Inktober 2023: Lakes
Inked Minnesota lakes to accompany daily prompts.
Sparkle | Deer Lake - Also known as the “Lake of the Changing Colors”, Deer Lake’s crystal-clear water contains minerals that turn the water a brilliant blue-green color on a sunny, summer day.
Beast | Lake Windigo - According to Anishinaabe legend, children were warned not to visit this lake for fear that the evil spirit, wiindigoo, would drag them under. Believed to be the embodiment of gluttony, greed, and excess, the wendigo is cursed to never be satisfied and is always on the hunt for a new victim. It’s said to tower above humans, growing larger after every kill, its skin is pulled tight across its body, and it smells of decay. A sudden and unseasonable chill in the air may indicate one is nearby.
Plump | Round Lake - Round is one of the top ten names for lakes in Minnesota (there are at least 36). The others are Mud, Long, Rice, Bass, Horseshoe, Twin, Island, Johnson, and Spring.
Dangerous | Ga-wimbadjiwegamag | Lake of the Valley | Bad Medicine Lake - This lake is entirely spring-fed and it lacks both an inlet and outlet, leading to the Ojibwe believing it was a bad omen (“bad medicine”). They would not fish or hunt around the lake. There are also legends of serpentine fish and monster pike dwelling in the depths of the lake, which also could have played a role in discouraging fishing on the lake.
Rise | Gogebic Lake - Located in the BWCA and named by the Ojibwe, it means “where trout rising to the surface make rings in the water”.
Drip | Lake of the Isles - This lake has some serious drip (as the cool kids say or probably don’t say anymore). The average selling price of a home along the shores of Lake of the Isles is $2.23 million.
Spiders | Spider Lake - Minnesota does not have a shortage of Spider Lakes, some can be found in - Chisago County, Itasca County, Foot Hills State Forest, Lake Alice Township, Mantrap Township, and St. Louis County.