| Lake Shetek | |
|---|---|
| Location | Murray County, Minnesota |
| Basin countries | United States |
Lake Shetek is the largest lake in Murray County, Minnesota, located a few miles north-northwest of Currie. Shetek means "pelican".
It is the headwaters of the West Fork of the Des Moines River. Lake Shetek contains three large islands: Valhalla, Keeley, and Loon. Dikes connect the first two to the western shore, and another connects the third to the eastern shore. Also connects to Bloody Lake and Armstrong Lake.
It is a short distance west of the site of what is locally termed the Shetek massacre in 1862. A monument on the east side of the lake built in 1925 commemorates those killed. A description of the event can be found in the John Baxter papers in letters by J. M. Duley and J. E. Eastlick. [1]
The dikes were built by the WPA. Plans for a dike connecting Keeley and Loon islands were abandoned when World War II closed the WPA.[2]