Saddle Lake fishing: Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Spotted Gar

Target species: Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Spotted Gar, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Saddle Lake, 1 lane.

The lake

Saddle Lake covers 292 acres in Michigan, across Van Buren County. It is a lake: 91.2% of it is 18 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 30 feet (9.1 m). Our records hold 6 species for this water.

5 target fish, led by Largemouth Bass

  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Spotted Gar — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • Bluegill — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • Pumpkinseed — Feeding water: 65–80°F.

Also recorded here: Common Carp.

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 30 ft (9.1 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 91.2% of the water is 18 feet or shallower. We hold 36 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–2 ft: 3.7% of the water
  • 2–4 ft: 19.9% of the water
  • 4–6 ft: 21.9% of the water
  • 6–8 ft: 15.3% of the water
  • 8–10 ft: 9.8% of the water
  • 10–12 ft: 7.6% of the water
  • 12–14 ft: 5.5% of the water
  • 14–16 ft: 4.1% of the water
  • 16–18 ft: 3.4% of the water
  • 18–20 ft: 2.2% of the water
  • 20–22 ft: 2.4% of the water
  • 22–24 ft: 2.6% of the water
  • 24–26 ft: 1.6% of the water

Stocking: 8,000 fish, 1984–1987

Michigan DNR records list 8,000 fish released into this water from 1984 to 1987. The latest stocking on record is from 1987, more than three years ago.

  • Northern Pike: 8,000 in 1984–1987

1 ramp or launch on this water

On this water we hold 1 trailer ramp.

  • Saddle Lake — 1 lane, restrooms. Allegan Field Office. phone 269-673-4747 · website mcgi.state.mi.us/MRBIS/BASDetail.aspx?basid=A-80-004

The place listed has no fee or opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 79°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.4. These readings span 2017. The latest reading is from 2017, more than three years ago: read these numbers as history, not as the water today.

What is hard here

Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish.

Where this data comes from

  • Michigan EGLE — Michigan EGLE: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • EPA NLA — EPA National Lakes Assessment: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.