ESCANABA — It’s time to put that new fishing license to good use. Saturday is the statewide trout opener, as well as the start of the Lower Peninsula inland walleye and northern pike seasons.

A few reminders:

– In Upper Peninsula waters, the walleye and northern pike possession seasons open Wednesday, May 15.

– Michigan’s muskellunge possession season on all Great Lakes, inland waters, the St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers opens Saturday, June 1 – though catch-and-release fishing for muskellunge is open all year.

– Catch-and-immediate-release season for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open all year on nearly all waters (unless otherwise closed to fishing; check the current Michigan Fishing Guide for specifics).

– The possession season for bass opens statewide Saturday, May 25, except for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, which open Saturday, June 15.

Before hitting the water, be sure to have the new fishing license for the current season, which opened April 1. The 2019 fishing licenses are valid through March 31, 2020.

The 2019 Michigan Fishing Guide and inland trout and salmon maps, along with plenty of other eful information, are available at Michigan.gov/Fishing. See the complete guide online or download it to your device for later use.

Trout anglers hoping to find a great new spot to fish in 2019 should check out Trout Trails, the DNR’s web application.

The interactive tool features fisheries biologist-verified trout waters that may be lesser known but are considered outstanding fishing destinations. The app features more than 310 locations covering nearly every corner of the state, with new places being added over time.

The Trout Trails filter features let users conduct specialized searches, narrowing by the fish species they’d like to target and/or the watershed they’d like to fish in.

New for 2019 are nearly a hundred more photos – including shots of nearby parking and trail areas, where available – that provide additional visual help when planning trips.

Trout Trails is not a downloadable app but is compatible with all types of electronic devices.

Each destination entry features extensive information, including:

– Available trout species.

– Fishing regulations.

– Presence of stocked or naturally reproducing fish.

– Driving directions.

– Area lodging, restaurants and information