Shallow Lake

Shallow Lake sits at the top of the Minnesota PCA grading rubric with an A, a mark reached by the cleanest lakes in Minnesota. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

Trophically, Shallow Lake reads as oligotrophic — nutrient-poor, clear, and ecologically more sensitive to disturbance than richer lakes. At 85 ft of maximum depth, Shallow Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. The lake's 539 acres and 5.1 miles of shoreline put it in the mid-range bucket — large enough for varied use, small enough that watershed inputs reach the whole basin. Shallow Lake ranks 5 of 141 in Itasca County, putting it in the upper tier of locally monitored lakes.

Shallow Lake has no invasive species recorded in Minnesota state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Walleye are documented at Shallow Lake, one of 12 fish species on record for the lake. A documented public access point at Shallow Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The lake has a partial ice record — 8 observed ice-outs, centered near May 3. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.