BEMIDJI, Minn. – The flows out of Red Lake have been cut at the dam by the Army Corps of Engineers because of drought. The lake is drained by the Red Lake River across northern Minnesota tto East Grand Forks and confluence with the north-flowing Red River. The Corps wants to hold water back in case the drought worsens. The current outflow recently has been 100 cubic feet per second The average outflow for Julys is 600. The Corps hasn’t cut outflows at the dam since 2012.
Dam for huge fish-rich lake. At 40,000-square miles, it’s the largest lake located entirely in Minnesota and the 16th largest fresh-water lake in the United States. In places 270 feet deep. Rich in walleye, muskies and lake trout.