Sit on an Adirondack along the shore at any lake for a short time on a weekend afternoon and you will see what the most popular activity on the lake is for most people. Cruising in a pontoon. This is one of several reasons the Chain of Lakes has the most demand by real estate buyers and the highest property values in Central Minnesota.
The Chain is eleven lakes connected by channels for a total of 59.56 miles of shoreline. Of the 11 lakes, most watercrafts are going to be limited to exploring five lakes on one ride (Darling, Carlos, Le Homme Dieu, Geneva, and Victoria) without having to get out of the watercraft. These five lakes have a total of 59.56 miles of shoreline. Lots of shoreline to cruise and enjoy variety in boat rides.
P.S. If you include Lake Alvin, there are twelve lakes in The Chain. Alvin is near Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center and has a narrow channel between it and Darling. Passing into Alvin depends on the water level and the size of your watercraft. There have been summers where my only way into Alvin was on a standup paddleboard or SeaDoo but I have been able to get into and back out of Alvin in a 21 foot deck boat.
What are the channel sizes between the lakes, both width and height?
Hi Troy. The Channel between L’homme Dieu and Carlos is 20 feet wide and 12 feet tall. The most challenging channel is between L’Homme Diue and Geneva. Right now it is about 8 feet wide and 8 feet tall but there is a planned project to have it be the same dimensions at the L’homme-Carlos channel. I should know the width and height of the Carlos-Darling channel as it the channel I have used the most in recent years but I don’t have exact numbers. It seems to me to be the same width and height as the L’homme-Carlos channel but it is lower on the Darling side while the L’homme-Carlos is pretty much the same height on both ends. I don’t have numbers for Geneva-Victoria but that can be a little more challenging. I’ve navigated it in a 24 foot deckboat and people that live at Victoria will quickly tell you they pass through in their pontoons.