Swan Lake (S) Nicollet Bay Public Water Access Site
Boat ramp · on Swan Lake · near Nicollet · Minnesota
Status not reported No closure has been posted for this launch, but its agency does not publish open or closed status. Check with the managing agency before you tow.
At the launch
- Type
- Boat ramp
- Ramp lanes
- 2
- Ramp surface
- Concrete Slab
- Trailer parking
- 25 spaces
- Restrooms
- No
- Managed by
- DNR Division of Parks and Trails
- Coordinates
- 44.27788, -94.23472
On Swan Lake
Swan Lake is a shallow prairie lake in southern Nicollet County, Minnesota, near the town of Nicollet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) calls it the largest prairie pothole wetland in the United States and gives its average depth as less than 4 feet. Local press reports put its size at about 10,000 acres, though one 2016 article gave 8,800 acres. The basin was left by retreating glaciers about 11,000 years ago. Before it was partly drained for farming in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the lake was roughly twice its present size. Outlet control structures were installed in the 1950s. The DNR controls the water level with a board dam on a drainage ditch at the south end of the lake and has used it for planned drawdowns, including one that began in 2020. The lake and nearby marshes make up the Swan Lake State Wildlife Management Area. More about Swan Lake.
Boating rules on Swan Lake
- Designated wildlife management lake: airboats banned at all times; more motor restrictions may be posted at accesses source
- Johnson Island and Anderson Island, in the Loon Bay waterfowl refuge, are closed to public access source
- Boaters are asked to stay out of a voluntary 237-acre refuge during waterfowl hunting season; in 2016 the DNR was considering making it mandatory source
Community
Where people who use Swan Lake talk about it.
- Swan Lake (Nicollet County, Minnesota) - unofficial Facebook page Facebook
- Nicollet Conservation Club Club
- Is Swan Lake Motorable? - FishingMinnesota.com MN Duck Hunting forum Forum
- Swan Lake @ Nicollet - FishingMinnesota.com forum Forum
- Swan Lake Near Nicollet, MN - USGS Water Data for the Nation Link
- Search Reddit: r/minnesota Reddit
- Search all of Reddit for Swan Lake, Minnesota Reddit
Nearby launches
- Swan Lake (E) Poor Farm Public Water Access Site · 3.5 mi · Swan Lake
- Middle Lake (S) Public Water Access Site · 4.2 mi · Middle Lake
- Middle Lake (N) Public Water Access Site · 5.0 mi · Middle Lake
- Peterson Lake Public Water Access Site · 5.2 mi · Peterson Lake
- Swan Lake, Courtland Bay Landing Public Water Access Site · 5.3 mi · Swan Lake
- Minnesota River, Cortland Public Water Access Site · 5.4 mi · Minnesota River
Sources
- Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites record WAS00216 · Public data (MN Geospatial Commons), DNR disclaimer
Why it is listed as public: listed by Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites. Something wrong, or is this launch private? Corrections help everyone; a reporting form is coming soon.