Shingobee Bay Lake
Cass County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shingobee Bay Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- Public access
Shingobee Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L.
Shingobee Bay Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 103 other monitored lakes in Cass County, Shingobee Bay Lake ranks #69 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2023-09-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Shingobee Bay Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10.6 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Shingobee Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shingobee Bay 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 Shingobee Bay Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Shingobee Bay Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10.6 ft. Phosphorus 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.3 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19.5µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.3µg/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. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Shingobee Bay Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Shingobee Bay Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 65°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (65°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 197 field readings (2022–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shingobee Bay Lake water temperature breakdown →
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Shingobee Bay Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — Leech (Shingobee Bay)Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Recreation & Access
- Shingobee IslandPublic
- Bluewater LodgeSemi-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 Shingobee Bay Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shingobee Bay Lake in Cass 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 Shingobee Bay Lake
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Follow Shingobee Bay Lake’s readings
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Fishing Shingobee Bay 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 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-4 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Shingobee Bay 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.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN11-0203-04 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Cass County
Frequently asked questions about Shingobee Bay Lake
Where is Shingobee Bay Lake?
- Shingobee Bay Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shingobee Bay Lake?
- Shingobee Bay Lake in Cass County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.3 µg/L.
Is Shingobee Bay Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shingobee Bay Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shingobee Bay Lake?
- Shingobee Bay Lake typically sits around 61°F at the surface in October, from 197 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2022–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Shingobee Bay Lake?
- Shingobee Bay Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Shingobee Island, Bluewater Lodge. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Shingobee Bay Lake?
- Shingobee Bay 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.
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX23 samples · 2022–2023
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory