Shaver Lake
Hennepin County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shaver Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Shaver Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility.
Shaver Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Shaver Lake Water Quality Summary (2026)
A printable one-page summary for Shaver Lake: clarity, phosphorus, algae, multi-year trend, depth, and fish — with sources.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shaver 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 Shaver Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Shaver Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4 ft. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Shaver Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 5:00 AM from gauge 05289000 (Lake Minnetonka Abv Grays Bay Otlt In Minnetonka). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
Water Temperature
Shaver Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 76°F) and coldest in Sep (about 64°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (64°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2011–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shaver Lake water temperature breakdown →
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Stays near Shaver Lake
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Fishing Shaver Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.57 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.85 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Shaver Lake
Where is Shaver Lake?
- Shaver Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shaver Lake?
- Shaver Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4 ft visibility.
Is Shaver Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shaver Lake?
- Shaver Lake typically sits around 64°F at the surface in September, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
What is the water level at Shaver Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Shaver Lake is 929.21 ft of gage height, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 5:00 AM at gauge 05289000. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Can I fish at Shaver Lake?
- Public access to Shaver Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA4 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
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.