Shoal Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota676 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Shoal Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Shoal Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Surface area: 675.85 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 6, 1988 caught 102.50 yellow perch per gill net at Shoal Lake. DNR survey details →
Shoal Lake is a 676-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Shoal Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Ice seasonIce-out around May 3
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shoal 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 Shoal Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Shoal 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 8 ft. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8ft | 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. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Shoal Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Shoal Lake typically sits around 59°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 69°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 70°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (70°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shoal Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 6, 1988 caught 102.50 yellow perch per gill net at Shoal Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shoal Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
1 survey on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1988-07-06 (Standard Survey).
1 survey on file · most recent 1988-07-06 (Standard Survey)
38 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 54.13 | 0.36 lb | |
| Brown Bullhead | 40.19 | 0.16 lb | |
| Golden Shiner | 15.13 | 0.11 lb | |
| Black Bullhead | 6.00 | 0.16 lb | |
| White Sucker | 4.06 | 1.17 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.
From the 1988-07-06 survey
THE YELLOW PERCH IS THE MOST ABUNDANT GAME FISH SPECIES IN THIS LAKE AND ARE OF ACCEPTABLE SIZE FOR MOST ANGLERS. THE LARGE SIZE OF CAPTURED PERCH INDICATE THE LAKE HASN'T HAD A SEVERE WINTERKILL IN THE PAST 3 TO 4 YEARS. BULLHEADS AND WHITE SUCKERS ARE ALSO PRESENT IN FAIR ABUNDANCE. FATHEADS, GOLDEN SHINERS,…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Shoal Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ShoalFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Surface area
676 acres
Shoreline
4.6 mi
Littoral zone
98%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
The available depth estimate for Shoal Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,289 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Shoal Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shoal Lake in Itasca 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 Shoal Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Shoal Lake’s readings
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Fishing Shoal Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
May 3
Earliest Apr 12, 2015 · Latest May 5, 1996
Typical ice-in
Nov 10
Earliest Nov 9, 2018 · Latest Nov 10, 2017
Most recent ice-out
Apr 12
2015
7 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Shoal Lake
Where is Shoal Lake?
- Shoal Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shoal Lake?
- Shoal Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Surface area: 675.85 acres.
Is Shoal Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Shoal Lake?
- Shoal Lake typically sits around 59°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 Shoal Lake?
- The available depth estimate for Shoal Lake is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 675.85 acres.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Shoal Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 6, 1988 caught 102.50 yellow perch per gill net at Shoal Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Shoal Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Shoal Lake thaw?
- Shoal Lake typically has ice-out around May 3. Ice typically forms around Nov 10. The open water season is approximately 191 days.
Can I fish at Shoal Lake?
- Public access to Shoal Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. 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 Shoal Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
99 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
MNPCA99 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate