Lake Minnetonka, Recreational lake in Minneapolis metro area, United States.
Lake Minnetonka is a lake west of Minneapolis in Minnesota with numerous bays and connected waterways. The shoreline extends roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) and includes wooded sections, residential neighborhoods, and public beaches.
The Dakota used this area for hunting and fishing for centuries before European settlers arrived in the mid-1800s. After the conflict of 1862, the lake became a resort destination for wealthy families from Minneapolis.
The name derives from the Dakota language and means "big water," a label residents still use to identify the area. Many of the bays and channels carry Dakota names that local families pass down through generations.
Most visitors reach the water through public access points spread across several towns around the perimeter. Sailboats and motorboats dominate in summer, while winter allows ice fishing and snowmobiling.
Steamboats once carried streetcar cars on their decks, transporting passengers between landings. Crystal Bay reaches a depth of roughly 101 feet (31 meters), making it one of the deepest spots in the region.
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