The Iowa Great Lakes Region

Origin of the Iowa Great Lakes Names and Lakes Data
The beautiful chain of lakes, in Northwestern Iowa, (Dickinson County) extends from the Minnesota line Southwest several miles and covers about fifteen thousand acres. The largest of the lakes is now known as:

BIG SPIRIT LAKE...It was called "Minnewaukon" by the Indians, and "Lac D' Esprit" by French woodsmen which translates into "Lake of the Spirits". According to various Indian legends, this lake was believed to be under guardian watch by an evil spirit. No Dakotah ever dared to cross it in his canoe and no Indian canoes were ever found by early settlers in the vicinity of this lake. Whether there are demons who dwell in the lake or not, the waters of Big Spirit Lake are never quiet. The lake covers 5,684 acres and is the largest natural lake in Iowa.

EAST OKOBOJI...Begins at the foot of Big Spirit Lake, from which it is separated by a narrow isthmus, and runs south for approximately sixteen miles. The Indians called the lake "Okoboozhy", and the name is presumed to mean "Reeds and Rushes", and the lake was once surrounded by them. It has the appearance of a river rather than a lake and is the longest natural lake in Iowa. This lake covers 1,800 acres.

WEST OKOBOJI...Is the second largest lake in the chain and covers 3,850 acres. West Okoboji is a glacial lake created by the Wisconsin Glacier 14,000 years ago and has a maximum depth of 136 feet which makes it the deepest natural lake in Iowa. Subterranean springs help provide the cool, clear, blue water of Iowa's most popular lake. The lake was originally called "Minnetonka" by the Sioux Indians and translated into "Great Waters". Our first settlers decided to use a version of the name "Okoboozhy" for both lakes known today as the "Okoboji" lakes.

Thermocline
The thermocline is unique to deep water, fresh water lakes. The water on the top 40-45' of the lake changes temperature with the seasons. It reaches 75 degrees in July while the water in the lower level only warms to a maximum of 45 degrees. In the fall the upper level water cools to below 45 degrees. It is then heavier and denser than the water that has remained beneath it all summer. The water on top sinks and the water on bottom rises and the lake turns over. This event is seldom observed but you might see the debris brought up from the bottom for several days.
The water below the thermocline layer is a dead zone. It is pitch black, cold, with no plant life, and few fish live there. During the winter the lake has no stratification and all levels stay at 39.2 degrees.

Blue Water Lake
West Okoboji is often considered to be one of three blue water lakes in the world. The other two are Lake Geneva in Switzerland and Lake Louise in Canada. It is mentioned that this fact was stated in National Geographic many years ago. Late 1890s Iowa State Geological texts speak of the "blue water" of West Okoboji. West Okoboji is a glacial lake, created by the Wisconsin Glacier nearly 14,000 years ago with a maximum depth of 136 feet. The lake is located on nearly the highest point of land in Iowa and little runoff water enters West Okoboji. Deep watersprings provide much of the cool clear blue water. West Okoboji is actually a blue water lake because it is clear and deep and when the sun shines and the sky is blue, the skies blue color is reflected by the lake. It is also said that West Okoboji has a particular blue/green algae that helps give the lake its blue color. Either way, West Okoboji is a natural glacial blue water lake; a stunning contrast to our Iowa prairie surroundings.

Water Travel at the Lakes
When the first settlers came to the lakes in 1856 they found that the Indians had no means to travel across the lakes. Legend had it that the Indians believed that Big Spirit Lake had evil demons waiting to destroy them if they ventured out upon the waters. Our first settlers were not afraid of the waters and they built two foot by sixteen foot rafts, but these lumber rafts were only useful on very calm days. By the 1860s the saw mill was producing board lumber and the settlers were constructing their own row boats.

In 1879 the sailboat "Foam" started carrying passengers for hire on all points on the Okoboji lakes. Other sailboats for hire were the "Falcon" and the "Golden Rule".

Early competition for the sailboats came when the steamer "Favorite" entered service in 1880 and carried 30 passengers on the Okoboji lakes.

The lakes region developed quickly into a resort destination. In 1884 the first train lines were established to the lakes. There were no good roads to the lakes and the train lines opened this area to vacation travel. The sailboats and the little "Favorite" steamboat could not keep up with the demands for lake transportation. In 1884 two large steam boats were put into service on the lakes. The "Queen" was put into service on Big Spirit Lake and the "Ben Lennox" was put into service on the Okoboji Lakes. Each of these vessels could carry 200 passengers. Many smaller steamers and launches also abounded. This was, indeed, the era of the steamboat. People who arrived at the docks in Arnolds Park had little choice but to take the steamer to their destination as roads were not constructed around the lakes until the 1920s.

On any given season there might be six or seven steam boats in operation on the lakes. In 1901 the Queen was brought over from Big Spirit Lake to the Okoboji lakes. Some of the better known of the boats not already mentioned were "Hiawatha", "Illinois", "Iowa", "Iona", "Des Moines", "Sioux City", and the "Okoboji".

The 1920s brought the quick and early death to the steamboat era. The completion of roads around the lakes doomed the steamers as it was easier to travel in one of those loud model A Fords then wait for the steamboat.

By the mid 1920s only the "Queen" was left of the original fleet. She survived as an excursion boat for people still wanting to take a boat ride for the enjoyment.

The grand old "Queen" survived for many more years. Generations grew up and expected the "Queen" to always be there but all good things come to an end. In 1973 the "Queen" went out of service after an 89 year career at the lakes. She was taken to Des Moines where she spent a number of seasons as a floating, but not operating, display.

Another barge type vessel spent some years at the lakes. It was the "Empress". The "Empress" was the largest vessel to see service on the lakes. She was 100 ton and 65 feet in length. She was in service from 1961 to 1983.

The year after the "Empress" left the lakes the Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum was formed in cooperation with the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce. The goal was to raise money through private donations to construct a replica of the old steamship "Queen". By 1986 year-round residents, summer residents, businesses, and foundations had donated nearly half the amount needed to start construction. The hull was constructed at the Palmer Johnson Shipyard in Sturgeon Bay, WI. the superstructure was constructed locally and entirely by volunteer labor. The maiden voyage of the "Queen II" was June 21st, 1986 and she was then designated the new "Flagship of the Iowa Navy". The "Queen II" is 75 feet in length, the same as the old "Queen", her beam is 19 feet, 2 1/2 feet wider than the "Queen". The "Queen II" weighs 75 ton and the old "Queen" weighed only 35 ton. 200 passengers can be accommodated on the "Queen II". The "Queen II" is powered by twin Volvo diesel engines, each 165 horse and our two 28 inch props each move 2000 gallons of water a second, that's 1/4 million gallons a minute between them.