Bay Lake (Minnesota)
Encyclopedia
Bay Lake is a body of water located in the Brainerd Lakes region of Minnesota
. The lake
has a surface area of 2319.84 acres (9 km²) and approximately 19 miles (31 km) of shoreline. The maximum depth of the lake is 74 feet (23 m) with a water clarity of 24 feet (7 m). The Ojibway called the lake Ses-sa-beg-a-mah, which has been translated as "lake of many bays" or "lake of many arms."
Bay Lake is located within Bay Lake Township
, approximately 15 miles (24 km) east of Brainerd, Minnesota
and five miles (8 km) northwest of Garrison, Minnesota
. Like many other lakes in the area, Bay Lake is surrounded by commercial resorts and private cabins, and is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and water skiing
. Access to the lake and resorts is via Minnesota State Highway 6
for the western shore and Crow Wing County Highway 10 for the eastern shore.
There are three islands on the lake. The largest of these, the 72 acres (291,373.9 m²) Church Island, is used as a Lutheran church camp. Outdoor services, open to the public, are held on the island each Sunday during the summer.
Bay Lake is part of the headwaters for the Ripple River
, and the river
is common spawning spot for fish
.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
has a surface area of 2319.84 acres (9 km²) and approximately 19 miles (31 km) of shoreline. The maximum depth of the lake is 74 feet (23 m) with a water clarity of 24 feet (7 m). The Ojibway called the lake Ses-sa-beg-a-mah, which has been translated as "lake of many bays" or "lake of many arms."
Bay Lake is located within Bay Lake Township
Bay Lake Township, Minnesota
Bay Lake Township is a township in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, USA. The population was 923 at the 2000 census.Minnesota Highway 6 and Minnesota Highway 18 are two of the main arterial routes in the township.-Geography:...
, approximately 15 miles (24 km) east of Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,590 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County and one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota...
and five miles (8 km) northwest of Garrison, Minnesota
Garrison, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 213 people, 113 households, and 48 families residing in the city. The population density was 198.9 people per square mile . There were 191 housing units at an average density of 178.4 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 97.65% White, 0.94%...
. Like many other lakes in the area, Bay Lake is surrounded by commercial resorts and private cabins, and is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
. Access to the lake and resorts is via Minnesota State Highway 6
Minnesota State Highway 6
Minnesota State Highway 6 is a highway in east-central and north-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 18 in Bay Lake Township near Garrison and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
for the western shore and Crow Wing County Highway 10 for the eastern shore.
There are three islands on the lake. The largest of these, the 72 acres (291,373.9 m²) Church Island, is used as a Lutheran church camp. Outdoor services, open to the public, are held on the island each Sunday during the summer.
Bay Lake is part of the headwaters for the Ripple River
Ripple River
The Ripple River is a small river that starts in Crooked Lake of Crow Wing County, Minnesota, and ends in Aitkin, MN of Aitkin County at its confluence with the Mississippi River. As the crow flies, the river travels about 14 miles.-References:**...
, and the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
is common spawning spot for fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
.