Fishing at Shorter Lake, Grand Traverse County, Michigan

• Overview

  Set in Grand Traverse County, Shorter Lake is a Michigan water. Height above sea level is 807 feet. This is a pocket water of some 22 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The closest town, Greilickville, is 9.4 miles away. Traverse City follows at 10 miles, then Kingsley at 19 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Shorter Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Grand Traverse County include rock bass, yellow perch and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Shorter Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 68°F, the coldest about 21°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. On Shorter Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Cook Lake is 0.5 miles off. What applies at Shorter Lake may have changed since it was mapped.