When Kevin VanDam speaks, bass fishermen crowd around and listen intently. When he talks about his favorite Michigan bass lakes, they take notes.
VanDam, known as KVD by his countless fans, is the greatest angler to ever pilot a bass boat. He calls Michigan home and grew up fishing many of the Wolverine State’s fabulous bass lakes and rivers. Here’s what he has to say about another one of his favorite Michigan fishing destinations.
Lake Huron
“Lake Huron is probably best known for its walleye fishing, but it’s also a tremendous smallmouth fishery,” VanDam said.
Smallmouth can be found from the mouth of the St. Clair River at the very bottom of Lake Huron to the Mackinac Bridge that leads to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
“The smallmouth are primarily in the bays and river mouths,” VanDam said. “You won’t get into numbers of bass, but there are definitely some trophy fish to be caught.”
Massive Saginaw Bay, with a total surface area of 1,143 square miles, is, by far, the largest of Lake Huron’s bays. VanDam snatches heavyweight smallmouth here by fishing rocky shoals and offshore points. There is little grass here to hold the bass.
“This is big water and it can get rough,” VanDam said. “Pick your days to fish here.”
When the wind blows from the west, as it often does, you can fish in protected water along Saginaw Bay’s eastern shoreline, VanDam added.
Tubes, drop shot rigs and jerkbaits will put you in touch with Lake Huron’s trophy smallmouth.
“Overall, the bass live 10 to 25 feet deep because the water is pretty clear,” VanDam said. “I catch most of my fish there with finesse baits.”