Horseshoe Lake in Montmorency County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Horseshoe Lake is listed under Montmorency County, Michigan. It lies 804 feet above sea level. Around 42 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. A shoreline of some 1.1 miles keeps the choices simple. Rogers City is the closest place, 22 miles off. After that come Lewiston at 23 miles and Alpena at 26 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Montmorency County include largemouth bass, bluegill and northern pike. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Horseshoe Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 67°F, while January sits near 17°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Horseshoe Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. 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. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Dollar Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Horseshoe Lake for certain.