Saginaw Bay water level today 1.946 ft, rising

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?

8 out of 10 — on fire. Drop everything. Go. The strongest stretch is 12:46 AM–2:46 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 12:46 AM–2:46 AM and 1:09 PM–3:09 PM, with minor windows at 8:04 AM–9:04 AM and 7:04 PM–8:04 PM. Sunrise is 7:28 AM and sunset 7:23 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 it, so this is an estimate: roughly 55.7°F, worked out from the 7-day mean of air temperature at NOAA weather station KMBS (MBS International Airport). Checked against the lakes that do have a thermometer, that method lands within about 4.5°F of the real reading and was off by 8.3°F at worst. Treat it as a ballpark, not a measurement — and note the bite index above ignores it entirely, because an error that size would move the verdict as often as it would fix it.

What is the water level at Saginaw Bay right now?

1.946 ft above LWD, read at 9:18 AM from NOAA CO-OPS station 9075035. Over 24 hours it is up 0.07 ft.

Are water levels rising or falling at Saginaw Bay?

Falling. The lake is up 0.07 ft in 24 hours and down 0.18 ft over the week. Over the last 9 days it has held between 0 and 2.84 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.

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 Michigan?

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.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass limits · Walleye limits · Northern pike limits · Muskellunge (muskie) limits · Check a length against the rules