Big Fish Lake, Fincher Lake, East Saddlebag Lake, and West Saddlebag Lake, connected by channels and accessible by boat, cover a total of 620 acres, including 340 acres in Big Fish with a maximum depth of 47 feet. The lakes are fed by springs and creeks with clear water that flows south from Gravel Lake and Cedar Lake to the St. Joseph River. A dam maintains water levels. All four are all-sports lakes, although most boating and personal watercraft recreation is on Big Fish while smaller lakes provide quieter areas for fishing. Anglers can catch panfish, bluegill, crappie, and walleye, and the lakes host several bass tournaments each year.
The west side of Big Fish is wetlands; the north side of the Saddlebag lakes is still farmed, and the east side of East Saddlebag Lake has Melville’s Campground. Lake homes for sale are on the southeast end of East Saddlebag Lake and the southwest corner of West Saddlebag Lake, with most of the south side wetlands or otherwise undeveloped. Finch Lake has more cottages, including large lake homes for sale in the past ten years, mostly on the north and the southwest. More than half the homes on Big Fish are occupied year-round. Older cottages are being replaced with larger homes.
