Get outside and explore the stunning blue waters and small-town feel of Michigan’s eastern shoreline along one of the five Great Lakes.
Every day is an outdoor adventure in Saginaw Bay on Michigan’s Lake Huron. The natural shoreline of the bay takes advantage of the longest freshwater coastline among the Great Lakes and offers endless boating, swimming and fishing opportunities.
Fishers flock to Saginaw Bay for its renowned walleye fishing, as well as perch, bass, whitefish, northern pike, steelhead and trout.
Head out on a charter fishing trip with a licensed captain and learn how the walleyes move about in the Saginaw Bay watershed and where and when to catch them. Cast a line directly into the bay from the East Tawas State Dock. Join a walleye- or bass-fishing tournament in Au Gres. If you’re in town over the winter, try your hand at ice fishing starting in early to mid-January.
Get out on the water in another way beneath the billowing white sails of the Appledore IV or Appledore V tall ship schooner, which set sail in nearby Bay City. There are lunch and dinner sails, as well as nighttime astronomy cruises. Visit during the annual Tall Ship Celebration each summer, with sailing opportunities, music, art and crafts. Learn to sail at the numerous yacht clubs throughout the bay.
Along the Saginaw Bay shoreline, visitors can boat, picnic, play, camp and swim at the sandy beach of Bay City State Park. From the campground and park, it’s an easy walk to Tobico Marsh, where 5 miles (8 kilometers) of trails, as well as two 32-foot (9.7-meter) observation towers, traverse 2,000 acres of wetland. For family-friendly swimming, Tawas Point and Port Crescent State Parks are other popular choices.
Experienced kayakers can paddle sections of the 103-mile (166-kilometer) Tip of the Thumb Heritage Water Trail, which follows the bay and the Lake Huron shoreline. Along the way, explore natural, cultural and historical sites, including Quanicassee fishing village.
Find Saginaw Bay on the southwestern arm of Lake Huron in eastern Michigan. Join the year-round visitors who enjoy the region for its numerous fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities.
