Solunar Calendar · Updated 2026-07-06
Best Fishing Times for Shields Lake
14-day solunar fishing calendar for Shields Lake, Washington County, Minnesota — sun and moon times calculated for lat 45.253, lon -92.945.
On the scoring rubric Shields Lake grades a D: clarity at 4.4 ft and 101 µg/L of phosphorus keep it in the lower bracket for Washington County. Of the three parameters, phosphorus is the worst — at 101 µg/L of phosphorus, it keeps the lake susceptible to algal blooms in warm years.
Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. Shields Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point — typical for Minnesota mid-sized lakes, with seasonal stratification but limited cold-water refuge. The lake is compact at 30 acres, with 0.9 miles of shoreline and little volume to buffer nutrient inputs. Within the 83 graded lakes of Washington County, Shields Lake sits at rank 66, near the bottom of the county list.
Full water-quality breakdown: Shields Lake water-quality report.
Today at Shields Lake
Sunrise 5:31 AM, sunset 9:01 PM. Moon is Last Quarter (58% illuminated). Day rating: ★★☆☆☆.
Major periods: 5:02 AM – 7:02 AM; 5:24 PM – 7:24 PM
Minor periods: 11:22 PM – 12:22 AM; 11:56 AM – 12:56 PM
14-Day Fishing Calendar
No 3.5+ star solunar days in the next 14 days at Shields Lake — consider focusing on dawn and dusk windows. Anglers target black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, and others on Shields Lake.
| Date | Rating | Moon | Sunrise | Sunset | Major Periods | Minor Periods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jul 6 | ★★☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 58% lit | 5:31 AM | 9:01 PM | 5:02 AM – 7:02 AM 5:24 PM – 7:24 PM | 11:22 PM – 12:22 AM 11:56 AM – 12:56 PM |
| Tue, Jul 7 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 47% lit | 5:32 AM | 9:01 PM | 5:47 AM – 7:47 AM | 11:40 PM – 12:40 AM 1:09 PM – 2:09 PM |
| Wed, Jul 8 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 37% lit | 5:32 AM | 9:01 PM | 6:10 PM – 8:10 PM 6:34 AM – 8:34 AM | 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM 2:25 PM – 3:25 PM |
| Thu, Jul 9 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 27% lit | 5:33 AM | 9:00 PM | 6:59 PM – 8:59 PM 7:26 AM – 9:26 AM | 12:24 AM – 1:24 AM 3:44 PM – 4:44 PM |
| Fri, Jul 10 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 18% lit | 5:34 AM | 9:00 PM | 7:54 PM – 9:54 PM 8:23 AM – 10:23 AM | 12:54 AM – 1:54 AM 5:06 PM – 6:06 PM |
| Sat, Jul 11 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 11% lit | 5:35 AM | 8:59 PM | 8:53 PM – 10:53 PM 9:25 AM – 11:25 AM | 1:35 AM – 2:35 AM 6:24 PM – 7:24 PM |
| Sun, Jul 12 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 5% lit | 5:36 AM | 8:58 PM | 9:57 PM – 11:57 PM 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | 2:29 AM – 3:29 AM |
| Mon, Jul 13 | ★½☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 1% lit | 5:36 AM | 8:58 PM | 11:04 PM – 1:04 AM 11:37 AM – 1:37 PM | 7:31 PM – 8:31 PM 3:38 AM – 4:38 AM |
| Tue, Jul 14 | ★★½☆☆ | New Moon 0% lit | 5:37 AM | 8:57 PM | 12:09 AM – 2:09 AM 12:40 PM – 2:40 PM | 8:25 PM – 9:25 PM 4:59 AM – 5:59 AM |
| Wed, Jul 15 | ★★☆☆☆ | New Moon 1% lit | 5:38 AM | 8:56 PM | 1:10 AM – 3:10 AM 1:39 PM – 3:39 PM | 9:06 PM – 10:06 PM 6:24 AM – 7:24 AM |
| Thu, Jul 16 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 4% lit | 5:39 AM | 8:56 PM | 2:06 AM – 4:06 AM 2:32 PM – 4:32 PM | 9:36 PM – 10:36 PM 7:47 AM – 8:47 AM |
| Fri, Jul 17 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 9% lit | 5:40 AM | 8:55 PM | 2:57 AM – 4:57 AM 3:21 PM – 5:21 PM | 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM 9:06 AM – 10:06 AM |
| Sat, Jul 18 | ★½☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 16% lit | 5:41 AM | 8:54 PM | 3:44 AM – 5:44 AM 4:07 PM – 6:07 PM | 10:21 PM – 11:21 PM 10:21 AM – 11:21 AM |
| Sun, Jul 19 | ★★½☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 25% lit | 5:42 AM | 8:53 PM | 4:29 AM – 6:29 AM 4:51 PM – 6:51 PM | 10:39 PM – 11:39 PM 11:33 AM – 12:33 PM |
Server-rendered 14-day calendar starting 2026-07-06. Live in your browser shortly.
How to Read This Calendar
Major periods (≈2 hours) are centered on lunar transit (when the moon is highest in the sky) and lunar opposition (when the moon is directly underfoot). These are typically the strongest feeding windows.
Minor periods (≈1 hour) are centered on moonrise and moonset. They're secondary windows that often produce well — especially when they coincide with sunrise or sunset.
Day rating combines moon phase (peak near new and full moons, when lunar gravity is strongest) with the overlap of major periods and the dawn/dusk twilight. A 4–5 star day stacks all three.
At Shields Lake (lat 45.25°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with 15h 39m of daylight. The shortest is around December 21 with 8h 44m. Plan summer trips around the early-morning bite (as early as 5:00 AM) and the long evening window before sunset.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to fish Shields Lake today?
Today's solunar calendar for Shields Lake (lat 45.25, lon -92.95) shows sunrise at 5:31 AM and sunset at 9:01 PM. The strongest fishing windows are around major solunar periods at 5:02 AM–7:02 AM and 5:24 PM–7:24 PM, plus the 30-90 minutes around dawn and dusk.
What does the moon phase mean for fishing Shields Lake?
Solunar theory holds that fish activity peaks during major periods (when the moon is overhead or directly underfoot) and minor periods (moonrise and moonset). Fish feeding tends to intensify during the days surrounding the new moon and full moon, when lunar gravity is strongest. Today's moon at Shields Lake is Last Quarter (58% illuminated).
When are the longest and shortest days at Shields Lake?
At Shields Lake's latitude (45.25°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with about 15h 39m of daylight. The shortest day is around December 21 with about 8h 44m of daylight. Sunrise and sunset shift by roughly 6 hours between solstices.
Are major or minor solunar periods more important?
Major periods (about 2 hours, centered on lunar transit and lunar opposition) are generally considered the strongest feeding windows. Minor periods (about 1 hour, centered on moonrise and moonset) are secondary but still productive — especially when they overlap with sunrise or sunset.
More for Shields Lake
Solunar calculations based on lat/lon and Meeus astronomical formulas. Times shown in Central Time. Solunar theory is a heuristic — fish activity also depends on weather, water temperature, barometric pressure, and recent forage conditions. Always check local regulations and conditions before fishing.