Lake Nokomis

The main beach on the west side

At 210 acres, Lake Nokomis is large enough to be one of three sailing lakes in the city of Minneapolis. The beach fronts and surrounding parks add up to another 195 acres which makes for scenic shoreline and plenty of space to picnic, hike, or just relax.

The Cedar Street Bridge

Nokomis is a major part of the area water system. Minnehaha Creek, enters on the north end and  also exits nearby on its way to Lake Hiawatha, then to Minnehaha Falls, ultimately into the Mississippi. The Cedar Street bridge, found on the southwestern end, creates an artificial boundary with a corner called West Lake Nokomis.

I put in on a day with twelve mile per hour headwinds gusting up to fifteen or twenty.  Time for a little math: Most people can row a light craft at a speed of somewhere between seven and twelve miles per hour. Given the wind speed, I spent a lot of my time rowing hard and standing still! Somehow or another, I got about halfway across the lake and decided to call it a day. 

I had a good time, of course. I will return some time soon, probably when the weather is better.

Sailboats are moored at the launch ramp and pier several hundred yards south of the beach

You can launch on the concrete slab at the west side where the sailboats are moored, just off of Cedar Street. If you're like me and don't like concrete, the adjacent shoreline is sandy. The main beach, just a few hundred yards north, offers canoe rentals. You could probably launch your own boat there too. 

History

Originally named Lake Amelia after Captain George Gooding's daughter in 1819, the property was purchased by the city and converted to a park in 1907. At that time, it was only five feet deep and mostly marshland until it was dredged and renamed in 1910. Nokomis was the grandmother of the Indian hero in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem, The Song of Hiawatha. With Minnehaha Falls and Lake Hiawatha connecting, the new name seemed more appropriate. Today the shoreline has been partially restored to it's native flora and the lake ecology seems to be pretty much balanced.

Fishing

Expect a good range of the usual Minnesota species, and in good numbers: bluegill, black crappie, bass, bowfin, carp, golden shiner, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, tiger muskie, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, black bullhead, and yellow perch. Some restrictions have been placed on consumption. Check with the DNR for details.

Invasive Species Warning

You must wash your boat and trailer to remove Eurasian Milfoil and mussels before you drive away.