Cormorant Lake (Minnesota)

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Cormorant Lake
Big Cormorant Lake
USA Minnesota relief location map.svg
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Cormorant Lake
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Red pog.svg
Cormorant Lake
Location Becker County, Minnesota
Group Cormorant Lakes
Coordinates 46°44′30″N96°06′14″W / 46.74167°N 96.10389°W / 46.74167; -96.10389
Type Lake
Etymology Cormorant, bird species
Primary outflows Spring Creek
Basin  countriesUnited States
Managing agency Minnesota DNR
Max. length3.5 mi (6 km)
Max. width2.5 mi (4 km)
Surface area3,657 acres (1,480 ha)
Average depth30 feet (9.1 m)
Max. depth75 ft (23 m)
Salinity Freshwater
Shore length118.7 mi (30 km)
Surface elevation1,158 ft (353 m)
Frozen5 Months
Islands 1
Sections/sub-basinsPikes Bay, Blue Water Bay, Glyndon Bay, Spring Creek Bay, Nelson Bay, Viking Bay
Settlements Cormorant Township
Website bigcormorantlake.org
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Big Cormorant Lake is located in northwestern Minnesota's Becker County, about an hour's drive due east of the Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota metropolitan area. Public access boat ramps are located on the northeast and west sides of the Lake.

Contents

The lake was named after the cormorant, a common bird species in the region. [1] In 2015, the lake was discovered to be infested with zebra mussels, which threatens neighboring lakes. Cormorant Lake is situated near the towns of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Lake Park, Minnesota, Audubon, Minnesota and the Cormorant Township.

History

The land that Big Cormorant Lake sits on was originally occupied by the Chippewa (Ojibwe), and the Sioux Native tribes. [2] The Cormorant Township was established on February 26, 1872, and the name Cormorant is translated from the original Ojibway name of the lake. [3] In 1867, a treaty was signed establishing the White Earth Reservation, a large tract of land in the northern part of Becker County, to be home for the Chippewa Indians. [2]

Attractions and activities

Some of the most popular attractions on Big Cormorant Lake are restaurants. Cormorant Pub and Boat House, Parallel 46, Zorbaz on Pelican Lake, the Roadhouse, and Pit 611 offer lake residents food and entertainment. Boutique shopping is also available in Cormorant Village.

Founded in 1903, YMCA Camp Cormorant is one of the oldest overnight camps in the entire nation and continues to be a tremendous learning experience for children and teens. The camp is nestled on 80 acres (32 ha) of wooded property with an extensive beach front on Big Cormorant Lake. Boating, sailing, and fishing are the most common activities on Cormorant Lake. Other activities on Big Cormorant include swimming, kayaking, wakesurfing, waterskiing, wakeboarding and standup paddleboarding during the summer, as well as ice fishing and snowmobiling during the winter.

In media

Cormorant Village went viral for electing a dog named Duke as Mayor for four terms. [4] Duke was a Great Pyrenees and passed away on Feb 21, 2019. [5] [6]

A popular YouTube channel named CBOYSTV films is headquartered at Cormorant Lake. CBoysTV is an American comedy and motorsports channel run by five guys. Their channel has amassed over 2.2 million subscribers. [7]

Wildlife

Fish to catch

Source: MN DNR [8]


Invasive species

Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha3.jpg
Zebra Mussel

Climate

Because of its location in the Great Plains and its distance from both mountains and oceans, Cormorant Lake has an extreme humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa/Dfb), featuring long, bitterly cold winters and warm to hot, humid summers. Summers have frequent thunderstorms, and the warmest month of the year is July. [11]

Temperature and precipitation

Climate data for Detroit Lakes, Minnesota (8 Miles West of Cormorant Lake)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)55
(13)		59
(15)		74
(23)		98
(37)		97
(36)		100
(38)		107
(42)		101
(38)		98
(37)		90
(32)		72
(22)		60
(16)		107
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)19
(−7)		26
(−3)		37
(3)		56
(13)		69
(21)		78
(26)		82
(28)		81
(27)		71
(22)		56
(13)		38
(3)		22
(−6)		52.9
(11.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)−2
(−19)		3
(−16)		17
(−8)		31
(−1)		45
(7)		55
(13)		60
(16)		58
(14)		47
(8)		35
(2)		21
(−6)		5
(−15)		31.3
(−0.4)
Record low °F (°C)−45
(−43)		−46
(−43)		−40
(−40)		−11
(−24)		15
(−9)		28
(−2)		33
(1)		32
(0)		17
(−8)		1
(−17)		−28
(−33)		−41
(−41)		−46
(−43)
Average precipitation inches (mm)0.76
(19)		0.57
(14)		1.15
(29)		1.54
(39)		2.97
(75)		4.41
(112)		4.03
(102)		3.67
(93)		3.02
(77)		2.50
(64)		1.10
(28)		0.64
(16)		26.36
(670)
Source: usclimatedata.com [12]

Ice In - Out

Source: Archived site of Big Cormorant [13]


Neighboring lakes

Adjacent townships

See also

References

  1. ↑ Upham, Warren (1969). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 28. ISBN   978-0-87351-144-5 . Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Becker County History". www.co.becker.mn.us.
  3. ↑ Society, Minnesota Historical (1920). Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 28. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  4. ↑ "Duke the dog, four time mayor of Cormorant Village has died". The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  5. ↑ "Duke, The Beloved Dog Mayor Of Minnesota Village, Passes Away". All Things Considered . NPR. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  6. ↑ Hanson, Hilary (February 23, 2019). "Duke, Beloved Dog Mayor Of Small Minnesota Town, Has Died". HuffPost.
  7. ↑ Kennedy, Tony (29 January 2021). "With throttles wide open, small-town 'CBoys' achieve YouTube stardom". www.startribune.com. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  8. ↑ "Big Cormorant (03057600) | LakeFinder". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "Zebra mussels in Becker County's Big Cormorant Lake". MPR News.
  10. ↑ "2016 Becker County Aquatic Invasive Species Program Report" (PDF). www.co.becker.mn.us. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  11. ↑ "Lake Cormorant, MS Weather History | Weather Underground". www.wunderground.com. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "Climate Detroit Lakes - Minnesota and Weather averages Detroit Lakes".
  13. ↑ "Big Cormorant Lakes Association | Becker County Minnesaota". Archived from the original on 11 August 2016.
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