Lake of the Woods

Also known as Big Traverse Bay, Lac des Bois, Lake Des Isles, Lake du Bois, Lake of the Wood

large glacial lake in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota

Key facts

Location: North America
Lake type: Glacial
Primary inflows: Rainy River Shoal Lake Kakagi Lake
Primary outflows: Winnipeg River
Basin countries: Canada and United States
Max length: 68 mi (109 km)
Max width: 59 mi (95 km)
Surface area: 4,350 km (1,679.5 sq mi)
Max depth: 210 ft (64 m)
Shore length: excluding islands:, 25,000 mi (40,000 km) including islands:, 65,000 mi (105,000 km)
Surface elevation: 323 m (1,060 ft)
Islands: 14,632

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Article

Lake of the Woods (French: lac des Bois; Ojibwe: Pikwedina Sagainan, lit. 'inland lake of the sand hills') is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Lake of the Woods is over 70 miles (110 km) long and wide, containing more than 14,552 islands and 65,000 miles (105,000 km) of shoreline. It 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. Ultimately, its outflow goes north through the Nelson River to Hudson Bay.

Lake of the Woods is also the sixth largest freshwater lake located (at least partially) in the United States, after the five Great Lakes, and the 35th largest lake in the world by area. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and the town of Angle Township can be reached from the rest of Minnesota only by crossing the lake or by traveling through Canada. The Northwest Angle is the northernmost part of the contiguous United States. Its "northwesternmost point" served as a problematic landmark in treaties defining the international border.