"A lot of folks don't think of Devils Lake as a bass lake, but it has a good population of largemouths in it," said the DNR's Braunscheidel. "It's a deep lake, but it also has a lot of shallow areas with vegetation that isn't as thick as the weeds in a lot of other lakes. The bottom has a lot of contour changes ranging from shallow bars to deep water. It's a good bass lake."

Dick Million of the Clearwater Motel & Resort couldn't agree more. He said many big fish come out of Devils every year, with the eastern half generally being the best to target largemouths. Look for shoreline weeds dropping off into deep water.

Devils Lake covers 1,330 acres south of Jackson by Manitou Beach. A boat ramp is near the dam off Devils Lake Highway and off U.S. Highway 223.

For more fishing information, call the Lake Erie Management Unit at (248) 359-9040. For lodging info, call the Clearwater Motel & Resort at (517) 547-7472, or the Lenawee County Visitor's Bureau at 1-800-536-2933.

PORTAGE LAKES
"Both Big and Little Portage lakes have good largemouth populations," Braunscheidel said. "With the lakes being interconnected, you can go from one to the other and pick your habitat. You can fish shallow, weedy water, or you can go to clearer, deeper sections."

The Portage Lakes are part of the Waterloo State Recreation Area in Washtenaw and Livingston counties, and they cover about 750 acres. Boating access is on Big Portage Lake off McGregor Road near the Huron River. A channel connects Big and Little Portage lakes.

Portage anglers will find good numbers of largemouths but few trophy fish. However, there are some nice-sized bass swimming here along with the sub-legal fish. The northern end of the lake is the most productive and tends to be quieter because it doesn't get used much by water-skiers. Outside weed edges and tapering points are bass magnets on hot summer days, especially where the largemouths have moved deeper to escape boating traffic.

Call the Lake Erie Management Unit at (248) 359-9040 or the Waterloo Recreation Area at (734) 475-8307 for more fishing information. For lodging info, call the Livingston County Visitor's Bureau at (517) 548-1795.

COLDWATER CHAIN
The Coldwater Chain of lakes are in southeastern Branch County, which makes them a short jaunt away for many southern Michigan anglers.

"The average largemouth bass we see coming in to be mounted from the Coldwater Chain averages between 20 and 23 inches," said Pat Heinamin of Heinamin's Taxidermy. "Coldwater is the largest lake and the best bass lake in the chain, and there are some nice largemouths in there."

Coldwater Lake consists of 1,610 acres, followed by Marble Lake with 780, Long Lake with 123, Bartholomew with 80 and Wright with 30 acres. The even smaller lakes on the chain are Archer, Middle and First. Some of the waters are clear and deep -- especially Coldwater -- while the smaller lakes are more fertile and pond-like. Fallen trees, docks, weedbeds and other structures are easy to find. Also, check the outside edges of submerged vegetation and dropoffs in the larger lakes.

"Coldwater is an excellent lake for both largemouth and smallmouth bass, and anglers can expect to see a lot of fish in the 14- to 17-inch range," said Jay Wesley, the DNR's Southern Lake Michigan Unit manager.

Growth rates are good for bass, according to Wesley, and the only complaint from anglers is that the northern pike population is also high. Make that a consideration when you work the weedbeds, because a light wire leader could prevent pike bite-offs and lost lures.

"The best way to fish Coldwater is to put in at the public access and then go all the way around the lake while bouncing your bait off the docks," Heinamin said. "A lot of guys think I'm crazy, but I consistently outfish other anglers with a purple Beetle Spin. Another top bait is the Bitsy Bug with a green Uncle Josh Pork Trailer right out of the jar."

"Fletcher is on fire right now for largemouth bass," DNR biologist Tim Cwalinski said. "The largemouth bass in Fletcher are probably the best-kept secret in the state. The last few years, we've experienced a huge surge in the bass population, and it's nothing to see 18- to 20-inch bass in there."

Boat access sites are off Maxon Road on the west side of Coldwater Lake, on the south side of the channel connecting Marble and Middle lakes off Bennett Road, and on the east side of Marble Lake off Wildwood Road. Anglers with larger boats should use the Coldwater Lake access.