Shagawa Lake (SE) Public Water Access Site
About
Shagawa Lake (SE) Public Water Access Site is a boat launch in Minnesota, about a mile from Ely. It sits within the Kawishiwi Ranger District of Superior National Forest and is managed by the City of Ely. Summer is the most comfortable time to get on the water. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Ely show July highs around 79°F with lows near 53°F, while January highs average just 15°F. The launch makes an easy base for exploring the surrounding area. Trezona Trail and the Mesabi Range Trail are both about 0.4 miles away, and Hidden Valley Trezona is under a mile off. For an overnight stay, Fall Lake campground is about 6 miles away.
Launch Details
Managed by
City of Ely
Location
Ely
Minnesota
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). View or edit on OpenStreetMap.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–79°F and lows of 38–53°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Ely, MN weather station, 1.1 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan15° high-7° low
- Feb23° high-5° low
- Mar36° high10° low
- Apr51° high25° low
- May65° high38° low
- Jun75° high49° low
- Jul79° high53° low
- Aug78° high52° low
- Sep68° high44° low
- Oct52° high32° low
- Nov34° high19° low
- Dec21° high3° low
Where it is
- Kawishiwi Ranger District · Ranger district
- Superior National Forest · National forest
- Nearest town
- Ely, Minnesota · 1.1 mi
Conditions
Active alerts for Superior National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:
information · posted Sep 30, 2026
Post Wildfire Closures, Effective October 1, 2026
critical · posted Sep 30, 2026
Fall prescribed fire–pile burning
information · posted Sep 25, 2026
Watch for Wildfire Hazards While Recreating
information · posted Sep 14, 2026
Forest Road Improvement Projects
caution · posted Sep 2, 2026
Conditions of Use Restrictions for the Superior
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
BWCAW Bear Aware Food Storage Order
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Lake County Bridge 38535–New Tomahawk Road Construction Project
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Onion River Bridge on the Superior Hiking Trail Replacement
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Wildfire Emergency Closure Issued for Affected Recreation Sites
critical · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- Trezona TrailHiking0.4 mi
- Mesabi Range TrailCross-country skiing0.4 mi
- Hidden Valley TrezonaCross-country skiing0.9 mi
- Circle RouteCanoeing4.3 mi
Fall LakeCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain6.1 mi
Fenske Lake CampgroundPier fishingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain6.4 mi- South Kawishiwi RiverCanoeing8.4 mi
- Science BoulderRock climbing8.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Shagawa Lake (SE) Public Water Access Site open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Superior National Forest. It doesn't name Shagawa Lake (SE) Public Water Access Site, so check the source for the area it covers.
Post Wildfire Closures, Effective October 1, 2026
Agency closure covering Superior National Forest · Order 09-09-00-26-11 · USFS · Superior National Forest
Forest Road Improvement Projects
Agency alert covering Superior National Forest · USFS · Superior National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Superior National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Shagawa Lake (SE) Public Water Access Site
Best months: August–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
15° / -7°
11 wet
Feb
23° / -5°
9 wet
Mar
36° / 10°
9 wet
Apr
51° / 25°
10 wet
May
65° / 38°
13 wet
Jun
75° / 49°
14 wet
Jul
79° / 53°
13 wet
Aug
78° / 52°
12 wet
Sep
68° / 44°
12 wet
Oct
52° / 32°
14 wet
Nov
34° / 19°
11 wet
Dec
21° / 3°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Ely, MN, 1.1 mi away at 1,382 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Closures we've recorded since August 2026
Forest-wide Fire Restrictions
Superior National Forest · Order dated July 12, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Aug 25, 2026 · Forest Service
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors