Saginaw Bay
depth
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Depth scale
The state-record White Bass — 6.44 lb — was caught here in 1989. 21.9″ · Trolling · on Hot 'N' Tot
Survey readout
Saginaw Bay is mapped to a depth of 49 ft on the NOAA NCEI survey and covers about 510,767 acres in Bay County, Michigan. Coverage is sparse: about 74% of this lake lies well away from any surveyed contour, so most of the shape shown there is interpolated between distant measurements rather than mapped.
Derived from NOAA NCEI Great Lakes bathymetry data.
The maximum depth and the “deepest” marker describe Saginaw Bay itself. The map also renders the surrounding open-lake water inside the frame. Depths in that water reach about 203 ft.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 49 ft
- Surface area
- 510,767 acres
- Public access
- Boat Launch
Additional depth details6 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–49 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 49 ft
Other waters with a public launch on this map: Bush Lake, Pigeon River, Kawkawlin River, Rifle River, Au Gres River. Their launches are not marked on the model — only Saginaw Bay’s own are.
Compare with another lakeProvenance
Sources: NOAA NCEI Great Lakes Bathymetry, USGS 3DEP, OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (Sentinel-2), processed by michiganlakedepths.com.
⚠ NOT FOR NAVIGATION. This is a recreational depth visualisation built from historical soundings, not a nautical chart. Use official NOAA charts (ENC/RNC) for navigation. Depths are referenced to low water datum and actual water levels vary.Spot an error? Send a correction
Map details & sources5 sources
All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.
Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.
- Coordinates
- 43.86500, -83.61000
- NOAA lake ID
- NOAA-GL-SAG
- Basemap
- Copernicus Sentinel-2 · ESA, via Microsoft Planetary Computer
- Model size
- 2.3 MB
Watercraft rules
county-enforced local controls · MI DNROfficial rule details1 rule
Fish you might catch
from angler catches & active stocking33 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
Flathead Catfish
Longnose Gar
Northern Pike
Common Carp
Bigmouth Buffalo
Bowfin
Channel Catfish
Coho Salmon
Lake Trout
Walleye
Burbot
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Redhorse Sucker
Freshwater Drum
Lake Whitefish
Largemouth Bass
White Sucker
Quillback
Smallmouth Bass
Menominee Whitefish
Cisco
Gizzard Shad
White Bass
Bullhead
Crappie
White Perch
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Rock Bass
Hybrid Sunfish
Pumpkinseed
Green SunfishFishing rules for this lake Beta
Size and daily limits for the 33 species found here — 31 open to harvest, 1 with a special rule or closed season.
These are hook-and-line size, daily limit and season rules. Gear, spearing and bow fishing, spawning closures and rod limits are set by other Fisheries Orders and are not shown here.
From the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations digest (General Fishing Regulations table and notes) / FO-215.23A (eff. 2023-09-15) / FO-252.26 (eff. 2026-04-01) / FO-240.26 / FO-253.26 (eff. 2026-04-01, Great Lakes trout and salmon by management unit) · verified 2026-08-24. Regulations can change — Michigan DNR rules are the controlling source; verify current regulations before fishing. Official regulations
Notable catches
Master Angler program · 1989–2025Trophy-size fish anglers caught here and registered with the DNR — what people have actually caught, distinct from what a survey netted or the state stocked below.
Catch details by species33 species
Biggest on record
Bait: live bait (454) · artificial lure (407) · crawler (207)
Method: trolling (940) · still fishing (500) · ice fishing (490) · spin casting (464)
DNR stocking
state stocking record · 2003–2005Fish the Michigan DNR has planted in this lake — what was added, distinct from what a survey netted above.
No stockings recorded since 2005 — shown as history.
Bait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceSaginaw Bay — common questions
How deep is Saginaw Bay?
The deepest contour on the NOAA NCEI bathymetric survey of Saginaw Bay is 49 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.
How big is Saginaw Bay?
Saginaw Bay covers about 510,767 acres in Bay County, Michigan.
What fish are in Saginaw Bay?
Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include brown trout, burbot, channel catfish, coho salmon, flathead catfish, lake trout. The page lists all 33 species and the evidence behind each.
Is there public access to Saginaw Bay?
Yes. The Michigan DNR boat-launch data identifies 22 public access sites on Saginaw Bay, including Pinconning.