For more information on Croton and Hardy ponds, contact Parsley's Sport Shop in Newaygo at (231) 652-6986.

UNION LAKE
Branch County's Union Lake is an impoundment of the St. Joseph River that is loaded with crappies.

"Union Lake has a ton of crappies in it," said Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit fisheries supervisor Jay Wesley. "In fact, I'd say that Union Lake probably has an overabundance of crappies in it. They don't run real big, but there certainly is a lot of them."

Most of the crappies you'll catch on Union Lake will run 7 to 9 inches, but you can fill a bucket in a hurry.

Union Lake's 525 acres are shallow, with few spots over 10 feet, so it all can be productive water in the spring. The stumps and timber are very accessible, and crappies will stack up near the wood in the spring. The east end of the lake where the St. Joe River comes in can be hot for specks right after ice-out. Gradually, as the waters warm, crappies tend to migrate toward the deep water found near the dam. Slip-bobbers and minnows or jigs are perfect for working the 5- to 10-foot depths that dominate the lake and the structure that the crappies relate to.

CENTER LAKE
"Center Lake just east of Jackson has a pretty good crappie population," Wesley stated. "Last time we surveyed it, we captured 145 crappies and they ranged from 5 to 12 inches, so there were several strong year-classes present."

Center Lake, sometimes called Michigan Lake, is located in Jackson County near Michigan Center. The 850-acre lake is relatively shallow, with few spots over 15 feet, and is fed by the Grand River. Besides excellent crappie fishing, the lake is a good producer of largemouth bass, northern pike and panfish.

Center Lake features many coves, bays and well-defined weedlines that are prime locations to search for spring slabs. Start in the back of the bays just after ice-out and work deeper toward the weedlines and islands as spring progresses. Stumps on the south end draw crappies in search of forage and spawning habitat. The structure found around a 28-foot hole in the southwest corner is a good location to look for suspended crappies during the summer months.

For information on Center Lake and other southern Michigan crappie lakes, contact the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit of the DNR at (269) 685-6851.

FORD LAKE & BELLEVILLE LAKE
"Both Ford and Belleville lakes have that turbid, stained water and a lot of stumps and timber that crappies do well in," said Lake Erie Management Unit fisheries biologist Gary Towns.

Impoundments of the Huron River, both Ford and Belleville lakes are home to a diversity of game fish, but are well known for their spring crappie fishing.

Belleville Lake, at 1,270 acres, contains both black and white crappies. Look for the papermouths to pile into the bays that feature extensive stumpfields along the old river channel. Of the Huron River impoundments, Belleville probably produces the most consistent fishing and biggest crappies. Most will measure 10 to 13 inches, and 16-inch slabs are not unheard of.

Like Belleville, 975-acre Ford Lake has many stumps, timber and flats that attract spring slabs. Most of the black and white crappies will average under a foot long, but bigger specimens are common. Pre-spawn crappie action on this Washtenaw County lake peaks from late March through mid-May. Crappies can be caught throughout the summer by working the deep inside bends of the old river channel, particularly where you find woody structure.