Why Wisconsin (wrongly) claims to have more lakes than Minnesota

Why Wisconsin (wrongly) claims to have more lakes than Minnesota

June 23, 2026 · 14 min

About this episode

This episode explores the rivalry between Minnesota and Wisconsin over the number of lakes each state claims to have.

Minnesota’s license plates proudly proclaim the state as the land of “10,000 lakes.” But some Wisconsinites insist their state has even more. So who’s right? In this Curious Minnesota episode, Erica Pearson dives into lake science, state pride and a surprisingly fierce border rivalry to explain why Minnesota and Wisconsin count their lakes differently — and what actually makes a lake a lake.

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