Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake

Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake

A view of the swimming area from the campground on the west shore of the lake.
Location Crosby, Minnesota
Coordinates 46°29′22″N 93°57′53.5″W / 46.48944°N 93.964861°W / 46.48944; -93.964861Coordinates: 46°29′22″N 93°57′53.5″W / 46.48944°N 93.964861°W / 46.48944; -93.964861
Type artificial lake
Basin countries United States
Surface area 121 acres (49 ha)
Max. depth 450 ft (140 m)

Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake, sometimes called the Portsmouth Pit, is the deepest lake completely within the state of Minnesota. It has a depth of over 450 feet (137 m), according to the most recent Minnesota DNR data. Lake Superior, over 700 feet deep off the north shore of the state, is technically deeper. The 120-acre (49 ha) artificial lake is a former iron mining pit in the Cuyuna Range that has since filled with water.

The Portsmouth Mine Pit is part of the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, located in Crow Wing County. The lake is within Crosby city limits.

In the last five years, the Minnesota DNR has repeatedly stocked the lake with brook and rainbow trout.

On August 19, 1957, the mine pit, then not yet filled with water, served as launch site for a big stratospheric balloon; the second flight of the Air Force's Project Manhigh.

A submerged tree just off the west shore of the lake.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.