Horseshoe Lake Fishing in Grand Traverse County, Michigan

• Overview

  Horseshoe Lake is one of the Grand Traverse County listings for Michigan. Around the bank it is pine and birch. Small at around 7 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Grand Traverse County list. Nearest place of any size is Greilickville, 12 miles away. The big place round here is Green Bay, 107 miles distant. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Grand Traverse County cover rock bass, yellow perch, white sucker and smallmouth bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Horseshoe Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 20°F in January up to 68°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Horseshoe Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Stevens Lake Boat Launch provides a boat ramp about half a mile away. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Stevens Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Horseshoe Lake locally before you travel.