Alexander Lake vs Shamineau Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Alexander Lake and Shamineau Lake read the same on nutrients and algae. Both are in Morrison County, Minnesota.
Both Alexander Lake and Shamineau Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on the readings, Alexander Lake versus Shamineau Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Alexander Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 16.5 ft down.
Shamineau Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Alexander Lake | Shamineau Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 16.5 ft Better | 12.5 ft |
| Phosphorus | 16 µg/L | 14 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L Better | 4 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | 64 ft Better | 52 ft |
| Surface Area | 2,709 acres | 1,434 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 19 Better | 18 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | mesotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
Swap a lake
Compare Alexander Lake or Shamineau Lake against a different lake.
Verdict
Both lakes earn the same Grade A. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Alexander Lake: 16.5 ft, Shamineau Lake: 12.5 ft) and what you want from the lake. Alexander Lake supports more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.