Minnesota Power, an ALLETE Company

 

Reservoirs

At 10,800 acres, Island Lake Reservoir is the largest of the reservoirs near Duluth, and attracts boaters, anglers, swimmers and other outdoors enthusiasts. Minnesota Power provides 11 water accessible primitive campsites on the reservoir. Anglers here find bluegill, perch, bass, crappie, walleye, northern pike, and musky.

Island Lake Park

Features a swimming beach, covered pavilion, and easy access from the parking lot to barrier-free picnic tables, benches and bathroom facilities.

Hours:

Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Rules:

  • No camping
  • No open fire pits
  • Do not leave trash
  • Clean up after pets
  • Pets must be leashed
  • Do not damage plant life or property

Island Lake Beach

Hours:

9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day

Rules:

  • For your safety and welfare the following are prohibited
    • Playing or sitting on float lines
    • Swimming outside float lines
    • Boats, canoes or kayaks
    • Fires or barbecues
    • Glass containers
    • Pets
    • Fishing
  • Do not leave children unattended
  • Children in diapers must wear a swim diaper
  • Stay on blacktop or grass
  • Use trash receptacles

Island Lake Dam Recreation Area

Features a boat launch, public beach, parking lots, canoe portage, and fishing pier that complies with Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines.

 Island Lake Reservoir Map

The Boulder Lake Management Area at Boulder Lake Reservoir is a unique natural resource management education program developed in cooperation with the St. Louis County Land Department, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Center for Environmental Education. Established in 1991, the BLMA contains more than 18,000 acres of land and water, including the 4,480-acre Boulder Lake Reservoir. It features the popular Boulder Lake cross-country ski trails, interpretive trails, public programs and formal environmental education activities

Minnesota Power provides 18 water accessible primitive campsites and four group campsites on the reservoir. Anglers come to the reservoir for bluegill, perch, bass, crappie, walleye and northern pike.

For more information about Boulder Lake Reservoir recreation, visit the Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center website.

 Boulder Lake Reservoir Map

The 5,120-acre Fish Lake Reservoir is used to store water to supplement winter water flow for hydroelectric power generation on the St. Louis River. The reservoir attracts anglers for bluegill, perch, bass, crappie, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power, with the Minnesota DNR, provides public boat access and accessible shorefishing at the Fish Lake Reservoir Dam. We also work with the DNR and local resort businesses to provide other public boat launches. Minnesota Power provides eight water accessible primitive campsites on the reservoir.

 Fish Lake Reservoir Map

The 2,590-acre Wild Rice Lake Reservoir is used for water storage to supplement water flow in the winter for generating hydroelectricity at our facilities on the St. Louis River. Anglers at Wild Rice Lake Reservoir find crappie, bluegill, perch, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power, with the Minnesota DNR, provides public boat access and accessible shorefishing at the reservoir dam. Because of the challenging shoreline, Minnesota Power provides one water accessible primitive campsites on the reservoir.

 Wild Rice Lake Reservoir Map

The 5,440-acre Whiteface Reservoir is used to store water for supplementing winter water flow used for hydroelectric power generation on the St. Louis River. Whiteface attracts anglers for crappie, perch, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power provides public boat access at the Whiteface Reservoir Dam, and works with the Minnesota DNR and local resort businesses in providing other public boat launches. We cooperate with the U.S. Forest Service at the agency’s Whiteface Reservoir Campground on the north end of the reservoir.

 Whiteface Reservoir Map

The 419-acre Knife Falls Reservoir was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the St. Louis River in Cloquet, Minnesota. The reservoir attracts anglers for bass, catfish, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power provides shorefishing along the north shore of the reservoir and the city of Cloquet provides boat access near its municipal campground.

The 81-acre Scanlon Reservoir was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the St. Louis River in Scanlon, Minnesota. The reservoir is not available for public use; however, downstream of the reservoir is Minnesota Power’s Scanlon Riverside Park, providing accessible shorefishing and whitewater kayaking and rafting access to the St. Louis River. Minnesota Power provides annually scheduled supplemental water flows for enhancing whitewater recreation during low water flow periods.

The 649-acre Thomson Reservoir was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the St. Louis River in Carlton, Minnesota. Minnesota Power, in cooperation with the UMD Outdoor Program, provides a whitewater take-out access for paddlers traveling downstream from Scanlon on the St. Louis River. Downstream of the Thomson Dam, MP’s property plays host to whitewater kayaking events. Minnesota Power provides annually scheduled supplemental water flows to enhance whitewater recreation.

The 185-acre Fond du Lac Reservoir was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the St. Louis River, surrounded by Jay Cooke State Park. Minnesota Power, in cooperation with Jay Cooke State Park, provides canoe carry-down access to the reservoir in the vicinity of the Grand Portage historic trail parking lot.

The 5,600-acre Birch Lake Reservoir is used for water storage to supplement winter water flow used for hydroelectric power generation on the South Kawishiwi River at Winton, Minnesota. This reservoir attracts anglers for bass, perch, crappie, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power provides a Wayside Rest, shorefishing and primitive trail access to the South Kawishiwi River at the Birch Lake Dam, on State Highway 1. Resorts and houseboat businesses provide alternative access to the reservoir.

At the south end of the reservoir, the city of Babbitt, Minnesota, provides a recreation facility that includes a boat launch, swimming beach, and picnic facilities. Minnesota Power works with the U.S. Forest Service in providing public access at each of the agency’s two campgrounds. The Forest Service provides multiple water accessible primitive campsites on the reservoir. St. Louis County provides a public boat access on the southwestern end of the reservoir.

The 1,500-acre Garden Lake Reservoir (including Garden Lake, Farm Lake, South Farm and Friday Lake) was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the Kawishiwi River in Winton, Minnesota. Anglers come here for crappie, perch, bass, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power works with the Minnesota DNR to provide an accessible shorefishing site and public boat launch off the Fernberg Road, three miles east of Ely, Minnesota. Resort businesses provide alternative access to the reservoir. Minnesota Power works with the U.S. Forest Service to provide public access on the Farm Lake end of the reservoir. We also work with the DNR in providing a parking lot, trail and public viewing site on Minnesota Power land for access to the Kawishiwi Waterfalls, adjacent to the Winton Hydroelectric station, with beautiful views of Fall Lake.

The 1,300-acre Prairie Lake Reservoir was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the Prairie River near Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Here, anglers find crappie, bass, perch, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power provides an accessible public boat launch at the east end of the Prairie River Dam. Resort businesses provide alternative access to the reservoir. Itasca County maintains the beautiful Gunn Park, on the west shore of the reservoir, providing a pavilion, shorefishing, picnic facilities, and recreational fields.

The 1,400-acre Zebulon Pike Reservoir was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the Mississippi River near Royalton, Minnesota. This reservoir attracts anglers for catfish, crappie, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power provides an accessible shorefishing site downstream of the Blanchard Dam, a canoe portage around the dam, and a public boat launch to the reservoir. The reservoir possesses multiple historic and cultural sites, including the boyhood home of famed Minnesota aviator Charles Lindberg, now managed as Lindberg State Park. It also has a submerged outpost/fort used by Zebulon Pike while exploring the region. The Minnesota DNR provides an alternative public boat launch on the western shore of the reservoir in the vicinity of Lindberg State Park.

The 700-acre Little Falls Reservoir was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the Mississippi River at Little Falls, Minnesota. The popular reservoir attracts anglers for catfish, crappie, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power provides a canoe portage at the east shore of the dam. Minnesota Power donated land downstream of the Little Falls Dam for a city historic interpretation-recreation park, and cooperates with the city to provide a lakewalk and access at La Bourget Park on the reservoir.

The 800-acre Lake Placid was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the Crow Wing River in Pillager, Minnesota. Lake Placid attracts anglers for bass, perch, crappie, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power works with the town of Pillager to provide accessible shorefishing and a public boat launch off at the Pillager Dam. The Minnesota DNR provides a public access at Alvar’s Landing. Minnesota Power provides two water accessible primitive campsites on the reservoir.

The 2,000-acre Sylvan Reservoir (includes the Gull River Flowage) was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the Crow Wing River downstream of Pillager, Minnesota. Fish species found here include crappie, bass, perch, walleye and northern pike. Minnesota Power provides a boat launch and canoe portage downstream of the Sylvan Dam. We also work with the Minnesota DNR to provide an accessible shorefishing site and public boat launch off County Road 36. The DNR provides a public access at Wilder’s Landing, on the north shore of the reservoir.

The 473-acre Blandin Reservoir (also known as Paper Mill Reservoir) was developed for hydroelectric power generation on the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. It attracts anglers looking for bass, perch, crappie, walleye and northern pike. A volunteer portage service is available to shuttle paddlers traveling this segment of the Missisissippi River and can be reached at 218-256-3871 for more information. The U.S. Corp of Engineers manages Pokegama Park on the most upstream portion of the reservoir, providing shorefishing, picnic facilities and camping. The Forest History Center is a unique education facility on the south shore of the reservoir offering the public a look at the history of the timber industry in Minnesota. The Grand Rapids Showboat is a vintage paddle boat stationed on the north shore of the reservoir during the summer and serves as the backdrop for scheduled evening entertainment variety shows. Blandin Corp. provides a public boat launch on the southwestern shore of the reservoir. The city of Grand Rapids also provides a public boat launch on the south shore of the reservoir.

Click here to view a map with all the recreation sites.