Lake Phalen
| Phalen Lake | |
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| Location | St. Paul / Maplewood, Minnesota, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°59′N 93°03′W / 44.983°N 93.050°WCoordinates: 44°59′N 93°03′W / 44.983°N 93.050°W |
| Primary outflows | Phalen Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 198 acres (0.80 km2) |
| Average depth | 24 feet (7 m) |
| Max. depth | 91 feet (28 m) |
| Shore length1 | 3 miles (5 km) |
| Surface elevation | 860 feet (262 m) |
| References | |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Phalen is an urban lake located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and in its suburb of Maplewood. It is one of the largest lakes in Saint Paul and is the centerpiece of the Phalen Regional Park System. The lake drains into the Mississippi River after traveling through Phalen Creek. The lake and surrounding 494-acre (2.00 km2) park receive around 500,000 visitors each year.
Lake Phalen is one of the Twin Cities most popular fishing lakes. The lake is stocked with walleyes every other year and tiger muskies every three years. The lake also has northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie and sunfish that are able to maintain population levels naturally. The lake has a 23-square-mile (60 km2) watershed. The lake is also home to an unusual fish. The rainbow darter was first found in 1996 by workers from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The fish normally lives in fast moving streams. The fish is only found in six to eight other streams in Minnesota.Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive species to Minnesota, was first discovered in the lake in 1997 and continues to grow in the lake.
The lake has always had sailing and boating. In the 1890s sailing was very popular. In 1919, 880 canoes were stored onshore. Now the Saint Paul Sailing Club has space to moor 50 boats on the lake. In addition the lake hosts College rowing competitions on a 1,940-meter course. The University of Minnesota holds several meets a year at Lake Phalen. The first competition to be held was in the spring of 2003 after the U of M elevated rowing to a Varsity Sport in 2000. In 2006, the Big Ten Championships were held at Lake Phalen. Currently gas powered motors are not allowed on the lake. Electrical trolling motors however are allowed.
Lake Phalen was named after an early Irish settler of Saint Paul, Edward Phelan. Phelan built a cabin near Phalen Creek in Swede Hollow. Phalen Creek travels from Lake Phalen and drains into the Mississippi River just north of Lambert's Landing. The lake that was drained by the creek became known as Phalen's Lake despite Phelan never living near its shores. The Saint Paul Water Company set up a supply plant at Lake Phalen in 1869 and the lake was used as Saint Paul's primary source of water until 1913. John Fletcher Williams, a local historian, wrote in 1876 "It is a disgrace, that the name of this brutal murderer has been affixed to one of our most beautiful lakes - one that supplies our households with water." Phalen had been accused of murdering his partner, John Hays in 1839, however another man later confessed to Hays' murder.
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