Union Lake near Union City: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  This water sits in Branch County, Michigan. This is pine and birch country. This is sizeable water at about 553 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Shoreline length is close to 7.4 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Branch County are bigger. 2.5 miles away sits Union City, the nearest town. Then Athens, 3.7 miles, and Colon, 9.9 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Union Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Survey and observation records for Branch County include bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Union Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 72°F; by January the average is down near 22°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. The season between ice runs from about late March to mid December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Union Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Launch at Union Lake Boat Launch, half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lehr Lake sits 3.6 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Union Lake in what we hold.