Big Stone Lake
Encyclopedia
Big Stone Lake is a long, narrow freshwater
lake
and reservoir
forming the border between western Minnesota
and northeastern South Dakota
in the USA. The lake covers 12,610 acres (51 km²) of surface area, stretching 26 miles (42 km) from end to end and averaging around 1 mile (2 km) wide, and at an elevation of 965 feet (294 m) is the lowest point in South Dakota. Big Stone Lake is the source of the Minnesota River
, which flows 332 miles (534 km) to the Mississippi River
. Flow from the lake to the Minnesota River is regulated by the Big Stone Lake Dam, located at the southern end of the lake. The lake is fed by the Little Minnesota River
at its north end, which flows through the Traverse Gap
. Big Stone was formed at the end of the last ice age
when glacial Lake Agassiz
drained through the gap into Glacial River Warren
. The valley of that river now holds Big Stone Lake. Big Stone Lake is shown on the 1757 edition of Mitchell Map
as "L. Tinton", referring to the Lakota people, also known as Tetonwan ("dwellers of the prairie").
Two state park
s are located at the lake: Big Stone Lake State Park
in Minnesota and Hartford Beach State Park in South Dakota. The two parks provide picnic, boat launching, trail, and camping facilities. An educational center at the lake is part of the Minnesota state park. Several vacation resorts are located along the shores of Big Stone Lake as well. Visitors are attracted to the lake especially for its fishing
: walleye
, northern pike
, and bluegill
s are all popular game fish
with anglers, and the lake contains over 30 other species. There are 12 public accesses for fishing use. The lake is stocked once every two years with 7,000,000 walleye fry.
The communities of Ortonville, Minnesota
, and Big Stone City, South Dakota
, are located at the southern tip of the lake; Browns Valley, Minnesota
, is located at the northern tip.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
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,...
and reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
forming the border between western Minnesota
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...
and northeastern South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
in the USA. The lake covers 12,610 acres (51 km²) of surface area, stretching 26 miles (42 km) from end to end and averaging around 1 mile (2 km) wide, and at an elevation of 965 feet (294 m) is the lowest point in South Dakota. Big Stone Lake is the source of the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
, which flows 332 miles (534 km) to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Flow from the lake to the Minnesota River is regulated by the Big Stone Lake Dam, located at the southern end of the lake. The lake is fed by the Little Minnesota River
Little Minnesota River
The Little Minnesota River is a headwaters tributary of the Minnesota River in northeastern South Dakota and west-central Minnesota in the United States...
at its north end, which flows through the Traverse Gap
Traverse Gap
The Traverse Gap is an ancient river channel occupied by Lake Traverse and Big Stone Lake and the valley connecting them at Browns Valley, Minnesota. It is located on the border of the U.S. states of Minnesota and South Dakota...
. Big Stone was formed at the end of the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
when glacial Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
drained through the gap into Glacial River Warren
Glacial River Warren
right|thumb|210px|The course of the Minnesota River follows the valley carved by Glacial River WarrenGlacial River Warren or River Warren was a prehistoric river that drained Lake Agassiz in central North America between 11,700 and 9,400 years ago...
. The valley of that river now holds Big Stone Lake. Big Stone Lake is shown on the 1757 edition of Mitchell Map
Mitchell Map
The Mitchell Map is a map made by John Mitchell , which was reprinted several times during the second half of the 18th century. The Mitchell Map was used as a primary map source during the Treaty of Paris for defining the boundaries of the newly independent United States...
as "L. Tinton", referring to the Lakota people, also known as Tetonwan ("dwellers of the prairie").
Two state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
s are located at the lake: Big Stone Lake State Park
Big Stone Lake State Park
Big Stone Lake State Park is a Minnesota state park on the shore of Big Stone Lake, the headwaters of the Minnesota River. The two sections of the park, the Bonanza Area in the north and the Meadowbrook Area in the south, are apart. South Dakota's Hartford Beach State Park is on the opposite...
in Minnesota and Hartford Beach State Park in South Dakota. The two parks provide picnic, boat launching, trail, and camping facilities. An educational center at the lake is part of the Minnesota state park. Several vacation resorts are located along the shores of Big Stone Lake as well. Visitors are attracted to the lake especially for its fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
: walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, and bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
s are all popular game fish
Game fish
Game fish are fish pursued for sport by recreational anglers. They can be freshwater or marine fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, though increasingly anglers practise catch and release to improve fish populations. Some game fish are also targeted commercially, particularly...
with anglers, and the lake contains over 30 other species. There are 12 public accesses for fishing use. The lake is stocked once every two years with 7,000,000 walleye fry.
The communities of Ortonville, Minnesota
Ortonville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,158 people, 923 households, and 594 families residing in the city. The population density was 635.8 people per square mile . There were 1,125 housing units at an average density of 331.4 per square mile...
, and Big Stone City, South Dakota
Big Stone City, South Dakota
Big Stone City is a city in Grant County, South Dakota, United States. It lies between the southern tip of Big Stone Lake and the northern bank of the Whetstone River, and is adjacent to the city of Ortonville, Minnesota...
, are located at the southern tip of the lake; Browns Valley, Minnesota
Browns Valley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 690 people, 285 households, and 171 families residing in the city. The population density was 878.5 people per square mile . There were 317 housing units at an average density of 403.6 per square mile...
, is located at the northern tip.
Sources
- "Big Stone Lake". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 29, 2005.
- "Big Stone Lake". United States Department of TransportationUnited States Department of TransportationThe United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
. Retrieved July 29, 2005. - Big Stone Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Viewed July 29, 2005. . Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
. Retrieved July 29, 2005. - Spading, Kenton (January 2000). . United States Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of EngineersThe United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
.