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There are over 1,000 lakes, rivers and streams
in the Byway area. The region is a paradise for water sports enthusiasts
in all four seasons. There’s great fishing on water or ice. Boat
and sail on some of Minnesota’s premier waters. And that includes
several river systems that are noted for canoeing and their part in the
area’s history. Plus a lot more.
The lakes of the Lake Country Scenic Byway region
are a significant part of the Byway experience. Many of the recreational
activities you’ll find along the route happen on the water. Boating,
fishing, canoeing, tubing or sightseeing. Some have been the sites of
historic canoe routes and offer canoeing opportunities today.
LAKE ITASCA
One of the Byway’s claims to fame is as the
headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River. Of the world’s four
greatest rivers, only the Mississippi ha s a major park at its source.
LEECH LAKE
Leech Lake is Minnesota’s third largest lake
and one of its most productive fishing lakes. It is a famed body of
water more than 111,000 acres in size, filled with beautiful, island-studded
bays and wooded, undeveloped shoreline. Leech is nationally recognized
as a game fishing lake, and one of the top muskie lakes in the US. It
is the host site of some popular fishing tournaments, including the
Mercury Walleye Classic, the largest non-profit walleye tournament in
the Midwest, the Muskie Fishing Tournament and the Eelpout Festival.
Leech is also renowned as a haven for sailing, with a large regatta
in August.
The name Leech Lake comes from an Ojibwe name meaning
the “place of the leech lake.” Legend
says that on first coming to it, the Chippewa people saw an enormous
leech swimming in the lake.
MANTRAP LAKE
This historical lake northeast of Park Rapids was
named for its many peninsulas and tamarack swamps at the head of its
bays. It baffled hunters and “cruisers” in search of pine
lands, who would get lost when attempting to go around the peninsulas
and swamps. It has some of the best muskie fishing in Minnesota.
CROW WING RIVER & CHAIN OF
LAKES
The river was named for an island in the shape of
a crow’s wing, where the Crow Wing joins the Mississippi River
to the south. Located southeast and east of Park Rapids. Some of the
system parallels the Heartland Trail along Highway 34.
The entire Crow Wing Lakes and River system was originally
mapped by Henry Schoolcraft in 1832. On his return from Lake Itasca,
Schoolcraft and his party traveled by canoe from Leech Lake to the head
of the Crow Wing River and through its lakes. This route was known to
the Ojibwe and frequently used in war raids against the Dakota. The
11 lakes of the Crow Wing Chain made a natural waterway for Indians
and explorers. It once was home to the Hudson Bay Company.
DETROIT LAKE
This centerpiece lake is what the town, Detroit Lakes,
was named after. The lake was named by a French traveler who was a Catholic
missionary. Having camped for the night on the north shore of the lake,
he noticed that a long bar stretches nearly across the lake and leaves
a strait, or “Detroit” in French, between the two parts.
SHELL LAKE & SHELL RIVER
This lake and river were given their English names
because of the large number of shells found along the shore of the lake,
located south and west of Park Rapids. A post office operated there
between 1886 and 1907, figuring prominently in the settlement of the
Park Rapids area.
BIG & LITTLE SUGAR BUSH LAKES
In Becker County, these lakes were named by the Ojibwe
because of the maple trees and historic making of maple sugar by the
Indians.
FISH HOOK LAKE & RIVER
These important waterways have played a significant
part in the area’s development and history. The Fish Hook River
flows out of Fish Hook Lake. The Straight River comes from Straight
Lake at Osage and flows into the Fish Hook River. At one point, the
Fish Hook and Shell Rivers merge. But, the Fish Hook River flows into
Upper Twin Lake, while the Shell River flows into Blueberry Lake
STRAIGHT RIVER
In Becker County, the Straight River provided power
for the sawmill and feed mill for the village of Osage circa 1885. The
river lies southwest of Park Rapids and is renowned as a world-class
spot for wild brown trout.
For specific information on waterways visit:
dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index
For more information contact the local chamber
of commerce:
Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber:
http://www.visitdetroitlakes.com
Park Rapids Area Chamber:
http://www.parkrapids.com
Leech Lake Area Chamber:
http://www.leech-lake.com
Itasca State Park:http://www.dnr.state.mn.us
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