Paddling Season Opens on Lake of the Isles and the Chain of Lakes

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board maintains a canoe and kayak launch at Lake of the Isles, with additional launches at Bde Maka Ska, Cedar Lake and Brownie Lake; storage racks for residents' own craft sit at each of those lakes. The channels let a paddler move between the Isles, Bde Maka Ska and Cedar Lake without portaging, and the chain bars motorized boats, which keeps the water quiet.

Paddlers without a boat cannot rent at the Isles itself. The Park Board's rental concession, run by Wheel Fun Rentals, offers canoes, kayaks and paddleboards at Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet and Lake Nokomis, a short paddle or trip away.

The Isles' irregular, planted shoreline reflects a deliberate Park Board choice to hold much of the bank in native vegetation rather than mown lawn, sheltering nesting birds and filtering runoff. The channel between the Isles and Cedar Lake was rebuilt in 2021, when crews removed decades-old wood retaining walls and naturalized the edge with stone, soil and plants.

The Park Board asks paddlers to launch only at marked access points, give the islands and their nesting birds a wide berth, and wear a life jacket. Water-access and safety guidance is posted at minneapolisparks.org.