"Easy to find. Hard to leave," that's what the locals say about their slice of Minnesota paradise. Formed by receding glaciers over 20,000 years ago, the Alexandria Lakes Region has breathtaking natural beauty with its lakes, forests, and rolling hillsides.
The city itself has had a storied history growing from an early pioneer settlement, to a civil war era outpost, to the bustling town that stands there today. Some historians even believe that Viking explorers might have passed through and settled in this area as early as 1365. While this claim is being debated to this day, there is no denying that there are plenty of fun things to do and see while in Alexandria.
Lake Miltona is a 5,838 acre lake located ten miles north of Alexandria in Douglas County. The lake offers diverse habitat and structure; including extensive shallow flats, submerged islands and bars, and depths over 100 feet. Despite having a heavily developed shoreline, the water quality and clarity of this popular recreational lake are considered very good. This quality is maintained by an abundant and diverse community of water plants. These aquatic plants provide important spawning and cover habitat for many fish species. They also help protect the shoreline from wave and boat traffic induced erosion.
Muskie and walleye populations are strong in this lake and the abundance of bluegill and largemouth bass should provide ample fishing opportunities.
South of Lake Miltona is Lake Ida, a lake known for is great sunfish, bass, and walleye fishing. This lake covers 4,289 acres and has a maximum depth of 106 ft.
Lake Carlos is a 2,520-acre basin located about five miles north of Alexandria. It is the largest and deepest lake within the Alex chain with a maximum depth of 163 ft. The lake fully supports recreational use and is popular for both angling and other water-based recreation. Boaters can access other lakes within the chain via navigable channels. Lake Carlos State Park is located along the north shore of the lake and provides camping sites, a nice swimming beach, and a boat ramp. Most of the shoreline is heavily developed with residential housing, but the water quality and clarity remain in good shape.
Lake Carlos supports a stable, well-balanced fish community. Largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, and northern pike are abundant and provide ample fishing opportunities. Anglers can expect high catch rates for all of these species. The lake is well known to bass anglers. The Alex chain hosts several largemouth bass tournaments throughout the year.
Lake Mary is a 2,371 acre lake that lies 5 miles southwest of Alexandria. Although heavily developed, the water quality and healthy abundance of aquatic and shoreline vegetation makes this lake an ideal spawning and nursery grounds for a wide variety of fish like bass, sunfish, and northern pike. A large rock, gravel bar located on the north end of the lake is the preferred spawning area for walleye. The abundance and variety of these fish make Lake Mary a popular fishing spot for tourists and local residents. However, it is imperative that the native vegetation be preserved so the fish community will continue to thrive.
Christina Lake is the place all bird lovers must visit. This large (3,978 acres) shallow basin is located near the town of Ashby in west central Minnesota, approximately 23 miles north west of Alexandria. The lake is nationally recognized as a critical staging area for migrating waterfowl, especially canvasbacks. Lake Christina is designated as a Wildlife Management Lake and is managed for migratory waterfowl. The lake is closed to fishing.
Lake Osakis is a 6,270 acre lake located 12 miles east of Alexandria bordering Todd and Douglas county. Lake Osakis is managed primarily for walleye with sunfish and northern pike being species of secondary management importance. Pike and bass populations have been on the rise in recent years, but the yellow perch population remains low for reasons yet to be determined. Bullheads and bowfin (dogfish) are also relatively abundant in Lake Osakis and should provide unique opportunities for anglers targeting non-game fishes. Large individuals of both species are present. In fact, the state record yellow bullhead was caught from Lake Osakis in 2002.
