Shallow Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota284 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shallow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Shallow Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 284.3 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 1, 2018 caught 0.42 walleye per trap net at Shallow Lake. DNR survey details →
Shallow Lake is a 284-acre mesotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet (5-foot average). The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, Shallow Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Shallow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shallow 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 Shallow Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Shallow Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.2 ft. Phosphorus 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 10.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.9µg/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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Shallow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Shallow Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (84,723 cells/mL) on November 30, 2024.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 1, 2018 caught 0.42 walleye per trap net at Shallow Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shallow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-06-01 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2018-06-01 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 17.05 | 5–18 in 2018-06-01 | 1.15 lb |
| Bluegill | 14.09 | 3–8 in 2018-06-01 | 0.21 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 10.84 | 7–13 in 2018-06-01 | 0.54 lb |
| Black Crappie | 7.15 | 5–11 in 2018-06-01 | 0.46 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 5.29 | 3–7 in 2018-06-01 | 0.19 lb |
| Smallmouth Bass | 1.92 | 10–18 in 2018-06-01 | 1.91 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Largemouth Bass
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
Black Crappie
From the 2018-06-01 survey
Shallow Lake is located three miles west of Nevis in Hubbard County. Shallow has a surface area of 284 acres and a maximum depth of only 10 feet. There is a county owned public access with an earthen ramp located on the outlet channel at the south end of the lake. The outlet channel of Shallow connects to Lake Belle…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Shallow Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ShallowFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Shallow (1305)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ShallowPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
10 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
284 acres
Shoreline
4.9 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
100 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,414 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Highway 18 BridgePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Shallow Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Shallow Lake
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about Shallow Lake
Where is Shallow Lake?
- Shallow Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shallow Lake?
- Shallow Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 284.3 acres.
Is Shallow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Shallow Lake?
- Shallow Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 284.3 acres.
What fish are in Shallow Lake?
- Fish species found in Shallow Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern pike (silver phase), pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Shallow Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Shallow Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 1, 2018 caught 0.42 walleye per trap net at Shallow Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shallow Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Shallow Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Shallow Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (84,723 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Shallow Lake?
- Shallow Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Highway 18 Bridge. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Shallow Lake?
- Shallow 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
14 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA14 samples · 2020
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory