Shell Lake
Becker County, Minnesota3,147 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shell Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Shell Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 3147.31 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Shell Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Shell Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 15 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Shell Lake is a 3,147-acre mesotrophic lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 16 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 83 other monitored lakes in Becker County, Shell Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Shell Lake covers about 3,100 acres in Becker County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 24, which is when the open-water season begins. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Shell Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Shell Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 24
- Big water3,147 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shell 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 Shell Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Shell Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.3 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 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. | 48 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Shell Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Shell Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (210,863 cells/mL) on January 11, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Shell Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shell Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-05-10 (Targeted Survey).
12 surveys on file · most recent 2023-05-10 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 51.10 | 4–5 in 2023-05-10 | 0.19 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 14.67 | ||
| Golden Shiner | 11.54 | ||
| Brown Bullhead | 11.07 | 5–7 in 2023-05-10 | 0.34 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
Brown Bullhead
From the 2023-05-10 survey
Shell Lake is a 3,140-acre lake located in east central Becker County. Extensive stands of wild rice are found in shoal waters throughout much of the lake, and waterfowl hunting is an important recreational use of the lake. Because much of the lake is shallow, Shell Lake is subject to occasional winterkills. A couple…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Shell Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ShellFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Shell (1206)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ShellFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ShellPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
16 ft
Surface area
3,147 acres
Shoreline
10.3 mi
Littoral zone
98%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
56 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,509 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Shell 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 Shell Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shell Lake in Becker 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 Shell 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 →
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Shell Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2020–2021). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 24
Earliest Mar 30, 2021 · Latest May 9, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 19
Earliest Nov 6, 2017 · Latest Dec 25, 2023
Most recent ice-out
Apr 2
2024
18 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Shell Lake
Where is Shell Lake?
- Shell Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shell Lake?
- Shell Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 16 ft. Surface area: 3147.31 acres.
Is Shell Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Shell Lake?
- Shell Lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The lake covers 3147.31 acres.
What fish are in Shell Lake?
- Fish species found in Shell Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Shell Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Shell Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 15, 2022 caught 2.33 walleye per gill net at Shell Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shell Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Shell Lake thaw?
- Shell Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 24. Ice typically forms around Nov 19. The open water season is approximately 209 days.
Does Shell Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Shell Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (210,863 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Shell Lake?
- Shell Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Shell Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Shell Lake?
- Shell 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 Shell Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Becker County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Top lakes and where to stay in the Park Rapids Area area
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Red River of the North Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
21 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA21 samples · 2020–2021
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
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