Shetek Lake
Murray County, Minnesota3,462 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shetek Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- zebra mussel
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Shetek Lake in Murray County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 102 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 31.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 3462.22 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Shetek Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 10 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Shetek Lake is a 3,462-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Murray County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 10 feet (5-foot average). The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 6 public boat landings. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Murray County, Shetek Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Shetek Lake covers about 3,500 acres in Murray County. It has 6 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. The median ice-out date is April 3, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Shetek Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Shetek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch6 documented ramps
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 3
- Big water3,462 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Shetek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shetek 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 Shetek Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Shetek 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 1.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 102 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 31.1 µg/L. TSI 70.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 102µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 31.1µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 70 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Shetek Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Shetek Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Aug (about 73°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (73°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shetek Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
10 ft
Average depth
5 ft
Surface area
3,462 acres
Shoreline
36 mi
Littoral zone
100%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
181 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,476 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake Shetek State ParkPublic
- Shetek Lake Marsh's LandingPublic
- Shetek Lake InletPublic
- Shetek Lake (Southwest)Public
- Keeley IslandPublic
- Lakes Marine and SportsSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Shetek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shetek Lake in Murray 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Shetek Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Shetek 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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Shetek Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Shetek Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 3
Earliest Mar 2, 2026 · Latest Apr 24, 1962
Typical ice-in
Nov 27
Earliest Nov 1, 1991 · Latest Dec 25, 2005
Most recent ice-out
Mar 2
2026
117 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Shetek 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN51-0046-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Murray County
Frequently asked questions about Shetek Lake
Where is Shetek Lake?
- Shetek Lake is a lake in Murray County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shetek Lake?
- Shetek Lake in Murray County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 102 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 31.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 3462.22 acres.
Is Shetek Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shetek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shetek Lake?
- Shetek Lake typically sits around 73°F at the surface in September, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Shetek Lake?
- Shetek Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet and an average depth of 5 feet. The lake covers 3462.22 acres.
What fish are in Shetek Lake?
- Fish species found in Shetek Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, quillback, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Shetek Lake is located in Murray County, Minnesota.
When does Shetek Lake thaw?
- Shetek Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 3. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 238 days.
Are there boat ramps on Shetek Lake?
- Shetek Lake has 6 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Shetek State Park, Shetek Lake Marsh's Landing, Shetek Lake Inlet, Shetek Lake (Southwest), among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Shetek Lake?
- Shetek Lake has 6 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 Shetek Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Murray County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Compare Shetek Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
9 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
MNPCA9 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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.
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