Waters · Lakes · MI · Thu, Aug 13

How's the bite at Saginaw Bay today? Picky — the middle of the day carries it.

Work for it.

Built from solunar, pressure, level, wind.

5/10
Picky

Today's bite windows

12 AM6 AMNoon6 PM11 PM
Major
1:07 AM–3:07 AM
Moon underfoot
Minor
7:06 AM–8:06 AM
Moonrise
Major
1:32 PM–3:32 PM
Moon overhead
Minor
8:44 PM–9:44 PM
Moonset

Sunrise 6:37 AM · sunset 8:41 PM · tomorrow's first major 1:56 AM–3:56 AM · windows on every water

Solunar · computed updated 4:36 AM

Conditions right now

Water level
2.178ft
-0.11 ft in 24h
NOAA CO-OPS 9075035 updated 4:30 AM
Pressure
29.9inHg
rising · +2.71 hPa/12h
NOAA KMBS updated 4:20 AM
Wind
5mph NNE
NOAA KMBS updated 4:20 AM
Moon
1% waxing
Solunar · computed updated 4:36 AM

Nearby gauges

These sit on connected water, not on Saginaw Bay itself.

  • Inflow above — -186 cfs · 80.1°F
    USGS 04157005 updated 4:00 AM

What this means

Walleye, Largemouth bass
This gauge reports level but no water temperature, so depth calls stay open. Read the windows and the pressure trend instead.

Saginaw Bay water level today

2.178 ft above LWD down 0.11 ft in 24 hours

That sits 85% of the way up the band it has held over the last 8 days, between 0 and 2.58 ft. Over the week it is up0.06ft.

08-04 0.00–2.58 ft 08-13
USGS 9075035 updated 4:30 AM

The week ahead

Fri 6 Biting
Sat 7 Biting
Sun 6 Biting
Mon 6 Biting
Tue 6 Biting
Wed 6 Biting
Thu 7 Biting

Forecast days carry solunar and the wind outlook. Pressure and gauge movement land the morning of.

Before you go

A Michigan fishing license covers this water — $26 a year for residents. DNR sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What it costs, and who is exempt →

Nearby waters today

Questions people ask about Saginaw Bay

Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Saginaw Bay.

Is it worth fishing Saginaw Bay today?
5 out of 10 — picky. Work for it. The strongest stretch is 1:07 AM–3:07 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level.
What time should you fish Saginaw Bay?
Today's major windows run 1:07 AM–3:07 AM and 1:32 PM–3:32 PM, with minor windows at 7:06 AM–8:06 AM and 8:44 PM–9:44 PM. Sunrise is 6:37 AM and sunset 8:41 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.
What is the water temperature at Saginaw Bay?
No gauge on Saginaw Bay measures water temperature. US reservoir gauges report height, not temperature — so rather than estimate it, this page leaves it out and leans on the windows and the pressure trend instead.
What is the water level at Saginaw Bay right now?
2.178 ft above LWD, read at 4:30 AM from NOAA CO-OPS station 9075035. Over 24 hours it is down 0.11 ft.
Can you eat the fish you catch in Saginaw Bay?
That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where the Eat Safe Fish guides cover close to 700 waters, and you pick the guide for your region. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.

MDHHS fish consumption advisory

Do you need a licence to fish Saginaw Bay?
Yes. A Michigan fishing license covers this water, required from age 17. DNR sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What a Michigan license costs, and who is exempt

What size fish can you keep in MI?
It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, muskellunge (muskie). Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.

Check a length against the rules

Where these numbers come from

Essexville reports the bay level at the river mouth; the Saginaw River gauge upstream adds water temperature and inflow.

No one types these in by hand. If a source goes quiet, the page says so instead of showing you yesterday.