The Chain of Lakes
Five lakes sit inside Fairmont city limits. Four of them connect by channel, so a boat can travel Hall, Budd, Sisseton, and George without coming out of the water; Amber sits upstream behind its dam. Budd Lake is where the city draws its drinking water.
Photo: Tony Webster / CC BY 2.0
Amber · Hall · Budd · Sisseton · George
Four connected, one apart
The four eastern lakes join by boatable channel, drawn here in their real order with Hall, the largest and deepest, at the head. Amber sits upstream behind its dam, joined to the chain and held apart at once.
Amber Lake
The upstream lake, held apart from the rest of the chain by a dam and sitting at a higher elevation.
Amber Lake pier and accessible kayak launch
Hall Lake
The largest lake in the chain, joined to Budd, Sisseton, and George by boatable channels.
Boatable channels to Budd, Sisseton, and George
Budd Lake
The city draws its drinking water from Budd Lake, treated at the 2013 water plant; downtown Fairmont fronts its shore.
Downtown Fairmont waterfront
Sisseton Lake
A channel connected lake within city limits, reached through the Gomsrud Park channel.
Gomsrud Park channel
George Lake
The farthest downstream lake in the chain, fronting Lincoln Park.
Lincoln Park
Governed water
Who keeps the lakes
The chain is governed water. The Lakes Management Committee advises the City Council on the health of all five lakes, and its agendas and minutes are public records you can read here.
More to explore
Parks and utilities
Parks and Recreation
The Aquatic Park, the dog park, shelter houses to reserve, and trails along the shore.
Public Utilities
The city has drawn its drinking water from Budd Lake since 1902. Follow it from the lake to your tap.