<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2008-02-19</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2008-02-21</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000844790</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PUTNAM MANAGED MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>pmm</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000903969</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HILL JOHN A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>20 N. BROADWAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>OKLAHOMA CITY</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>OK</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>73012</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-02-19</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>124.242</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.86</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>256.261</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Effective date of merger of Putnam High Yield Municipal Trust into issuer.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Putnam High Yield Municipal Trust (PYM), a closed-end investment company, merged into issuer (PMM) on February 19, 2008. Common shares of PMM were issued in exchange for all outstanding PYM common shares based on the respective per-share net asset values of each fund's common shares calculated as of February 15, 2008.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Per-share net asset value of PMM common shares as of February 15, 2008. Reflects rounding.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Putnam High Yield Municipal Trust (PYM), a closed-end investment company, merged into issuer (PMM) on February 19, 2008. Common shares of PMM were issued in exchange for all outstanding PYM common shares based on the respective per-share net asset values of each fund's common shares calculated as of February 15, 2008.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>This Amendment is filed to correct the amount reported in Item 5 on February 21, 2008.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>John A. Hill</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2008-02-22</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
