Upper Shoe Lake Fishing Guide, Alger County, Michigan

• Overview

  The Alger County entry here is Upper Shoe Lake, in Michigan. What surrounds it is lake country bush. Around 35 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Supplies mean a trip to Munising, 14 miles off. Green Bay is the closest city, 158 miles away. Other water nearby: 0.4 miles away is Lower Shoe Lake, Section Thirtysix Lake lies 0.5 miles on, 1.6 miles away is Buck Lake, Burrell Lakes lies 2.1 miles on and 2.9 miles away is Long Lake. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Upper Shoe Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Alger County list yellow perch, rainbow smelt, northern pike and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat Upper Shoe Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 64°F and January near 17°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about early December in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Upper Shoe Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Lower Shoe Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Upper Shoe Lake if anything is unclear.