Productivity parameter, heavy metals, visible reflectance spectroscopy and diatom assemblages derived from lake surface sediment samples from Schweriner See, NE-Germany, were used to infer depositional processes and their influences. Samples were taken in a grid using an Ekman-Birge grab samples in a distance of 1.3 to 2 km forming an almost equally spaced grid covering the entire northern basin of Schweriner See and from water depths ranging from 0.5 to 51.5 m. Parameter could be divided into three main processes: productivity (e.g. TOC), carbonate precipitation (e.g. TIC) as well as wave- and wind-induced processes (e.g. sand percentage). Surface sediment sampling provided an thorough untderstanding of depositional processes, which proved valuable for core site selection as in Schweriner See sediment reworking in shallow water areas by wave- and wind-induced processes or carbonate precipitation resulting from groundwater inflow may have altered the desired signal.