Lac Jolie Fishing Guide, Van Buren County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Van Buren County, Michigan, this is Lac Jolie. The land about it is pine and birch. At 7 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Van Buren County list holds plenty of bigger water. 4.8 miles away sits Paw Paw Lake, the nearest town. After that come Lake Michigan Beach at 5.3 miles and Coloma at 6.4 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Lac Jolie

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Van Buren County include bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch and pink salmon. The county list is broader than any single water. At Lac Jolie light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 71°F and January near 24°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running late March to late December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Lac Jolie follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lac Ele at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. For Lac Jolie in particular, ask before you travel.