Fishing Bovee Lake in Branch County, Michigan

• Overview

  Bovee Lake belongs to Branch County, Michigan. It sits at 1,027 feet above sea level. It covers about 2 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Branch County are larger. Head to Reading, 6.5 miles away, for anything you forgot. Then Fremont, 7.6 miles, and Quincy, 7.8 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Bovee Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Branch County, recorded fish include bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and warmouth. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Anyone new to Bovee Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 22°F in January to roughly 71°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around mid December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Bovee Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Camp Lake is 1.6 miles distant. Ask locally about Bovee Lake if anything is unclear.