Saginaw Bay has some very good fishing for smallmouth bass with some very big fish up to and above 5 pounds possible here. The problem with targeting smallmouth bass in the bay is that most of the better summer and fall spots are a good boat ride to offshore structure, so you really need the weather to be cooperating to allow you to get to the areas that are home to larger concentrations of smallmouth bass. Many anglers have good success early in the season when smallmouth bass move into the rivers and canals to spawn.
Coreyon Reef
Historically, the inner Saginaw Bay was home to rock reefs that provided excellent spawning habitat for a variety of fish species. With increased runoff into the Saginaw River, layers of sediment have buried these rock reefs over time, so reefs have not been a pattern to fish for anglers wishing to stay inside the bay. There has been a push to restore the rock reefs within the inner bay to help diversify the spawning areas for a variety of fish populations that call Saginaw Bay home. The Coreyon Reef was selected as the first reef to be restored in the bay and this reef got a huge remodel with over 1 million dollars being spent. This reef now gives anglers a huge piece of offshore structure to fish for walleye, smallmouth bass, perch, pike and more.
On the map below, we put a mark as an approximate location to give you an idea of another good fishing spot. Please use your own electronics to navigate to this spot if you want to fish it.
Charity Island
Charity Island is a good-sized island located in the middle of Saginaw Bay. There are lots of rocks in this area, so be careful when motoring through the shallower areas around the island. This is a popular summer and fall fishing spot, however, it can be an awesome early season smallmouth bass fishing spot too. Anglers target walleye, smallmouth bass and perch around the island.
The Steeples
The Steeples is a popular fishing spot for walleye, however, anglers target smallmouth bass here too due to the rocky structure. The Steeples are a bunch of rocks that come up from the bottom and up to about 17 to 23 feet of water in many areas. There is some deep water in the 30 to 40 foot range very close to these shallower spots, so it’s just an awesome piece of offshore structure that will hold walleye, smallmouth bass, perch and more.
On the map below, we put a mark as an approximate location to give you an idea of another good fishing spot. Please use your own electronics to navigate to this spot if you want to fish it.
Sand Point
Sand Point is located on the east side of Saginaw Bay and on the north side of Wild Fowl Bay. This point has a lot of shallow water around it, however, there is deeper water to the north that can offer some good fishing for walleye and perch. On the west of Sand Point, there is a shallow bar with plenty of rocks known as the “Middle Grounds.” These rocks will hold walleye, smallmouth bass and perch at times.
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is open year round for fishing. The river is home to some good fishing for walleye, bass and other fish too. The spring and fall are the best times to fish the river, but fish remain in the river system all season long. Some of the popular spots to fish are the bridges, the old turning basins and the shipping channel, which has the deepest water in the river. If you want to learn more about the turning basins in the river, take a look at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website for the Saginaw River and it will tell you where these turning basins are to go along with their depth, how long and wide they are. Good numbers of quality walleye can be found in these deep water spots in the spring and fall.
Learn More About Smallmouth Bass
Our smallmouth bass section is huge with information on the best live baits, lures, where to catch them and how to catch them. Visit our smallmouth bass page to learn more.
