Ed Shave Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota90 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Ed Shave Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 17 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ed Shave Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 90.47 acres.
Ed Shave Lake is a 90-acre mesotrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and smallmouth bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Ed Shave Lake ranks #27 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Ed Shave Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water11.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing6 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ed Shave Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Ed Shave Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Ed Shave Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Ed Shave Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.2 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 11.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Ed Shave Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Surface area
90 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
91%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,460 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Ed Shave LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Ed Shave Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Ed Shave Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0199-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Ed Shave Lake
Where is Ed Shave Lake?
- Ed Shave Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Ed Shave Lake?
- Ed Shave Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 11.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 90.47 acres.
Is Ed Shave Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Ed Shave Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Ed Shave Lake?
- Ed Shave Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 90.47 acres.
What fish are in Ed Shave Lake?
- Fish species found in Ed Shave Lake include black crappie, bluegill, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Ed Shave Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Are there boat ramps on Ed Shave Lake?
- Ed Shave Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ed Shave Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Ed Shave Lake?
- Ed Shave Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA12 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory