< PreviousWater, Water EverywhereL A K E S O F MI NNE S O T AMI NNE SO T A E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P ME N T G U I D E 87The state of lakes provides a recreational wonderland of unlimited choices.Water, Water Everywhereou won’t find many landlubbers in Minnesota. When you live in place affectionately known as “The Land of 10,000 Lakes,” remaining on dry ground all the time just isn’t an option.Besides, there aren’t just 10,000 lakes in Minnesota. There are at least 11,842, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. They range from the tiny Allen Lake and Budd Lake in Clearwater County to huge Lake Superior just off the shore of Duluth in Cook County.With nearly 1 million acres of freshwater in Minnesota, Lake Superior is by far the largest body of water in the North Star State. Coming in second is the well-known Lake of the Woods, with 307,000 acres in Minnesota.Regardless of where you are in Minnesota, however, there’s a good chance you’re near water. Minnesota’s lakes offer 44,926 miles of shoreline, by R O N S TAR N ERYSplit Rock Lighthouse on the shores of Lake SuperiorPhoto by Shay La’Vee88 MI NNE SO T A E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P ME N T G U I D Ewhich is more than the combined lake and coastal shorelines of California and Hawaii. With that much water all around, there’s an equal abundance of things to do. The state’s offi cial travel website — ExploreMinnesota.com — offers the following advice on the fi ve ways to enjoy Minnesota’s many lakes: • Play at the Beach: Whether it’s swimming at the beach at Big Lake or heading out to Park Point Beach to catch some rays in Duluth, Minnesota is a water wonderland when it comes to shoreline recreation.• Paddle Away:Canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding have become popular pastimes in the North Star State, as evidenced by the many visitors who enjoy working out their arms on Mille Lacs Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lake Bemidji and Lake Shetek.• Go Fish:Whether it’s casting for walleye or muskie or enjoying some wintertime ice fi shing, Minnesota is sure to satisfy the heartiest angler’s appetite for fun.• Take a Cruise:A narrated boat jaunt in Itasca State Park or an exploration of the wilderness lakes of Voyageurs National Park awaits the adventurous traveler up North.• Spend the Night:A romantic getaway or a fun-fi lled family trip can be had easily and affordably in Minnesota, whether it’s a quiet stay at a lakeside resort or a back-to-nature outing at one of the many campgrounds in the state.is sure to satisfy the heartiest A narrated boat jaunt in Itasca State Park or an exploration of the wilderness lakes of fun-fi lled family trip can be had easily and affordably in Minnesota, whether it’s a quiet fun-fi lled family trip can be had easily and affordably in Minnesota, whether it’s a quiet 142Lake of the IslesLake PepinLake Vermilion3Lake Harriet5Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun)6Mille Lacs LakeMI NNE SO T A E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P ME N T G U I D E 89Leech L.L. PepinL. BemidjiL. ItascaBurntside L.Gull L.Rainy L.Lower Red L.Mille Lacs L.Lake SuperiorUpper Red L.Lake ofthe WoodsVermilion L.4567891011121314AITKINANOKABECKERBELTRAMIBENTONBIG STONEBLUE EARTHBROWNCARLTONCARVERCASSCHIPPEWACHISAGOCLAYCLEARWATERCOOKCOTTONWOODCROWWINGDAKOTADODGEDOUGLASFARIBAULTFILLMOREFREEBORNGOODHUEGRANTHENNEPINHOUSTONHUBBARDISANTIITASCAJACKSONKANABECKANDIYOHIKITTSONKOOCHICHINGLAC QUI PARLELAKELAKEOF THEWOODSLE SUEURLINCOLNLYONMC LEODMAHNOMENMARSHALLMARTINMEEKERMILLELACSMORRISONMOWERMURRAYNICOLLETNOBLESNORMANOLMSTEDOTTER TAILPENNINGTONPINEPIPESTONEPOLKPOPERAMSEYRED LAKEREDWOODRENVILLERICEROCKROSEAUST. LOUISSCOTTSHERBURNESIBLEYSTEARNSSTEELESTEVENSSWIFTTODDTRAVERSEWABASHAWADENAWASECAWASHINGTONWATONWANWILKINWINONAWRIGHTYELLOW MEDICINE15123MankatoMoorheadSt. CloudWinonaAlbert LeaAustinBemidjiBrainerdFairmontFaribaultHibbingGrand RapidsMarshallNew UlmOwatonnaRed WingVirginiaElyWillmarWorthingtonBloomingtonDuluthRochesterMinneapolisSt. PaulIf you need help deciding which lake to visit in a land of 10,000 lakes, you might want to check out one on this list (see map): “The 15 Best Lakes in Minnesota,” compiled by the popular travel website, The Crazy Tourist: 1. Lake of the Isles: Minneapolis 2. Lake Vermilion: St. Louis County 3. Lake Harriet: Minneapolis 4. Lake Pepin: Goodhue and Wabasha Counties 5. Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun): Minneapolis 6. Mille Lacs Lake: Mille Lacs, Aitkin and Crow Wing Counties 7. Lake Superior: St. Louis, Lake and Cook Counties 8. Rainy Lake: Koochiching and St. Louis Counties 9. Gull Lake: Cass and Crow Wing Counties 10. Leech Lake: Cass County 11. Lake Itasca: Clearwater County 12. Lake Bemidji: Beltrami County 13. Lake Nokomis: Minneapolis 14. Burntside Lake: St. Louis County 15. Lake Phalen: St. Paulmore>>>more>>>If you need help deciding which lake to visit in a land of 10,000 lakes, you If you need help deciding which lake to visit in a land of 10,000 lakes, you might want to check out one on this list (see map): “The 15 Best Lakes in L. Pepin4Duluth987Gull LakeRainy LakeLake Superior90 MI NNE SO T A E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P ME N T G U I D E101112131415Leech LakeLake ItascaLake BemidjiLake NokomisBurntside LakeLake PhalenThe 15 lake photos from TheCrazyTourist.com: No. 1 - Source: Roger Siljander / shutterstock; No. 2 - Source: dalliedee / Flickr; No. 3 - Source: Geoffrey Kuchera / shutterstock; No. 4 - Source: John Brueske / shutterstock; No. 5 - Source: Roger Siljander / shutterstock; No. 6 - Source: John Brueske / shutterstock; No. 7 - Source: Joe Ferrer / shutterstock; No. 8 - Source: Olga Enger / shutterstock; No. 9 - Source: AMB-MD Photography / shutterstock; No. 10 - Source: Ben Harding / shutterstock; No. 11 - Source: JB Manning / shutterstock; No. 12 - Source: jjsmustang1979 / Flickr; No. 13 - Source: Near and Far Photography / shutterstock; No. 14 - Source: gomattolson / Flickr; No. 15 - Source: Mulad / FlickrMinnesota’s lakes offer 44,926miles of shoreline, which is more than the combined lake and coastal shorelines of California and Hawaii.SH O VEL R E AD Yertifi ed shovel-ready sites are popular with companies looking to expand, relocate or start up because they take much of the time, expense, unpredictability and risk out of development. They’re becoming increasingly attractive because:• Global economic forces are pushing companies to make market decisions faster than ever. They no longer have the luxury of spending six to 12 months on a site search. Shovel-ready sites can be purchased quickly. CMatching BusinessesWith the Right Site92 MI NNE SO T A E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P ME N T G U I D EGrand ForksFargo/MoorheadSioux FallsBemidjiDuluthMadisonMinneapolis-St. PaulDuluthDuluth• Companies need sites that are ready for development and can match the construction completion date with customer product delivery demands. • Shovel-ready sites simplify the development process and greatly reduce risk by eliminating most of the unknowns from the site selection decision and increasing the predictability of getting the land developed, the building constructed and the business up and running. • Finally, shovel-ready sites can help lower development costs.Minnesota’s Shovel-Ready SitesMinnesota has more than 30 shovel-ready certifi ed development sites around the state. They range in size from about 20 to 300 acres.The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) works closely with communities and property owners to certify that the most time-consuming legal, technical and regulatory aspects of developing specifi c commercial and industrial sites are already complete.Sites certifi ed under DEED’s Shovel-Ready program have had all of the planning, zoning, surveys, title work, environmental studies, soils analysis and public infrastructure engineering completed prior to the site being offered for sale.For more about Minnesota’s certifi ed shovel-ready sites, visit mn.gov/deed/shovelready. DEED has business development managers stationed in the Twin Cities and key regions who work closely with companies of all types to help them locate and expand in communities throughout Minnesota. MI NNE SO T A E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P ME N T G U I D E 93P H O T O G A LLE R YPICTURING MINNESOTASaint Paul skylinePhoto courtesy of Visit Saint Paul94 MI NNE SO T A E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P ME N T G U I D EMI NNE SO T A E C O N O MI C D E V E L O P ME N T G U I D E 95Next >