Shetek

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lake Shetek, which is located near the Town of Currie, was conducted on July 1 to July 7, 2025, by Area Fisheries staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Nearshore sampling captured 21 species of fish including one species (Iowa Darter) that is intolerant of disturbance and five species that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Bigmouth Buffalo, Orangespotted Sunfish, and Fathead Minnow). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a August 2024 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of Biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov web site. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Lake Shetek is adversely impacted by stressors, as indicated by an FIBI score near/below the general use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous findings which indicated that Lake Shetek is impaired for biological health/fully supporting aquatic life. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Des Moines River watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Lake Shetek by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.

Electrofishing was conducted on 14 October 2024 to assess presence of age-0 Walleye and determine average length of age-0 Walleye. During the spring, 866,500 Lower Mississippi Strain Walleye fry were stocked to help continue the recovery of Walleye after a moderate winterkill in the winter of 2022-2023. During sampling, 49 age-0 Walleye were sampled in 10 minutes of electrofishing in the north basin of Lake Shetek. Walleye ranged from 5.3 to 8.2 inches with a mean length of 6.4 inches. With the presence of healthy age-0 Walleye all over 5 inches there should be adequate survival of age-0 Walleye to catchable adult sizes in several years. Lake Shetek has experienced a resurgence of Walleye numbers following the 2022-2023 winterkill with 2 successively successful age-0 year-classes of Walleye, some stocked and some natural with 56% natural contribution in the 2023 year-class. Continued monitoring of Walleye in Lake Shetek will be conducted to fully understand the recovery of the population and determine the need for future stocking plans.

Lake Shetek is a 3,596-acre, class 41 lake, located in Murray County and is the largest lake in the Windom fisheries management area. The lake has a maximum depth of 10.0 ft. and has poor water quality resulting from its disturbed watershed. According to Watershed Health Assessment Framework for Lakes (WHAFL), Lake Shetek has a poor (D+) grade with a landcover disturbance of 75% within the watershed. The watershed contributing flow to Lake Shetek is 83,121 acres resulting in a watershed-to-lake ratio of 23-to-1. This ratio is high and indicates that negative impacts within the watershed will lead to disturbed conditions within the lake. Nutrient reduction from the watershed, specifically phosphorus, is a key goal to improve within lake conditions and reduce stress on the fish within the lake. Low dissolved oxygen during winter months is another stress that is experienced in shallow southwest Minnesota lakes, including Lake Shetek. Winter aeration got its start in Minnesota on Lake Shetek when an aeration system was installed in the mid 1970's in both the north and south lake to combat low winter oxygen. Whether via aeration or through climate change or both, there have been limited frequency and severity of winterkills since the 1970's. However, during the winter of 2022-2023 there was a moderate winterkill on Lake Shetek. Additionally, connected lakes, Bloody Lake and Smith Lake, also experienced winterkill. Given the importance of Lake Shetek as one of the more popular fishing lakes in the area, and after live fish were observed in spring netting, it was determined that a follow-up summer fish survey be performed to determine the true extent of the winterkill. A survey was conducted the week of August 7, 2023, using 6 gill nets and 16 trap nets. Many species of fish were observed in netting with Walleye, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike, and Black Crappie all showing positive signs of recovery after the winterkill. Another survey was conducted during the week of 12 August 2024 to determine if recovery from winterkill conditions is proceeding as expected, or if additional stocking may be needed. Catch Composition Twelve species of fish were captured in post-winterkill sampling for a total of 1144.82 pounds. Black Bullhead, Walleye, and Northern Pike were the 3 most abundant species by percent biomass with 28%, 22% and 17% respectively. Bigmouth Buffalo (13%), Common Carp (12%), and Yellow Perch (4%) were the only other species with a biomass at or above 3%. It should be worth noting that this portion of the state received considerable precipitation and may have contributed to fish moving in and out of Lake Shetek due to high flows at the outlet. Walleye Walleye are the most popular gamefish in Lake Shetek and the primary management species. Since 2018, and prior to the 2022-2023 winterkill, the Walleye population was sampled above or near the long-term average of 15.7 per gill net. In 2024, the catch rate was observed at over 2 times the long-term average with a catch of 32.5 per gill net. Thirty-two and a half per gill net is the 4th highest catch rate every observed for Lake Shetek and shows that recovery of the Walleye population following the 2022-2023 winterkill is on track. It is nearly back to a similar catch rate seen right before the winterkill with 33.8 per gill net in 2022. Additionally, while the sample of Walleye in the gill net favored small fish the age distribution of Walleye was decent with 5 year-classes represented (171 age-1 fish, 14 age-2, 8 age-3, 1 age-5, and 1 age-7). Walleye in the gill nets and trap nets ranged in length from 8.4 inches to 26.5 inches with an average length of 12.7 inches in the gill net sample and 15.6 inches in the trap net sample. The health of the Walleye overall was excellent with an average relative weight of 100 (range = 74-122). Walleye appear to being doing well with 80% between 9 and 15 inches. Late fall open water and winter ice angling reports from 2024-2025 indicate that fishing is very good at times with many 13-to-15-inch Walleye being caught. Better than expected survival of Walleye greater than 15 inches coupled with many young Walleye in Lake Shetek may result in excellent angling over the next 3 to 4 years and baring any further winterkills. Black Crappie Black Crappie are popular among anglers on Lake Shetek. Excellent angling for Black Crappie occurred from 2016 to 2023 when trap net catch rates fluctuated from 1.3 per trap net in 2020 to 14.9 per trap net in 2018. A moderate winterkill during the winter of 2022-2023 caused a decrease in the number of Black Crappie observed in gill nets (0.3 per gill net) but surprisingly not trap nets (10.3 per trap net) in 2023 sampling. The rise in trap net catch rate could be partially due to restocking, however, it was the 4th highest catch rate in the past 20 years. Therefore, survival of Black Crappie was more than expected after the winterkill. The 2024 catch rates were 2.7 per trap net and 1.7 per gill net, both within the expected range for similar lakes (trap net = 1.0 to 12.3 per net; gill net = 0.8 to 11.1 per net). While Black Crappie catch rates have not recovered as quickly as Walleye, Yellow Perch, or Northern Pike following the winterkill, size of crappie remains good and increased to levels last seen in 2016. Black Crappie in trap nets and gill nets ranged from 6.1 to 13.0 inches and averaged 8.4 inches in trap nets and 7 inches in gill nets. Some larger Black Crappie are still present and the proportion of 12-inch Black Crappie in the sample is nearly identical to pre-winterkill. The Black Crappie population can be best described as reset, with a population that mimics the mid-2010's right before angling was heating up and Lake Shetek was a destination for Crappie fishing. Yellow Perch Yellow Perch have recovered well from the 2022-2023 winterkill. Prior to the winterkill, and since the last minor winterkill in 2009-2010, the gill net catch rate has fluctuated from a low of 0 in 2014 and a high of 9.7 per net in 2018. The 2023 and 2024 catch rates, post-winterkill, have been 17.3 per gill net and 17.2 per gill net, both above the long-term historical average of 11.4 per gill net since 1983. Also, the 2024 gill net catch rate was within the expected range of 3.0 to 22.5 per gill net for similar lakes. Trap nets are not indicative of Yellow Perch relative abundance, but the catch of 1.3 per net added to the overall determination of size range. Yellow Perch ranged in length from 5.8 to 10.9 inches with an average length of 8.5 inches in gill nets and 8.6 inches in trap nets. Overall health and condition of Yellow Perch in the sample was good with plump fish in the sample. Yellow Perch rebounded very well in Lake Shetek with natural reproduction in 2023 and 2024 along with some restocking when adult Yellow Perch were added to rearing ponds at Lake Shetek State Park. The production from those ponds were drained into Park Lake which is ultimately connected to Lake Shetek. Yellow Perch angling could be good over the next several years provided the fish can avoid the abundant predator population of Walleye and Northern Pike. The abundant predator base and some spawning habitat loss may be the only thing that will prevent Yellow Perch from becoming a major component of the fish community in Lake Shetek. Downed trees near shore should be protected and left in the water for Yellow Perch to spawn on. Northern Pike Northern Pike are typically low abundance members of fish communities in southwest Minnesota. Prior to the 2022-2023 winterkill, and ever since catch rates were recorded in 1983, Northern Pike have never exceeded 1 per gill net and 2.6 per trap net. Post partial winterkill of 2022-23 and subsequent very successful natural reproduction with Lake Shetek or connected lakes (Bloody Lake, Park Lake, Armstrong Slough, Anderson Slough, Webster Slough, Fox Lake, and Fremont Lake), the gill net catch rate was 10.2 per net and the trap net catch rate was 4.9 per net. Both the gill net and trap net catches were the greatest ever observed for Lake Shetek and the gill net catch rate was above the upper expected catch rate for similar lakes (gill net 75% quartile = 7.8). While the relative abundance was the most observed, length of Northern Pike favored small fish because of a newly established population. Northern Pike ranged in length from 13.3 to 26.5 inches with an average length of 18.1 inches in gill nets and 19.0 inches in trap nets. Body health and condition of fish in the sample was good. Angling reports from fall 2024 and winter 2024-2025 indicate that small Northern Pike are almost a nuisance to Walleye anglers, and many are being caught. Anglers should remember that the southern Minnesota regulation for Northern Pike is a 2 fish over 24 inches daily and possession limit. With that said, during 2024 sampling in August, only 3% of the Northern Pike were over 24 inches but quality angling and harvest opportunities should increase quickly with fast growing fish. Also, if water clarity remains good during the winter of 2025-2026, spearing for Northern Pike could be excellent in Lake Shetek. Other Species Other species (number in parenthesis) sampled in Lake Shetek during August 2024 sampling with gill nets and trap nets was Bigmouth Buffalo (20), Black Bullhead (1,340), Bluegill (1), Common Carp (33), Quillback (12), White Crappie (3), Yellow Bullhead (6), and White Sucker (22). Of the species listed above, only Black Bullhead and White Sucker were observed at levels above what was expected. Black Bullhead abundance in gill nets was at an all-time historical high with 189.3 per gill net (expected range = 4.6 to 83.0 per gill net with long-term average of 35.3 per gill net). White Sucker trap net catch was 1.4 per trap net, above the upper expected catch rate (1.3 per trap net) for similar lakes. Overall, this may be good for the gamefish community in Lake Shetek as Black Bullhead are an important prey for Walleye and White Sucker are an important prey for Northern Pike. Summary The 2022 to 2023 to 2024 fish community changes indicate that winterkill impacts are not well understood and that robust fish populations can exists post winterkill. However, stocking after winterkill is imperative to help young gamefish have a competitive advantage. If gamefish are not stocked, non-desirable fish could dominate. This was seen in the history, and recently, of Lake Shetek with abundant Black Bullhead populations. Presently, Lake Shetek is well suited for a rebound of Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, and Black Crappie with successful angling expected over the next several years.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Yellow Perch, Walleye, Green Sunfish, Black Crappie, and White Crappie in Shetek. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Shetek. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Shetek has a maximum depth of 10 feet and a mean depth of 5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Shetek is from 2025.

Yes — Shetek has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.