Shallow Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota539 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shallow Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 85 ft max depth
- Public access
Shallow Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 85 ft. Surface area: 538.95 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 1.29 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at Shallow Lake. DNR survey details →
Shallow Lake is a 539-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 85 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 12 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 71 other monitored lakes in Itasca County, Shallow Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Shallow Lake covers about 540 acres in Itasca County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is May 3, which is when the open-water season begins. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Shallow Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Shallow Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16.4 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing12 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around May 3
- Deep water85 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Shallow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. 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.
Crystal clear, you can see 16.4 ft down. Phosphorus 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 38.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.2µg/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. | 38 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Shallow Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Shallow Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in Jun (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 41 field readings (2010–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shallow Lake water temperature breakdown →
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 high (277,971 cells/mL) on November 29, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 1.29 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing 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, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-24 (Targeted Survey).
15 surveys on file · most recent 2024-06-24 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 37.39 | 3–9 in 2022-06-20 | 0.13 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 29.06 | ||
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 6.24 | 11–18 in 2022-06-20 | 1.4 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.
Bluegill
Tullibee (Cisco)
From the 2024-06-24 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Shallow Lake was conducted beginning on June 24th, 2024 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible.…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Shallow Lake. 4 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 (0561)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ShallowFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ShallowPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
85 ft
Surface area
539 acres
Shoreline
5.1 mi
Littoral zone
50%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,270 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Shallow LakePublic
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
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shallow Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Shallow Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Shallow Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Shallow Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.36 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.47 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
May 3
Earliest Apr 12, 2015 · Latest May 20, 2007
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 30, 2006 · Latest Dec 27, 2015
Most recent ice-out
May 6
2022
12 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Shallow Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0084-00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Shallow Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Warba WwtpWarba · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MN0020974
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Shallow Lake
Where is Shallow Lake?
- Shallow Lake is a lake in Itasca 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 Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Maximum depth: 85 ft. Surface area: 538.95 acres.
Is Shallow Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shallow Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shallow Lake?
- Shallow Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 41 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Shallow Lake?
- Shallow Lake has a maximum depth of 85 feet. The lake covers 538.95 acres.
What fish are in Shallow Lake?
- Fish species found in Shallow Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Shallow Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Shallow Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on June 24, 2024 caught 1.29 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing 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, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Shallow Lake thaw?
- Shallow Lake typically has ice-out around May 3. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 212 days.
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 high (277,971 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 Shallow Lake. 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.
Explore Shallow Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
88 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA88 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate