1971 Map of Sugar Lake

About this map

The Mississippi River winds through the northern reaches of this landscape, marking the northern boundary of the Indian Reservation Boundary and the Schoolcraft State Recreation Area. This orthophotomap, derived from 1969 aerial photography, provides a rare visual record of the region's complex hydrology and dense forest cover before modern development altered these shores. Much of the terrain is protected by the Chippewa National Forest and Remer State Forest, where numerous smaller water bodies like Little Vermillion Lake and Skunk Lake dot the wetlands. The presence of West Cohasset Chapel and a Gravel Pit near the Cass and Itasca county line indicates the sparse but steady human footprint in an area dominated by lakes and marshes. Researchers can trace the natural contours of Sugar Lake and the Fisher Islands, seeing the land exactly as it was during the field checks of the early 1970s.