Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

DetectorGuy · 08-12-2008, 10:08 AM,

Now that is the coolest thing Ive seen!

Shooter · 08-12-2008, 03:01 PM,

Wait till you dive it! 8)

popolarbear · 08-12-2008, 03:53 PM,

That is the Sh**! awsome. also have the added bennifit of not having to deal with boat trafic and locals that claim they have some primitive and exclusive right to the lake(which is being violated if we go in!)... very very cool. ive been thinking about one of these for awhile. dont have the dough, but it +/- on my shopping list.

**freedivernd** · 08-12-2008, 04:58 PM,

How much older do you think these Southern lakes are than the Northern ones?... 5 minutes older? The glacial melt that happened many, many years ago happened on a large scale and basically at the same time. When you look at the pre-historic time line of the geology of Minnesota, this was all just a blink of the eye. I would be interested to know the bar-tenders name who was your "reliable source".
[/quote]

apparently,,, from some google searching and such.. approximately 2000 years difference between the north and the south half of minnesota.. maybe just enough difference to affect the humus debris that found it's way into the lakes.

DetectorGuy · 08-12-2008, 05:35 PM,

your right I guess... 2000 years is more than a blink of an eye. I thought is was 150 years or so, but maybe I was drowsy that day in class...

popolarbear · 08-13-2008, 01:37 AM,

since we are in the topic direction of geology. i would ask the forum what they think about geological formations that affect or improve the chances of clear water conditions. im sure the obvious one is an area were a spring is feeding the water body. in northern minnesota those lakes are old with little organic sedimentation. .. im dying to go up into the boundary waters were pines are growing on nearly solid granite matrix... any one do the upper missisippi river up near leach lake area?? i imagine that those water bodys are fairly clear even in the dog days of summer. 8ft vis???

**freedivernd** · 08-13-2008, 05:51 AM,

the depth of the water and size of the lake, along with the substrates affect the clarity also.. northern minnesota with a tendancy to be generally deeper and larger bodies of water with gravel or sand base make for clear water.

around the leech lake area, I've hit a few spots.. some of the the crow wing lakes are good all summer long, but like most lakes, it can be hit and miss depending on algae blooms. a lot of the rivers are tannic and look like tea or coffee. several lakes around Longville stay pretty clear. Cass lake can be hit or miss.. leech lake itself is not so great.. at least not way up on the north end where I've been.
Take a look at the DNR ratings for Howard lake near just south of Walker.. I haven't been there (well, I've stood on the shore) but it looks to be one of the clearest.

DetectorGuy · 08-13-2008, 08:39 AM,

My folks used to have a cabin on the South East side of Long Lake Just North of Longville. I haven't dove there yet but I snorkeled the crap out of it when I was a kid. I remember the water being crystal clear and looking down from the boat outside the weedline seeing bottom at 20' There is a Spring on this lake near the penninsula and the rumor is that a car fell through the ice years ago over this spring.

popolarbear · 08-16-2008, 04:36 AM,

that sounds interesting. im would like to visit the cass lake area, and perhaps have a couple of spots selected to visit. this sounds like a good spot. i assume it has public launch. any other lakes or bays you could recomend being your familar with this area. also how cold is this spring water. we just were in the upper misssippi tributary last week and found a small streach with springs that were too cold for shorties.

popolarbear · 08-16-2008, 04:44 AM,

oh also on the topic of water clarity. today i was just rememberd while i was visiting the bahhamas that a tour guide claimed the turquiose greenish blue waters a phenomenon of the clarity and caused by the actual color of water....it just occured to me that while i was in hawaii we saw Jet blackish-Blue-almost a dark purple colored water while chartering in deep water(i think900ft+) the captian of this vessel mentioned that you could tell that it getts deep as the water color gets this dark blue-black color. it would seem to me that that water had vis greater than 50ft and was probably more true to the actual color of the water. the bahamas spot i was viewing had greenish blue color in 4-10ft with probably less than 20ft vis in shallow water in fact in shallow i think less than 4ft vis...and from the surface this stuff looked briliant greenish blue... my thoughts are that perhaps the typical greenish blues of the carabeian are actualy due to a planktonic algae or other organisim? any one familar with a good explanation of this color?