# How many lakes in MN?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lakes-in-mn/368873>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 15, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lakes-in-mn/368873 "2006-08-15T21:01:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lakes-in-mn/368873/1 "2006-08-15T21:01:00Z")

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[http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/mnstatehistory/state\_facts.html](http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/mnstatehistory/state_facts.html)

Say there are 15,291 lakes \> 10 acres

BUT

[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/faq/mnfacts/water.html](http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/faq/mnfacts/water.html)

says there are 11,842 \> 10 acres.

Both use the same area definition, and from (semi) official sites. Anyone have an authoritative site?

(FWIW Wisconsin has 15,081 documented lakes - though many are smaller than 10 acres) [http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/lakes/Lakes1a.pdf](http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/lakes/Lakes1a.pdf)

Brian

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**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lakes-in-mn/368873/2 "2006-08-15T21:16:44Z")

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That water heater flooding of your basement got you going on this didn’t it?

Jen  
(that’s neL upsidedown and backwardish)

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**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-lakes-in-mn/368873/3 "2006-08-15T23:59:57Z")

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[QUOTE=N9IWP]

> **[Lakes, rivers, and wetlands facts](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/faq/mnfacts/water.html)**

says there are 11,842 \> 10 acres.

Both use the same area definition, and from (semi) official sites. Anyone have an authoritative site?

[/QUOTE]

Well, the MN DNR is about as authoritative as you can get. I’d go with that one.

Or, you could download [Goodle Earth](http://download-earth.org/?gclid=CL6n0vHy4oYCFTYaFQodCmaQGQ) and begin a-countin’ yerself. 🙂

(You might want to download Google Earth anyway. It’s pretty cool.)