| Big Stone Lake | |
|---|---|
| Íŋyaŋ Tháŋka Bdé | |
 Big Stone Lake fromOrtonville's Lakeside Park, September 2013 | |
  Big Stone Lake | |
| Location | Big Stone County, Minnesota /Roberts County andGrant County,South Dakota |
| Coordinates | 45°24′28″N96°37′04″W / 45.40778°N 96.61778°W /45.40778; -96.61778 |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Little Minnesota River |
| Primary outflows | Minnesota River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 26 mi (42 km) |
| Surface area | 12,610 acres (5,100 ha) |
| Max. depth | 16 ft (4.9 m)[1] |
| Surface elevation | 968 ft (295 m)[2] |
| Settlements | Ortonville MN,Big Stone City SD,Browns Valley MN |
Big Stone Lake (Dakota:Íŋyaŋ Tháŋka Bdé[3]) is a long, narrowfreshwaterlake andreservoir on the border between westernMinnesota and northeasternSouth Dakota in theUnited States.
The lake covers 12,610 acres (5,100 ha), stretching 26 miles (42 km) from end to end and averaging around 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. At an elevation of 965 feet (294 m), it is South Dakota's lowest point. Big Stone Lake is the source of theMinnesota River, which flows 332 miles (534 km) to theMississippi River.
Flow from the lake to the Minnesota River is regulated by the Big Stone Lake Dam, built in 1937 at the lake's southern end. Although modest, the dam controls a maximum capacity of 205,000acre-feet. It is owned and operated by the state of Minnesota.[4]
At its north end, the lake is fed by theLittle Minnesota River, which flows through theTraverse Gap. Big Stone was formed at the end of the lastice age, when glacialLake Agassiz drained through the gap intoGlacial River Warren. The valley of that river now holds Big Stone Lake. The lake is shown on the 1757 edition ofMitchell Map as "L. Tinton", referring to theLakota people, also known asTetonwan ("dwellers of the prairie"). Big Stone Lake was named for nearby rock outcroppings.[5]
Twostate parks are at the lake:Big Stone Lake State Park in Minnesota andHartford Beach State Park in South Dakota. They have picnic, boat launching, trail, and camping facilities. An educational center is part of the Minnesota park. Several vacation resorts are along the shores of Big Stone Lake as well. Visitors are attracted to the lake especially for itsfishing:walleye,northern pike, andbluegills are all populargame fish with anglers, and the lake contains over 30 other species. There are 12 public accesses for fishing use. The lake is stocked every two years with 7,000,000 walleye fry.
The communities ofOrtonville, Minnesota, andBig Stone City, South Dakota, are at the lake's southern tip.Browns Valley, Minnesota, is at the northern tip.
Media related toBig Stone Lake at Wikimedia Commons
