Shaokotan Lake
Lincoln County, Minnesota996 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shaokotan Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
Shaokotan Lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 45 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 996.28 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 25.00 walleye per gill net at Shaokotan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–9 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Shaokotan Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 10 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Shaokotan Lake is a 996-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 8 documented fish species including black bullhead, bluegill, and green sunfish. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Lincoln County, Shaokotan Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Shaokotan Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing8 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Mar 31
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate 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. Shaokotan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shaokotan 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 Shaokotan Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Shaokotan Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 45 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.5 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 45µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11.5µg/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. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Shaokotan Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Shaokotan Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 75°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 76°F) and coldest in Apr (about 40°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (40°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 199 field readings (2010–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shaokotan Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 25.00 walleye per gill net at Shaokotan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–9 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shaokotan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
21 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-23 (Targeted Survey).
21 surveys on file · most recent 2025-10-23 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathead Minnow | 258.45 | ||
| Black Bullhead | 111.90 | 3–13 in 2024-08-05 | 0.49 lb |
| Walleye | 46.87 | 5–9 in 2025-10-23 | 2.01 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 41.02 | 5–9 in 2024-08-05 | 0.29 lb |
| Bluegill | 7.03 | 3–8 in 2024-08-05 | 0.32 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.
Black Bullhead
Walleye
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
From the 2025-10-23 survey
Lake Shaokotan is a 995-acre, class 41 lake located near the city of Ivanhoe in Lincoln County. Lake Shaokotan is managed primarily for Walleye and secondarily for Northern Pike, Yellow Perch and Bluegill. Lake Shaokotan has had sporadic natural reproduction by Walleye, but it is believed that the population is…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Shaokotan Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ShaokotanFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ShaokotanFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ShaokotanPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
10 ft
Surface area
996 acres
Shoreline
8.7 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
16 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,772 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Shaokatan Lake (South)Public
- Shoakatan Lake (Northwest)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Shaokotan Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Shaokotan Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Shaokotan Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4.66 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-3.81 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Mar 31
Earliest Mar 3, 2024 · Latest Apr 30, 2018
Typical ice-in
Nov 25
Earliest Nov 7, 2019 · Latest Dec 27, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Mar 13
2026
50 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Shaokotan Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Shaokatan (completed 1917), built primarily for other on the Yellow Medicine River; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 98 ft long.
- Surface area
- 994 ac
- Normal storage
- 155 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 408 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 13.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- County of Lincoln
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00122 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.86 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Shaokotan 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: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN41-0089-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lincoln County
Frequently asked questions about Shaokotan Lake
Where is Shaokotan Lake?
- Shaokotan Lake is a lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shaokotan Lake?
- Shaokotan Lake in Lincoln County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 45 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 996.28 acres.
Is Shaokotan Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shaokotan Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shaokotan Lake?
- Shaokotan Lake typically sits around 53°F at the surface in October, from 199 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Shaokotan Lake?
- Shaokotan Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 996.28 acres.
What fish are in Shaokotan Lake?
- Fish species found in Shaokotan Lake include black bullhead, bluegill, green sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Shaokotan Lake is located in Lincoln County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Shaokotan Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 5, 2024 caught 25.00 walleye per gill net at Shaokotan Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–9 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shaokotan Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Shaokotan Lake thaw?
- Shaokotan Lake typically has ice-out around Mar 31. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 239 days.
Are there boat ramps on Shaokotan Lake?
- Shaokotan Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Shaokatan Lake (South), Shoakatan Lake (Northwest). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Shaokotan Lake?
- Shaokotan Lake has 2 documented boat landings 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 Shaokotan Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Lincoln County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
117 measurements from 3 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
MNPCA117 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate