Shields Lake
Rice County, Minnesota940 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shields Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Eurasian watermilfoil
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Shields Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 940.49 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 1.12 walleye per gill net at Shields Lake. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Shields Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 30 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Shields Lake is a 940-acre lake in Rice County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 42 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 17 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-31. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Shields Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing17 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 5
- Deep water42 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingRecreation use not supported
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shields Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shields 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 Shields Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Shields 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 2.5 ft of visibility. TSI 64.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | 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. | 64 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Shields Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 1.12 walleye per gill net at Shields Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shields Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2023-09-13 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2023-09-13 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 24.84 | 4–10 in 2023-07-17 | 0.15 lb |
| White Crappie | 22.75 | 0.18 lb | |
| Black Crappie | 21.55 | 4–12 in 2023-07-17 | 0.24 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 20.74 | 8–15 in 2023-07-17 | 0.77 lb |
| Freshwater Drum | 16.03 | 11–22 in 2023-07-17 | 1.18 lb |
| Bluegill | 12.00 | 3–9 in 2023-07-17 | 0.27 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.
Yellow Perch
Black Crappie
Black Bullhead
Freshwater Drum
From the 2023-09-13 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff delineated the floating leaf and emergent aquatic vegetation of Shields lake 09/13/2023, following the protocols listed in the MN DNR Lake Plant Mapping Manual. There were a total of 75.3 acres of floating and emergent plants mapped. This consisted of 18.5 acres of emergent…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Shields Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ShieldsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ShieldsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ShieldsPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
42 ft
Surface area
940 acres
Shoreline
9 mi
Littoral zone
70%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
19 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,060 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Shields LakePublic
- McCullough County Park CampgroundPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Shields Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shields Lake in Rice 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 Shields Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Shields 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.
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 5
Earliest Mar 1, 2024 · Latest Apr 30, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 14, 2018 · Latest Dec 19, 2004
Most recent ice-out
Mar 26
2026
148 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Shields Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN66-0055-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Rice County
Frequently asked questions about Shields Lake
Where is Shields Lake?
- Shields Lake is a lake in Rice County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shields Lake?
- Shields Lake in Rice County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 42 ft. Surface area: 940.49 acres.
Is Shields Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shields Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Shields Lake?
- Shields Lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet. The lake covers 940.49 acres.
What fish are in Shields Lake?
- Fish species found in Shields Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Shields Lake is located in Rice County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Shields Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 17, 2023 caught 1.12 walleye per gill net at Shields Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shields Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Shields Lake thaw?
- Shields Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 5. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 240 days.
Are there boat ramps on Shields Lake?
- Shields Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Shields Lake, McCullough County Park Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Shields Lake?
- Shields 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 Shields Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
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Fish species and best lakes in Rice County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA52 samples · 2020–2025
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.
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