Minnesota · Hubbard County
Shallow Lake Fishing guide
Shallow Lake covers 284 acres in Hubbard County, Minnesota, reaching 10 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 2 times, most recently in 2018, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 8 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassJust a few19per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 28 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 28 fish
2018Lengths measured · 40 fish
2008BluegillJust a few20.4per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 246 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 246 fish
2018Lengths measured · 93 fish
2008CrappieJust a few2.2per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 26 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 26 fish
2018Lengths measured · 77 fish
2008Rock bassGood numbers1.3per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 16 fish
2018Lengths measured · 7 fish
2008Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Rates 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 Shallow 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 10-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 10-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 | Largemouth bass | Smallmouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 26" | 18" | 18" |
| 2008 | — | 20" | 17" |
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Flipping/Punching Creature Bait
4" beaver/creature-style bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2018 survey
Shallow Lake is located three miles west of Nevis in Hubbard County. Shallow has a surface area of 284 acres and a maximum depth of only 10 feet. There is a county owned public access with an earthen ramp located on the outlet channel at the south end of the lake. The outlet channel of Shallow connects to Lake Belle Taine. Boating between the two lakes is not possible for most watercraft when lake water levels are high due to the bridge height on the County Road 18 crossing next to the public access. Shallow provides multi-species opportunities for anglers, but is best known for its Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and panfish populations.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Shallow is in lake class 39. Class 39 lakes have the characteristics of a shallow lake depth, high littoral zone (area of lake less than 15 feet deep), and having a regular shaped shoreline. Other class 39 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include First Crow Wing, Fourth Crow Wing, Paine, and Upper Twin.
Read the full DNR narrative
Anglers will find that Shallow Lake supports good populations of Largemouth Bass and panfish. Shallow has abundant stands of both emergent and submergent aquatic vegetation such as hardstem bulrush, cattail, and yellow water lilies that provide excellent habitat for Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and panfish. Spring electrofishing sampled moderate numbers of Largemouth Bass when compared to other area lakes. Present and past surveys have shown the proportion of larger Largemouth Bass (>15.0 inches) is high when compared to other area lakes. Largemouth Bass up to 18.5 inches were sampled. Survey results showed healthy panfish populations. Anglers will find good numbers of Bluegill and Pumpkinseed in the 6-8 inch size range and Black Crappie in the 9-11 inch size range. Anglers can expect to find an abundant population of small-sized Northern Pike, with an occasional larger fish. Abundant Northern Pike spawning habitat of submergent vegetation results in excellent reproduction and recruitment of Northern Pike in Shallow.
Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Shallow Lake. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the lake.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Shallow Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Shallow 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
- Shallow Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Shallow Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Deer Lake · 181 ac · 0.8 mi
- Round Lake · 45 ac · 1.7 mi
- Belle Taine Lake · 1,497 ac · 1.7 mi
- Spider Lake · 570 ac · 2.1 mi
- Boulder Lake · 341 ac · 2.4 mi
- Crow Wing Lake · 47 ac · 2.7 mi
- Seventh Crow Wing Lake · 262 ac · 2.8 mi
- Sixth Crow Wing Lake · 346 ac · 2.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Shallow Lake?
Shallow Lake reaches 10 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 5 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Shallow Lake?
Shallow Lake covers 284 acres with about 4.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Shallow Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Shallow Lake average 7.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Shallow Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2018) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Shallow Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Shallow Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Shallow Lake have a public access?
Yes. Shallow Lake has one public access site: Shallow Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Shallow Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2008.
When was Shallow Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Shallow Lake in 2018, the most recent of 2 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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