Union Lake fishing: Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye

Target species: Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Sucker, Redfin Pickerel, Channel Catfish, Bluegill
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Union Lake, 1 lane.

The lake

Union Lake covers 556 acres in Michigan, across Branch County. It is a lake: 96.3% of it is 15 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 16 feet (4.9 m). Our records hold 10 species for this water.

7 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • White Sucker — Feeding water: 50–70°F.
  • Redfin Pickerel — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
  • Bluegill — Feeding water: 70–85°F.

Also recorded here: Redear, Common Carp, Fathead Minnow.

Lake reflecting sky.jpg
Snapdragon66 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 16 ft (4.9 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 96.3% of the water is 15 feet or shallower. We hold 89 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–2 ft: 7.2% of the water
  • 2–3 ft: 6.6% of the water
  • 3–4 ft: 7.8% of the water
  • 4–5 ft: 7% of the water
  • 5–6 ft: 8% of the water
  • 6–7 ft: 7.2% of the water
  • 7–8 ft: 6.6% of the water
  • 8–9 ft: 7.5% of the water
  • 9–10 ft: 6.8% of the water
  • 10–11 ft: 7.4% of the water
  • 11–12 ft: 9.1% of the water
  • 12–13 ft: 8.3% of the water
  • 13–15 ft: 6.8% of the water
  • 15–16 ft: 3.7% of the water

Stocking: 3,237,947 fish, 1983–2022

Michigan DNR records list 3,237,947 fish released into this water from 1983 to 2022. The latest stocking on record is from 2022, more than three years ago.

2017-09-13 Union Lake.jpg
Jamescarolinewiki · CC0
  • Walleye: 2,643,131 in 1981–2022
  • Northern Pike: 312,899 in 1979–2003
  • Bluegill: 135,100 in 1990–1993
  • Channel Catfish: 129,439 in 1987–2005
  • Largemouth Bass: 3,000 in 1986

2 more species on the stocking list.

1 ramp or launch on this water

On this water we hold 1 trailer ramp.

Mute Swan, Union Lake.jpg
Snapdragon66 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Union Lake — 1 lane, restrooms. Jackson Field Office. phone 517-780-7866

The place listed has no fee or opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 3–4.5 feet on our readings, averaging 3.7 feet, from 46 readings. These readings span 2021–2023.

What is hard here

With 96.3% of the water 15 feet or less, low level turns the flats into hazards. Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish.

Where this data comes from

  • Michigan EGLE — Michigan EGLE: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.