Spring is definitely the best season for you to catch largemouth bass. The big bucketmouths have moved up into the shallows to spawn and to look for warming water. They are readily accessible to anglers, and a well-placed bait can result in the catch of a lifetime.

Here's a look at some of Michigan's best bets for tangling with lunker-sized largemouths this year.

MARBLE CHAIN
"The whole Marble Chain of lakes system has a healthy population of bass up in the 16- to 18-inch mark," said Kregg Smith, fisheries management biologist for the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit in Plainwell. "There is very diverse vegetation available, including bulrushes, lily pads and cattail wetlands, which encourages bass growth. In Marble Lake itself the fish are in the 10- to 14-inch range because the lake is deeper and colder, and the rate of growth is slower. The other lakes in the chain have both good numbers and growth rates of bass."

The Marble Chain east of Interstate 69 and south of U.S. 12 includes Coldwater, Wright, East, Middle, Archer and Marble lakes, and it covers over 3,500 acres of widely varying habitat. Deep coldwater haunts are connected by channels to shallow pond-like environments where the largemouths can pick and choose.

Coldwater Lake is the largest in the chain at 1,610 acres. Shallow spawning areas in the southern section of the lake like Peninsula Beach are spring hotspots. Access is off Waxson Road on the northwest corner.

Marble is the next largest lake at 780 acres. The northern tip warms up quickly in the spring. Boaters will find access at the west end of Wildwood Road about midlake on the eastern side.

The other waters in the chain have limited access, with the exception of a ramp off the channel between Marble and Middle lakes. These waters offer a nice combination of deep water and weedy shallows where bass thrive on the abundant panfish. Taking the time to venture into these smaller lakes can lead to some great spring bassing.

Contact the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit at (269) 685-6851 for more information. The Branch County Tourism Bureau can be reached at 1-800-968-9333.

GUN LAKE
"Gun Lake has good bass fishing but high angling pressure," biologist Smith said.

There is a healthy population of largemouths, most of which are in the 12- to 16-inch range, but they can run much larger. Gun Lake has the big-bass capabilities that many lakes in the area don't possess.