Fishing at Goat Lake, Luce County, Michigan

• Overview

  Luce County, Michigan, is where Goat Lake sits. The bank is 810 feet above sea level. Small at around 11 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The town to know is Newberry, 10 miles out. Saint Ignace is 41 miles and Manistique 45 miles. Not far off: Grass Lake out at 0.6 miles, Nelson Lake near enough 0.7 miles, Tee Lake out at 1.1 miles, Finn Lake near enough 1.3 miles and Ear Lake out at 1.4 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Goat Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Luce County include yellow perch, white sucker, walleye and pink salmon. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Goat Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 65°F; by January the average is down near 16°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and early December closes it again. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Goat Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. There is a ramp at Third Creek Trout Pond Boat Launch, half a mile out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Grass Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. For Goat Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.