Lake of the Woods

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Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods - Lake of the Woods from space, May 1998
Lake of the Woods from space, May 1998
Location North America
Coordinates 49°9′N 94°50′WCoordinates: 49°9′N 94°50′W
Lake type remnant of former glacial Lake Agassiz
Primary inflows Rainy River
Shoal Lake
Kakagi Lake
Primary outflows Winnipeg River
Basin countries Canada, United States
Max. length 68 mi (110 km)
Max. width 59 mi (95 km)
Surface area 1,679 mi² (4,350 km²)
Max. depth 210 ft (64 m)
Shore length1 25,000 mi (40,000 km) (65,000 mi [104,600 km] with islands)
Surface elevation 1,056 ft (322 m)
Islands 14,552
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Lake of the Woods.
Lake of the Woods.
For other uses, see Lake of the Woods (disambiguation).

Lake of the Woods (French: lac des Bois) is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. [1] It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and the town of Angle Inlet can only be reached from the rest of Minnesota by crossing the lake or by traveling through Canada. The Northwest Angle is the northernmost part of the continental United States.

Lake of the Woods is fed by the Rainy River, Shoal Lake, Kakagi Lake, and other smaller rivers. The lake drains into the Winnipeg River and then into Lake Winnipeg.

Lake of the Woods is over seventy miles long and wide, and contains over 14,552 islands and 65,000 miles (105,000 km) of shoreline, which would amount to the longest coastline of any Canadian lake, except that the lake is not entirely within Canada.

The lake's islands provide nesting habitat for the Piping Plover and large numbers of American White Pelicans. There are also several hundred nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in this area.

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[edit] Governance

As an international body of water, the lake's water levels are regulated and controlled by the International Lake of the Woods Control Board, part of the International Joint Commission. As early as 1912 water levels were a matter of concern. The governments of Ontario and Canada formed a board of control in 1919.

A treaty between Canada and the United States, known as the Lake of the Woods Convention and Protocol, was signed in 1925 and established elevation and discharge requirements for regulating Lake of the Woods based on the IJC recommendations. The joint Canada-Ontario Board of Control continued to exist and retains responsibility for regulating normal water levels (maximum 1061¼ ft or 323.47 metres, minimum 1056 ft or 321.87 metres). Only when water levels exceed these levels are they referred to the international board which consists of two engineers, one Canadian and one American.

[edit] Communities near Lake of the Woods

[edit] Lands within Lake of the Woods

[edit] The Aulneau Peninsula

The largest land feature in Lake of the Woods is the Aulneau Peninsula. It is connected to the mainland with a tiny neck of land at its southeast corner, but a canal (Turtle Portage) was cut through at this point, effectively making the Aulneau an island. The canal has now been filled back in, but a manually run portage for small to medium sized boats is in its place. The Aulneau is approximately twenty miles long and ten miles wide, and contains within it over eighty lakes, the largest of which is Arrow Lake.

The Aulneau Peninsula was named after the Jesuit Father Jean-Pierre Aulneau, a French Catholic priest, who was killed 6 June 1736 on Lake of the Woods. The Catholic Church in Warroad, Minnesota, is named Father Aulneau Memorial Church after him.

[edit] Other islands

  • Big Island
  • Bigsby Island
  • Brush Island, Minnesota
  • Copeland Island, otherwise known as Camp Stephens. A Winnipeg YM-YWCA summer camp.
  • Flag Island, Minnesota
  • Garden Island, Minnesota
  • Little Oak Island, Minnesota
  • Magnuson's Island, site of the restored Fort St. Charles
  • Massacre Island, a small island in the middle of the lake where 20 French men as well as a group of Cree traders were beheaded in the mid 1700s by Sioux. The site is marked by a large wooden cross at the shore of the island. This incident sparked decades of war between the Sioux and the Ojibway, allies of both the French and the Cree.
  • Oak Island, Minnesota
  • Penasse Island, site of American Point, formerly the most northern post office in the United States

[edit] Recreation on Lake of the Woods

Tourism is a large part of the local economy of Lake of the Woods, and there are many recreational opportunities available on the lake and in the surrounding countryside. Much of the lake is fairly remote, but resorts and equipment outfitters offer options for those who do not have access to their own boats and equipment.

[edit] Camping

Minnesota's Zipple Bay State Park offers a wide variety of services including campsites, toilet facilities, a marina with access to the Zipple River, and a beach. Minnesota and Ontario both offer state sanctioned parks and campsites, which can be located through the respective governments. Backcountry campers can locate a prospective campsite on Lake of the Woods by boat, landing and examining the site in person. There is abundant wildlife even on the small islands on the lake, so it is a good idea to take precautions against bear and cervids. Numerous marinas and resorts on the lake provide houseboat rentals, nautical charts, camping and fishing advice, and expert knowledge on how to most enjoy the lake.

[edit] Fishing

The vast size and terrain of Lake of the Woods provides many fishing environments and opportunities. The lake is best known for its walleye population, which can be caught with a variety of methods in all conditions. The most common is to jig with light to medium tackle in anywhere from ten to forty feet of water. Popular set-ups include a simple jig, a jig with a plastic hair grub, or a simple spinner lindy-rigged to a slip sinker. Live bait is preferable for this method. Minnows are especially productive, but worms and leeches can also catch pike in certain conditions. Lake perch can be caught with this method as well.

A second approach is to troll the shoreline in about 10 to 15 feet of water with a diving lure. A rattling lure or a mid-range diving lure is best. This will catch perch, especially in a little deeper water or near underwater terrain, but will also net bass, northern pike, and muskellunge. The proper speed depends on the conditions and location, but usually around 2 to 6 knots is a good starting point.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Priddle, George B. "Lake of the Woods." World Book Online Reference Center. 2008. 12 Jan. 2008 <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar309580>

[edit] See also