Largest lakes & reservoirs in Northwest Minnesota by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 21 articles we have published for Northwest Minnesota lakes.
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Below are lakes within USA > US Midwest Region > Minnesota > Northwest Minnesota > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Northwest Minnesota, only the 21 Northwest Minnesota lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake of the Woods, MN / Canada (Canada, Manitoba, Canada, Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, Ontario, Canada, US Midwest Region, USA) |
25,000 mi | Spanning the border from Minnesota into the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, Lake of the Woods is an enormous body of water over 68 miles l… |
| Leech Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
316 mi | With over 120,000 acres of water and 316 miles of shoreline, Leech Lake is the third largest lake located entirely in Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 L… |
| Lake Winnibigoshish, MN (Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
141 mi | Also known as Lake Winnie Lake Winnibigoshish is a legend among Minnesota lakes. The lake’s impressive size, covering more than 58,500 acres, reaches into both the Northwest an… |
| Pimushe Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
30 mi | He’s been out on Pimushe Lake since dawn and hasn’t seen anything. Ready to give up, he’s walking down an abandoned logging road heading back to the c… |
| Cass Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
27 mi | Cass Lake is, without a doubt, one of Minnesota’s natural treasures. Its scenic beauty is only surpassed by its rich history, unique features and the… |
| Ten Mile Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
25 mi | Also known as Tenmile Lake Ten Mile Lake is a 5,046-acre spring-fed lake located near Hackensack, in the northwest region of Minnesota. With 25 miles of shoreline and a maximum… |
| Lake Itasca (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
13 mi | Also known as Elk Lake, Omashkoozo-zaaga'igan The headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River originate at 1,162-acre Lake Itasca. Wild and impressive, this beautiful lake is surrounded entirely by… |
| Detroit Lake MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
12 mi | Minnesota’s Detroit Lake offers visitors an impressive number of things to do, both in and out of the water. The lake offers 3,067 acres of year-round… |
| Lake Plantagenet (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
11 mi | Also known as Plantagenet Lake Lake Plantagenet holds a special place in the hearts of fishermen in Northwest Minnesota. Where else can you find fighting muskie with a four-foot siz… |
| Lake Andrusia, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
10 mi | Also known as Andrusia Lake The “Mighty Mississippi River,” made legendary in songs and novels, travels 2,552 miles from its start to its delta at the Gulf of Mexico. The headwat… |
| Little Boy Lake (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
10 mi | Paradise comes at very little cost while guests look upon Little Boy Lake’s shimmering waters in northern Minnesota. This 1,372-acre lake is moments a… |
| Kabekona Lake, MN (Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, US Midwest Region, USA) |
10 mi | They start almost every day this way, sitting on the deck, and watching the loons glide across Kabekona Lake. When they were ready to retire they knew… |