Minnesota · St. Louis County
Shagawa Lake Fishing guide
Shagawa Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 2,345 acres, reaching 48 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 9.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 14 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers7.1per gill net14"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 79 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 79 fish
2022Lengths measured · 136 fish
2017Lengths measured · 175 fish
2012Lengths measured · 262 fish
2007No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeJust a few2.6per gill net22"Typical39"Biggest
Lengths measured · 44 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 44 fish
2022Lengths measured · 19 fish
2017Lengths measured · 7 fish
2012Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 19 fish
2007Last recorded in the 2017 survey and not seen since.
BluegillJust a few4.7per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 71 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 71 fish
2022Lengths measured · 2 fish
1999Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchOne of the best around33.9per gill net5"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 367 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 367 fish
2022Lengths measured · 52 fish
2017Lengths measured · 41 fish
2012Lengths measured · 36 fish
2007Rock bassExcellent numbers2per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 39 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 39 fish
2022Lengths measured · 1 fish
2017Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2012Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 11 fish
2004Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Shagawa Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 48 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. On a lake that drops to 48 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Smallmouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 22" | 13" | 39" |
| 2017 | 25" | 19" | 35" |
| 2012 | 24" | 18" | 35" |
| 2007 | 25" | 16" | 38" |
| 2004 | 29" | 16" | 30" |
| 2003 | 22" | 18" | 26" |
| 1999 | 26" | 19" | 40" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 2,300,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 2,300,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 2,300,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 2,300,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2022 survey
Shagawa Lake is located on the north side of Ely. There are two main accesses, one each on the north and south sides of the lake. The access on the north side is basically a ramp immediately adjacent to Co Rd 88. There is very little parking at this location. The other access on south side consists of two concrete ramps and a decent sized parking lot. This 2,345 acre lake contains one substantial inlet and one outlet. The Burntside River comes in on the west end of the lake and the Shagawa River leaves out the east side of the lake. Shagawa has a maximum depth of 48.0 feet and the water color at the time of the survey was light green.
On July 11, 2022, Shagawa Lake was weakly thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 71 F and a bottom temperature of 60 F. Oxygen levels were adequate for gamefish to a depth of 35.0 feet where the water temperature was 61 F. Shoal-water substrates consist of mostly boulder with some areas gravel and sand.
Read the full DNR narrative
The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 72.2 fish/net which was higher than average for the lake. Total yield was 55.4 lbs/net which was average for the lake. Fish species sampled were yellow perch, tullibee, white sucker, walleye, northern pike, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, and black crappie. The overall trapnet catch rate for all fish combined was 18.7 fish/net which was slightly better than average. Total yield was 17.8 lbs/net which was also average for the lake. Smallmouth bass and bluegill were the only additional species sampled in trap nets that weren't also sampled in gill nets.
Sixty-four walleye were sampled in gill nets for a catch rate of 7.1 fish/net which was better than average compared to other similar lakes but the lowest catch rate on Shagawa Lake since 1987. Sizes ranged from 8 to 23 inches with an average of 15 inches. Growth rates were good compared to other lakes in the area with the average walleye reaching 14 inches at age-4. Ages ranged from 2 to 16 years.
The northern pike gillnet catch rate of 2.6 fish/net was above average for Shagawa and better than average when compared to other similar lakes. Lengths ranged from 19 to 34 inches with an average of 24 inches.
The yellow perch gillnet catch rate was 33.9 fish/net which was very good compared to other similar lakes and the highest catch rate on Shagawa since 1999. The average length was just over 6 inches which was the smallest on record for the lake. Max length was nearly 13 inches which was on par with past surveys.
One hundred forty-nine cisco were sampled for a catch rate of 16.6 fish/net. This was the highest catch rate on Shagawa since 1967. Sizes were 8 to 18.5 inches with an average of nearly 11 inches. Sizes were similar to past surveys.
Eight hundred eighty-five rusty crayfish were sampled in the gill nets for a catch rate of 98.3 crayfish/net. This was right at the average for Shagawa.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Shagawa Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Shagawa Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Pioneer Mine Pit (trailer launch)
- Shagawa Lake (NW) (trailer launch)
- Shagawa Lake (S) (trailer launch)
- Shagawa Lake (SE) (trailer launch)
- Shagawa Lake, Sandy Point (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Shagawa Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Miner's Pit · 141 ac · 1.6 mi
- Little Long Lake · 322 ac · 1.6 mi
- Little Dry Lake · 15 ac · 2.7 mi
- Minister Lake · 56 ac · 3 mi
- Dry Lake · 82 ac · 3 mi
- Bass Lake · 169 ac · 3.5 mi
- High Lake · 274 ac · 3.8 mi
- Hobo Lake · 74 ac · 4.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Shagawa Lake?
Shagawa Lake reaches 48 ft at its deepest point; about 30% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Shagawa Lake?
Shagawa Lake covers 2,345 acres with about 23.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Shagawa Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Shagawa Lake average 9.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Shagawa Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Shagawa Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Shagawa Lake have a public access?
Yes. Shagawa Lake has 5 public access sites, including Pioneer Mine Pit (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Shagawa Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 22"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1999.
When was Shagawa Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Shagawa Lake in 2022, the most recent of 14 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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