Did you know that at one time - Cass Lake was considered to be the home of Bemidji State University - could you imagine a sprawling campus that overlooked a beautiful lake with access to several other lakes without ever having to leave your boat - however it wasn't meant to be.
Cass Lake has reduced in size signficantly over the years following the decline of the logging industry. While once a thriving town with multiple businesses, the City itself has only one bar/grill and one restaurant. A few other places offer dining during the summer or on the quick.
Cass Lake - sits on a chain of lakes that many summer resident use to go to dinner by boat, the lakes include, Pike Bay, Big Wolf and Little Wolf Lake, Allen's Bay, Lake Andrusia, Kitchi Lake and Big Rice.
It also boasts - Star Island - the only Island in the northern hemisphere to boast it's own lake - Lake Windigo. During the summer Star Island is a happening place. There is a private camp, a Chippewa National Forest primitive camp along with several season residents on the island, at one time it even had a hotel.
In the Ojibwe language, it is called Gaa-miskwaawaakokaag (where there are many red cedar), and was known to early explorers and traders in French as Lac du Cedre Rouge, and English as Red Cedar Lake. It is the 11th largest lake in Minnesota, and the 8th largest lake lying entirely within the borders of the state.