Shag Lake Fishing Guide, Marquette County, Michigan

• Overview

  Michigan holds Shag Lake, in Marquette County. The bank gives way to lake country bush. The water covers some 195 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. On our Marquette County list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Gwinn, is 3.4 miles away. For a city, Green Bay is 123 miles off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Shag Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch and rainbow smelt. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Shag Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 65°F and January near 14°F on the long-run figures. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Shag Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. The nearest recorded ramp is Little Shag Lake 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 phone call first saves an afternoon. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Miller Lake, 0.4 miles away. Treat Shag Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.