Lake · Van Buren, Michigan
Shafer Lake
At a glance
- Area
- 29 ha (72 acres)
- Mean depth (estimated)
- ≈ 3.8 m (12 ft)
Mean depth: HydroLAKES (Messager et al. 2016)
Who lives here
- Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykissStocked · 2026 · Fish stocking: Michigan Department of Natural Resources (Fish Stocking Database)
Not listed doesn't mean no fish.
Stocking
| Year | Species | Stage | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2026 | Rainbow trout | 4,100 | |
| Apr 9, 2025 | Rainbow trout | 2,600 | |
| Apr 1, 2024 | Rainbow trout | 2,750 | |
| Apr 6, 2023 | Rainbow trout | 2,400 | |
| Apr 11, 2022 | Rainbow trout | 2,500 | |
| Apr 29, 2021 | Rainbow trout | 2,500 | |
| Apr 29, 2020 | Rainbow trout | 2,399 | |
| Apr 8, 2019 | Rainbow trout | 2,748 | |
| Apr 30, 2018 | Rainbow trout | 2,700 | |
| Apr 20, 2017 | Rainbow trout | 2,750 | |
| May 5, 2016 | Rainbow trout | 2,500 |
As the agency publishes it. Newest first: 11 of 11.
Getting on the water
- Shafer LakeBoat launch · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Listed by public agencies. A listed site doesn't make the water or its shore open to fishing: when in doubt, it's unknown. Check signs and local rules.
The rules
Summary, not the law. Check the official regulations before you fish.
HuntGrid has no rules for this water yet.
Official regulations: Michigan Department of Natural Resources
What's biting
This water is too small for community summaries: on a small water a summary could point to someone's spot.
About this page
Sources and licences:
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Hydrography Dataset Plus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR); U.S. Census Bureau, TIGER/Line® Shapefiles 2025: counties and states · Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. §105)
- Lake mean depth: HydroLAKES (Messager et al. 2016, Nature Communications 7:13603), CC BY 4.0 · CC BY 4.0
- Fish stocking: Michigan Department of Natural Resources (Fish Stocking Database) · State of Michigan open data terms (https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=fc7739be5f5247e7bf7f2c6bc9471140, read 2026-10-19): "This dataset is a public record and, as more fully described below, there are no restrictions on the use, reproduction, or distribution of this dataset." The terms also carry a release of claims and an unlimited indemnity, accepted under the owner's 2026-10-19 rule. Credit the agency; remove the layer if the agency asks.
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources · No restrictions on the use, reproduction, or distribution (State of Michigan public record)
- Michigan DNR, Institute for Fisheries Research · Public record: no restrictions on use, reproduction or distribution (State of Michigan open data terms, provided as is)
The outline is drawn from the official water data credited above, without a basemap. These pages show no angler's catches, spots or tracks.