Lake Bemidji
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Lake Bemidji is a small glacially-formed lake, approximately 11 mi² (28 km²) in area, in northern Minnesota in the United States. Located less than 50 mi (80 km) downstream from the source of the Mississippi River, it both receives and is drained by the Mississippi.
The lake is located in southern Beltrami County, near the city of Bemidji, which sits on its southwestern shore. The Ojibwe described the lake as being a bimijigamaa (lake that traverses another body of water), thus the Ojibwe name the lake as Bemijigamaa (Traversing Lake), since the lake is considered to traverse the Mississippi River. On occasion in Ojibwe, the City of Bemidji is called Wabigamaang (at the lake channel/narrows) because part of the city is situated on the Lakes Bemidji-Irving narrows, located on the south end of Lake Bemidji.
The lake is a popular recreational and resort destination. Lake Bemidji State Park is along its northern shore.
According to folk legends, lake Bemidji was formed in Paul Bunyan's footprint.
