearing prohibition was located in it. The practical rule is the one every local charter states anyway: take nothing off a wreck, and dive the buoys where they exist.
When is the season and what is the water like at Port Austin?
Ice runs from January to March, reliably in Saginaw Bay and along the Thumb, and the dive season is June to October. Plan for a thick suit with hood, gloves and boots, or a drysuit: the thermocline shapes every dive here, and what feels workable at the surface is a different lake ten metres down. There is no tide on the Great Lakes — the level moves with wind and pressure.
What are the safety risks at Port Austin?
Cold is the first risk and it is not seasonal: below the thermocline the water stays a few degrees above freezing all summer, and the freedive-only rule leaves you no gas reserve to buy time with. The second is exposure. Most of these sites sit in open lake with no shelter and, outside the buoyed preserves, no mooring at all, so weather windows are short and a shot line is your own responsibility. Finally, ice: the water freezes for months, and frazil and shore ice make the shoulder seasons a different sport.
FAQ
Can you spear walleye or pike at Port Austin?
Yes. This is inside Michigan's Lake Huron underwater-spearfishing zone, which runs from the Thunder Bay River pier at Alpena south to Fort Gratiot Light and covers lake trout, northern pike and walleye.
Can you use scuba for spearfishing in Michigan?
No. Scuba, rebreathers and similar devices are prohibited while underwater spearfishing: Michigan is freedive-only.
What licence do you need?
The Michigan All Species fishing licence plus a free annual underwater spearfishing licence, whose mandatory monthly effort-and-harvest report was abolished for the 2026 season.
Can you spear at night?
No. It is prohibited from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and you must stay 150 ft off swimming areas, docks, ramps and power intakes.
Are the wrecks buoyed?
It depends. Where charters or the preserve organisation buoy sites, they do it for the season only; elsewhere there is no mooring and you bring your own shot line.
When is the best time to dive Port Austin?
Ice runs from January to March, reliably in Saginaw Bay and along the Thumb, and the dive season is June to October..
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