# Sag. Bay water level?



## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Hows the middle grounds looking right now compared to last fall? I'm bringing my Prodigy up there Thursday to cruise the middle grounds and do a little scouting for this season. I always launch out of Bayport and I'm just curious what it's looking like up there.


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## QuackerWhacker (Oct 9, 2007)

Up 12" imo.


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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

Was decent this spring, headed up next Friday to the west side, trying a little launch with a bigger boat to see if it's doable.


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## smoke (Jun 3, 2006)

It's deep craig. After the big rain a couple weeks ago, coupled with the west wind, The bay port launch dock was level with the water! I've been hunting up there since 91 and have never seen that before. 

I'll be heading up Friday as well to bay port. Gonna hit the cheeseburger festival and help my buddy brush up his open water blind and scout for some teal. Really just play in my prodigy but I'll call it scouting! Figuring on hunting the full teal season this year up there. Just a great time of year to be there imo.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Thanks. You have to enjoy playing in them Prodigies!


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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

I don't want to hear about you guys and your prodigys, I do enough drooling on facebook over those boats.


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## cwielock (May 9, 2010)

Man if i didn't have to work all week in Mendon i would take my prodigy out and join you guys!!


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## cbrace55 (Jan 2, 2004)

is the access at Fin and Feather club launchable?


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## population control (Apr 18, 2009)

Fin and Feather is real narrow. Phrag is really grown up in there. Might be hard to get the boat off the trailer. 
There will be lots of near misses in the trails out there this year! Be careful. Some are very narrow and you got the airboats, mud motors and outboards running them.


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

I made it up to Bud's Landing yesterday afternoon and was surprised at just how high the water was as a hard SW wind usually takes the water down a touch. The water was at the top of the docks. North winds of any variety will make things interesting to say the least

On our trip out to and through the Defoe Island marsh, I never encountered less than 3 feet of water. I got out right at one of the marsh points and at best, it would be sketchy wading come fall.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

The Doob said:


> I made it up to Bud's Landing yesterday afternoon and was surprised at just how high the water was as a hard SW wind usually takes the water down a touch. The water was at the top of the docks. North winds of any variety will make things interesting to say the least
> 
> On our trip out to and through the Defoe Island marsh, I never encountered less than 3 feet of water. I got out right at one of the marsh points and at best, it would be sketchy wading come fall.


That is different! Can remember many years since the late 90's when you couldn't get a boat within 200 yds of cover in the Defoe area, and mud flats covered with zebra mussels everywhere. In fact I haven't hunted that area in a few years just because it was such a PIA! So this is great news! Should spread people out and give everyone more opportunity.


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## Nuff Daddy (Dec 5, 2012)

It's almost too deep IMO. The shoreline is almost unwadeable in a lot of spots. Makes for tough putting out and picking up a puddler spread


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

How deep is the water in the middle between Geiger launch and say the Dynamite? Used to be around 3', but from what you all are saying, must be WAAAAY deeper now eh?


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

As far as the launch at Fin and Feather...










It is plenty deep enough to launch a boat (3+ feet) but there isn't much width to it but a canoe or similar boat would make it . However, the cut to the lake looks very narrow....


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

just ducky said:


> How deep is the water in the middle between Geiger launch and say the Dynamite? Used to be around 3', but from what you all are saying, must be WAAAAY deeper now eh?


Checked out the launch at Geiger road this afternoon as part of my Bay tour - the water is 4' deep going out to the Bay and the shallowest I marked in the cut was 3'. Now mind you, this was with a steady SW wind.

The water in the middle between Geiger and dynamite is at least 6 feet deep and grown right to the top with this.......










Now wonder the redheads stack up in there by the thousands!!!!!!


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

A little further North at the State Launch at Bayport the water is 6 - 7 feet deep all the way out to the last set of cans.


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## smoke (Jun 3, 2006)

I'm in bay port now and plan to hit the bay tomorrow for some preseason scouting. Any day on the bay is a good day imo. Water levels remind me of early to mid 90's and we killed the crap out of birds during that time. Maybe it'll happen again. I did notice the phrag is drowning out in some places as well!


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

Smoke,

I was running around in an 18' Lund and had no problem checking out some of the shallow water west of the State channel.

I am starting to wonder if the water might be getting to deep where I put my open water blind - I have had to lengthen the anchor cord on my decoys and go to mostly mother lines. 

13 was the best year I ever had thanks to the birds I killed in Wildfowl Bay. 14 saw us shoot maybe a third of what we did in 13. I don't know if that is because of water depth or different bird movements.

The water levels have increased to the point where I could return to my old haunts BUT I had my best year in Wildfowl Bay. I got a big decision ahead of me


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

The Doob said:


> Checked out the launch at Geiger road this afternoon as part of my Bay tour - the water is 4' deep going out to the Bay and the shallowest I marked in the cut was 3'. Now mind you, this was with a steady SW wind.
> 
> The water in the middle between Geiger and dynamite is at least 6 feet deep and grown right to the top with this.......
> 
> ...


Wow that is different. Used to be some celery in the middle there, but OMG! Yep, good source of food for them


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

smoke said:


> ... I did notice the phrag is drowning out in some places as well!


good news too!


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

jonesy16 said:


> QUOTE="Blacklab77, post: 5613579, member: 19405"]Yeah DNR has done 4 Helio sprays on phrags on the west side of Bay in select areas. I guess it was paid by some federal grant dollars... They were also doing 4-wheeler sprays in a couple areas as well before the water got to deep, its my understanding they may be doing these by airboat now!


Kind of destroyed some cover I planned on using at a certain location. Damn! [/QUOTE]

That was just me bowfishing it all summer. Every carp missed, the arrow pulled out 5lbs of roots


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## Blacklab77 (Jun 21, 2006)

Well guys as hunters we either got to say we hate the phrags because they are choking off the canals and **** or we like them for the cover... this wishy washy **** just doesn't help the cause. In the long run I think it will be for the best.


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## jimmac (Mar 15, 2009)

cbrace55 said:


> is the access at Fin and Feather club launchable?


I tried fin and feather with my excel had all we could do to try and get the boat off the trailer with three guy I wouldn't do it again


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## jonesy16 (Sep 19, 2011)

Blacklab77 said:


> Well guys as hunters we either got to say we hate the phrags because they are choking off the canals and **** or we like them for the cover... this wishy washy **** just doesn't help the cause. In the long run I think it will be for the best.


Guess my sarcasm wasn't clear lol, has its perks for great cover but that's about it. Lost a good pair of waders to phrag last year. Will be interesting to see how long it takes native flora to make a rebound from the sprayed phrag.


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## skycarp10 (Oct 14, 2012)

Current Lake Levels:
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/levels.html#observations

Michigan - Huron is .22 meters above last year at this time.The Phrag has receded considerably around the Great Lakes and coverage will continue to decline with high water conditions. In most areas, water is deep enough to pull boats right into the phrag. No blind needed!


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## buckwacker 48097 (Nov 11, 2010)

Anyone remember when you could get a boat out of fin and feather with little effort? We use to drop a 16' sea nymph out of there to hunt the north east side of the middle grounds. My buddy had a trailer right on the road to the access. After his death in an accident it went to a family member ... then back to the bank. Anyhow, sure had some great hunting up there as a kid in the late 80's early 90's!


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

As a matter of fact, yes. I got my start going out of Finn and Feather back in the 70's with a square stern canoe and a folding shaft 3hp Johnson. I wasn't very successful back then but I tried like a Mo'Fo


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## kozbones (Sep 7, 2010)

Use to launch boat from parking lot there in the 80's. So much water then. But the water level is getting there again.


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## buckwacker 48097 (Nov 11, 2010)

I have to drive down that road every time I'm up there, it is very nostalgic for me but sad at the same time. I would love to see boats go out of there again. I spent ALOT of time up there as a kid. Between fishing and hunting, I use to smell like Wildfowl Bay until about December every year.


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## buckwacker 48097 (Nov 11, 2010)

I have to drive down that road every time I'm up there, it is very nostalgic for me but sad at the same time. I would love to see boats go out of there again. I spent ALOT of time up there as a kid. Between fishing and hunting, I use to smell like Wildfowl Bay until about December every year.


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