Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse identifies the man as 44-year-old Alden Ray Stein.
Morse says the incident began around 9:00 Thursday evening when a deputy noticed a suspicious person near the grain silos west of Netawaka, near U.S. 75 and K-9 Highway.
The person left in a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis and allegedly drove erratically while committing several traffic violations. Deputies pursued the car before losing contact with it around 9:30. Holton police assisted with the pursuit.
Shortly before midnight, Holton police received a report of gunshots at Prairie Lake, north of the city. Responding officers and deputies found the vehicle from the earlier pursuit.
As law enforcement approached, the car left its parked location, nearly entered the lake and became stuck.
Morse says Stein got out of the vehicle and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jackson County EMS also responded.
The incident remains under investigation.
