Shallow Lake

Shallow Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. The lake's weakest score is on Secchi depth — the water looks more turbid than its phosphorus number alone would predict.

Mesotrophic conditions dominate at Shallow Lake: enough nutrients for a healthy fishery, not so much that algal blooms become a chronic problem. Shallow Lake is a shallow lake at 10 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. At 284 acres, Shallow Lake fits the Minnesota median for monitored lakes, with 4.9 miles of shoreline. Within Hubbard County's 77 graded lakes, Shallow Lake ranks 52 — below the local median, though not at the bottom.

No invasive species are currently listed at Shallow Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The fishery includes walleye alongside the lake's other 13 documented species — a notable draw for Minnesota anglers. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.