Lake Windigo
Encyclopedia
Lake Windigo is a small lake
on Star Island in northern Minnesota
, United States
. The lake covers a total of 199 acres (80 hectare) and reaches a maximum depth of 15 feet (4.6 m). The littoral zone is 129 acres (52 hectare). Due to its shallow depth and subsequent abundant plant and algae growth, water clarity extends 6 feet (1.8 m). The lake hosts small populations of northern pike
and walleye
and large communities of panfish
. Access to Lake Windigo is by a short portage from Cass Lake
on the north side of the island. The lake is best navigated by canoe, rowboat, or other small watercraft.
Windigo is located in Star Island in Cass Lake
. In the television series Ripley's Believe It Or Not, the lake was designated as being the only lake within a lake in the Northern Hemisphere. There are a few other such lakes.
Star Island is itself an historical site. The village of Ozaawindib, Schoolcraft's guide to Lake Itasca
, was located on the island. The Ojibwe people flourished in the area up until the arrival of American and European settlers. In the early 1900s, parts of the island were sold to private entities, while the majority of the island entered the protection of the federal government as a national forest. It remains this way to this day.
The lake derives its name from the Windigo
of Ojibwe mythology. A windigo was a malevolent, cannibalistic spirit that could possess people and inspire cannibalism, particularly during times of famine. Windigo ceremonies were often performed during times of famine to remind the people to be wary of the windigo spirits.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
on Star Island in northern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The lake covers a total of 199 acres (80 hectare) and reaches a maximum depth of 15 feet (4.6 m). The littoral zone is 129 acres (52 hectare). Due to its shallow depth and subsequent abundant plant and algae growth, water clarity extends 6 feet (1.8 m). The lake hosts small populations of northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
and walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
and large communities of panfish
Panfish
A panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...
. Access to Lake Windigo is by a short portage from Cass Lake
Cass Lake (Minnesota)
Cass Lake is a glacially-formed lake in north central Minnesota in the United States. It is approximately long and wide, located in Cass and Beltrami counties, within the Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, adjacent to its namesake city of Cass Lake...
on the north side of the island. The lake is best navigated by canoe, rowboat, or other small watercraft.
Windigo is located in Star Island in Cass Lake
Cass Lake (Minnesota)
Cass Lake is a glacially-formed lake in north central Minnesota in the United States. It is approximately long and wide, located in Cass and Beltrami counties, within the Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, adjacent to its namesake city of Cass Lake...
. In the television series Ripley's Believe It Or Not, the lake was designated as being the only lake within a lake in the Northern Hemisphere. There are a few other such lakes.
Star Island is itself an historical site. The village of Ozaawindib, Schoolcraft's guide to Lake Itasca
Lake Itasca
Lake Itasca is a small glacial lake, approximately in area, in the Headwaters area of north central Minnesota. The lake is located in southeastern Clearwater County within Itasca State Park and it has an average depth of 20–35 feet , and is 1,475 ft above sea level.The Ojibwe name for...
, was located on the island. The Ojibwe people flourished in the area up until the arrival of American and European settlers. In the early 1900s, parts of the island were sold to private entities, while the majority of the island entered the protection of the federal government as a national forest. It remains this way to this day.
The lake derives its name from the Windigo
Wendigo
The Wendigo is a mythical creature appearing in the mythology of the Algonquian people. It is a malevolent cannibalistic spirit into which humans could transform, or which could possess humans...
of Ojibwe mythology. A windigo was a malevolent, cannibalistic spirit that could possess people and inspire cannibalism, particularly during times of famine. Windigo ceremonies were often performed during times of famine to remind the people to be wary of the windigo spirits.