News & Information – Maple Lake Improvement District

Mosquito spray dates for 2026 will be posted when available.

It was requested at the annual meeting that the board post some information on the Maple Lake Watershed, inlets and outlets for the lake. The following information was provided by a DNR Hydrologist:

The Maple Lake watershed is approximately 69.9 sq. miles. The drainage area begins at Engemoen Lake which is four miles northeast of Winger. A series of natural waterways and drainage ditches collect water and flow into Oak Lake where it then flows through a series of wetlands and into Badger and Mitchell Lakes north of Erskine. Cameron and Bee Lake also provide water to Maple Lake through natural waterways and are the beginning of Judicial Ditch 73. Judicial Ditch 73 flows through Tamarac Lake in the Rydell Refuge and is the main inlet for Maple Lake (located at the East Shore Beach).

Three other inlets enter Maple Lake on the south and east side of the lake and bring water in from small surrounding watersheds (Near Maple St SE, on the west end of Elmer Hanson Dr SE & Maple Lake Dr SE). The outlet of Maple Lake is also called Judicial Ditch 73 (aka Maple Creek) and is located near the fishing pier in the Polk County Picnic area on Hwy 10. This flows through the city of Mentor before twisting and turning its way through the ag lands entering the Clearwater River, two miles south of Red Lake Falls.

Smaller lakes such as Crystal, Braaten, Birch, Dorr, Eighteen and Dahl are all in the Maple Lake Watershed.

Street Lights

Golf Cart Rules

Boat and Water Structure Permit

Weather Alerts

Personal Watercraft Laws

According to Minnesota Personal Watercraft Laws:

You Must... Wear a USCG approved life jacket.
Travel at slow-no wake speed (5 mph or less) within 150 feet of: non-motorized boats, shore (unless launching or landing skiers directly to open water), docks, swim rafts, swimmers or any moored or anchored boat.
Operate only from 9:30 a.m. to 1 hour before sunset.
Use the cutoff lanyard properly.
Obey operator age/permit laws for those younger than 18 years old.
All personal watercraft in Minnesota are required to display a rules decal (provided at no charge by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources).

For more information, visit www.mndnr.gov/boating.

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!

Aquatic hitchhikers can spread in many ways such as on aquatic plants, on recreational equipment, and in water. Fortunately, there are a few simple actions you can take to prevent them from spreading.

In many states and provinces it is illegal to transport aquatic invasive species, so taking the following actions may also help avoid a citation.

INSPECT your boat, trailer, and equipment and REMOVE visible aquatic plants, animals, and mud before leaving the water access.

It is important to carefully remove all plant fragments before you leave the access area to ensure you are not transporting an invasive plant species.

Penalties of up to $1,000 can be cited to those in violation of these regulations.

For more information, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives.

Aquatic Invasive Species: A Minnesota Handbook

A good booklet about AIS was put together with information from the University of MN Extension, MN DNR and MN Sea Grant resources called “Aquatic Invasive Species: A Minnesota Handbook”. Click here for a link to that Handbook.

Aerial Photos of Maple Lake are available to order

Maple Lake Historical Ice-Out Dates

Here's a historical reference of when the ice went out on Maple Lake, dating all the way back to 1975! Incidentally, 2012 marks the earliest ice-out since 1975! The latest date on record? May 5 back in 1996.

Past Newsletters

Maple Lake Improvement District
P.O. Box 41
Mentor, MN 56736

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