Where is Shawnigan Lake?

Shawnigan Lake is a lake in Victoria, British Columbia. Its water-quality measurements are published by ENV and shown on this page as reported.

Shawnigan Lake

Victoria, British ColumbiaView map Directions

ENV publishes the water-quality measurements for Shawnigan Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity

5.3 m

Typical for British Columbia

Secchi · sampled 2025

Phosphorus

4.7 µg/L

Typical for British Columbia

Measured by ENV

Chlorophyll-a

1.4 µg/L

Typical for British Columbia

Measured by ENV

Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Shawnigan Lake in Victoria, British Columbia has water-quality measurements published by ENV, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.3 m visibility. Phosphorus: 4.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L.

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Shawnigan Lake is a lake in Victoria County, British Columbia.

Source: the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks — not the EPA Water Quality Portal, last sampled 2025-11-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Shawnigan Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Clear water17.4 ft of visibility

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Shawnigan Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Shawnigan Lake

These are the measurements ENV publishes for Shawnigan 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 17.4 ft down. Phosphorus 4.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 32.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	5.3m	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	4.7µg/L	Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.
Chlorophyll-a (algae)	1.4µg/L	Measured, not scored 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.	32	Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.

Ask about Shawnigan Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

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Stays near Shawnigan Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shawnigan Lake in Victoria, British Columbia — 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.

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Fishing Shawnigan Lake

→ Shawnigan Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Nearby Lakes in Victoria

Little Shawnigan Lake3 miView →Langford Lake3.7 m clear14 miView →Elk Lake4.2 m clear13.2 miView →Beaver Lake14.3 miView →Swan Lake1 m clear17.2 miView →

Frequently asked questions about Shawnigan Lake

Where is Shawnigan Lake?: Shawnigan Lake is a lake in Victoria, British Columbia. Its water-quality measurements are published by ENV and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shawnigan Lake?: Shawnigan Lake in Victoria, British Columbia has water-quality measurements published by ENV, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.3 m visibility. Phosphorus: 4.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L.
Is Shawnigan Lake safe to swim in?: Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.