Shady

Largemouth bass, black and white crappie and bluegill are well represented with several year classes present. Growth is poor for the area. The turbid conditions favor white crappie. Most of the gamefish are too small to be acceptable to anglers. Carp, white sucker, silver and shorthead redhorse are abundant. No channel catfish were collected during the 1987 survey despite yearling stockings which occurred in 1983, 1985 and 1986 in the two branches of the Middle Fork Zumbro River. Channel catfish were recorded in the 1962 survey. Contract commercial fishing was last conducted in 1982-83 with all fish taken being too small to market.

Test netting of the lake revealed a predominance of rough fishes (quillback, white sucker, redhorse, channel catfish, and bullheads). White crappies were taken in numbers that indicated a dense population, but black crappies were much less in proportion. Other fishes were few in number or absent.For reasons of light fishing pressure, shallow silty nature of lake, drawdowns, and the rough fish problem there seems little or no justification for stocking the lake with gamefish. If a fishery is desired, it would seem that crappies are best suited to cope with the rough fish and silty lake conditions. Large numbers of crappies presently exist and additional stocking seems unnecessary at this time.A variety of rough fish species inhabit the lake and removal would be a perennial and a never-ending task as it involves the whole of the Zumbro River Middle Branch system. Rough fish removal is not recommended because of the existing lake conditions.Over the years Lake Shady has been or has become seriously impaired by siltation, pollution, and water level drawdowns. The shallow lake serves as a settling basin for silt, sand, and debris which results from runoffs and erosion along the North and South Middle Branches of the Zumbro River. Pollution resulting from settlements along the river, such as Pine Island, have also undoubtably had some adverse effects. In addition, drawdowns as a flood control measure have not been conducive to stable water levels and good fisheries management. A major drawdown occurs every winter and lasts for a period of about 5 or 6 months. Other drawdowns of comparatively shorter periods occur in the summer.Better management of the lake for fishing, boating, and swimming is a very long and expensive task, if not an insurmountable one. At the present time the lake receives light fishing pressure and has a rough fish problem which has little chance of being adequately solved.Fisheries management of Lake Shady has little or no justification at the present time except on a very limited basis.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Channel Catfish, White Crappie, Green Sunfish, Black Crappie, and Smallmouth Bass in Shady. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Shady. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Shady has a maximum depth of 13 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Shady is from 1987. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

No invasive species are on record for Shady in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.