# Kalamazoo River Pier in Saugatuck



## m_sell31

How can you get out on this pier to fish, anyone know? I though maybe you could walk over there from the state park but thats a 5 mile round trip walk and it looks like you have to walk on private land to get the last few hundred yards. I can see people out there fishing from the park, just wondering how they get there?


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## quest32a

Walk. And its just over a mile each way.


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## m_sell31

quest32a said:


> Walk. And its just over a mile each way.


Where are you walking from is my question I guess? This can be done without trespassing?


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## EdB

Oval Beach in Douglass is your closest access to the south pier. It is a longer walk to get to the north pier. You can walk anywhere on a GL beach as long as you stay at or below the high water mark.


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## fishctchr

I used to fish both piers on a regular basis and the best way is to take a small boat and tie off just inside the breakwalls. That way you can fish either pier depending on wind and traffic.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## syonker

m_sell31 said:


> Where are you walking from is my question I guess? This can be done without trespassing?


I thought the south side was now open to the public with the recent purchase of the property by the Nature Conservancy this winter?


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## EdB

The great lakes beaches at the water's edge are not private. You can't cross private property to get to the waters edge but if you access the waters edge from a public access, you can walk anywhere north or south as far as you want on any Mi great lakes beaches as long as you stay at or below the high water mark. 

Yes, that property on the south side is now public but the no tresspassing signs were still up a couple weeks ago.


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## Far Beyond Driven

North pier you'd have to walk in from the State Park, and that's a hike. It's a hike just to get to the beach at the State Park. 

South pier's always been accessible from Oval Beach. Technically before the courts ruled that the high water mark was fair game, that was tresspassing, but it was never enforced.

If a CO really wanted to bust your chops, tying off to a pier is considered tying off to an aid to navigation and can lead to a ticket. You can set two anchors and put out fenders and bump against the pier all day but God forbid you actually put a rope to the pier itself... :rant:


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## Gasher

I would not be happy about that ticket...thanks for the heads up


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## John Q. Public

EdB said:


> The great lakes beaches at the water's edge are not private. You can't cross private property to get to the waters edge but if you access the waters edge from a public access, you can walk anywhere north or south as far as you want on any Mi great lakes beaches as long as you stay at or below the high water mark.


I looked around but couldn't find a definitive answer regarding this. Let say you access the beach legally from public property. Are you allowed to walk on private property to get around an obstruction that prevents you from walking below the low water mark, such as a dock? I know that's how it is in the rivers, not sure if the same applies on the beach.


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## fishctchr

Don't believe you will find any docks on the big pond but maybe a sea wall.I have tied off to both walls dozens of times and never had a problem. Just make sure you bring bumpers or a tire in case she's rockin.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## wk4036

Just park at the Oval Beach and hoof it like we have been doing for years.


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## ifish4eyes

are the paths pave out to the piers, sand, hard dirt? Thanks.


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## quest32a

ifish4eyes said:


> are the paths pave out to the piers, sand, hard dirt? Thanks.


Beach sand. It is not easy walking by any means.


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## ybone

plain and simple. i have lived in the area and fished that pier for 15 yrs. i have never once heard of anyone getting a ticket for tying up their boat on the inside or outside of the wall. the walk is 1.1 miles from the parking lot to the pier head (south side). memorial day is when they start charging at the beach for parking. from sept to may, the local law is pretty good about opening the gate early. 

it's fishing


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## Far Beyond Driven

I didn't say you would get a ticket, but you could.

You could get one for anchoring in the channel as well, but I've never seen the jiggers in Muskegon get popped for that.

I've tied off to the piers before w/o issue, but was warned by a CO one day that tying off to any nav. aid or pier was technically illegal.


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