Shoepack

Shoepack Lake is located 14 miles northeast of Finland. To access the lake anglers must first travel to Thunderbird Lake via a 0.75-mile-long carry-in trail from Thunder Road, cross to the west end of Thunderbird Lake then follow a 0.3-mile-long portage trail to Shoepack Lake. The start of this portage trail is located approximately 30 yards south of the US Forest Service campsite on the west end of Thunderbird Lake. Winter access is easier since anglers can ride a snowmobile all the way to the lake. Northern Pike are the only sportfish in the lake and the population is maintained through natural reproduction. A survey of the lake was conducted in early August of 2025 to update information on the pike population and fish community. Northern Pike were captured at a rate that would be expected for this type of lake. The pike that were sampled on average tended to be larger than what we see in most lakes in the area, with an average length of 27 inches and an average weight of almost 4.5 pounds. The sample was made up of age-6 and age-7 fish, the lack of other ages suggests that natural reproduction may not have been successful in recent years. Natural fluctuations in the water level from beaver activity and seasonal rainfall may have contributed to poor recruitment in recent years but are not likely to impact the fishery long-term. For anglers willing to put in the effort to get to Shoepack Lake, it currently offers an opportunity to catch eater-sized pike in a remote setting. White Sucker, Yellow Perch, and Pumpkinseed Sunfish are also present as forage species for the pike population.

Shoepack Lake is a relatively small lake that can be accessed only by a series of portages. It is undeveloped except for a USFS remote campsite on the north shore and supports a natural population of northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker.The northern pike catch in 2005 was above average for the lake class and higher than in the two previous assessments. Northern pike in this assessment averaged about 2.0 lb/fish with fish up to 3.8 lb sampled. Shoepack Lake is typical of many other small lakes where northern pike are abundant but size is small and larger northern pike are uncommon.Yellow perch were sampled in this assessment but netting results indicate numbers are low and the size is small.

The Northern Pike catch was 8.5/lift in gill nets, or about two times the local average. Forage appears good, with the Yellow Perch catch in gill nets at 23/lift, or 1.3 times the area average. The White Sucker levels appear very high, with catch in gill nets at 20/lift, or 1.4 times the local average.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike and Yellow Perch in Shoepack. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Shoepack. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Shoepack has a maximum depth of 11 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Shoepack is from 2025.

No invasive species are on record for Shoepack in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.