The on-loan Peterborough man struck after just four minutes to shock a Shrewsbury Town side who had won three of its first four games this season.
Howe took advantage of some poor Shrewsb defending to latch on to Stewart Drummond's long through ball and stroke the ball past the helpless Luke Daniels.
It was a goal that gave the struggling a home side a clear lift and they almost added a second four minutes later, when another Drummond through ball found Garry Hunter and his early cross was turned over by Diarmuid O'Carroll.
Shrewsbury hit back with Dave Hibbert driving a low shot wide and Ben Davies curled a free-kick over the wall, but while Morecambe keeper Barry Roche had little to do his opposite number, Daniels, was soon in action again with a superb save from Howe's near-post volley.
The visitors looked to play in Hibbert and strike partner Grant Holt but the Shrimps' defence, superbly led by Jim Bentley and David Artell, gave the latter just one sniff on goal in the first half with a header over from a dangerous Kevin McIntyre corner.
The second half kicked-off with Shane Cansdell-Sherriff shooting straight at Roche, but Daniels had to alert on 50 minutes as he got down well to save a wickedly curling and dipping Hunter shot from the edge of the area.
Drummond then surged through midfield before curling a shot straight at Daniels and Howe clipped an effort over, before Daniels was in action again with a fine save at the feet of O'Carroll who was put though by a clever Matt Blinkhorn flick.
Shrewsbury piled on the pressure at the end with an array of crosses and long throws, but they only had one clear chance as Hibbert cleverly made space for a shot which the giant Roche did well to save at full stretch.