Lake Mary, Minnesota, USA

Covering 2,371 acres, Lake Mary is one of the larger lakes in the Alexandria Lakes Area in Douglas County, Minnesota. Although certain areas of the lake are heavily developed, over half the shoreline remains untouched, making the lake a peaceful and beautiful retreat for boaters. With its sandy bottom, clean, clear water, and plenty of open space, the lake is also a great spot for swimming, water…
Keep scrolling to read more.

Welcome to the ultimate guide to Lake Mary! Article topics include:

Looking for Lake Mary cabins or other accommodations? Save time and use this interactive map to find, compare and book at the best rates. Or explore more of our favorite travel partners.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and purchase, we may earn a small referral fee at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure.

Explore Area Hotels

Nearby offer more hotel accommodations:

  • Check TripAdvisor
  • Check Expedia
  • Check Hotels.com
  • Check Booking.com

    • All About Lake Mary, MN

    Lake Locations: USA - US Midwest Region - Minnesota - Central Minnesota -

    Covering 2,371 acres, Lake Mary is one of the larger lakes in the Alexandria Lakes Area in Douglas County, Minnesota. Although certain areas of the lake are heavily developed, over half the shoreline remains untouched, making the lake a peaceful and beautiful retreat for boaters. With its sandy bottom, clean, clear water, and plenty of open space, the lake is also a great spot for swimming, water skiing, personal watercraft, and water sports of all kinds

    Lake Mary, like most of the lakes in the area, was formed as glaciers carved their way through the landscape of the Alexandria Lakes Area. The biggest attraction for residents and vacationers are the number of sparkling lakes. Some of the lakes are huge and once featured small boats and paddlewheelers that took tourists from shore to shore and around the lake perimeters. Lake Mary has been a popular destination for tourists and anglers since the late 1800s. Today, the lake offers a quiet escape from life’s hustle and bustle while keeping up its reputation for great fishing.

    Public access to Lake Mary can be gained by boat ramps on the northwest corner and southwest corner or the lake. With 24 miles of shoreline, fishing is a very popular pastime. There are excellent populations of walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie and sunfish. Motor boating, canoeing, waterskiing, tubing, and all sorts of water related recreation are allowed. At five miles long and over a mile wide, over-crowding is not a problem like some of the more densely populated lakes in the area. Note: Although most fish taken from Minnesota lakes and streams are safe to eat, refer to the Fish Consumption Advice (link below) before eating fish caught from any Minnesota waterway.

    Guests looking for lodging will find numerous resorts along the shoreline of Lake Mary. Vacation rentals of all kinds, from charming lakeshore cottages to modern, spacious log cabins, along with real estate for sale or rent can be found throughout the Alexandria Lakes Area. RV parks and campgrounds near the lake offer full hookups, lake access, dock slips, boat rentals, picnic areas, showers, playgrounds and sports fields.

    Lake Mary is located only five miles from the city of Alexandria where visitors will find a friendly and historic downtown district with a wide variety of restaurants, shops, amusement parks, theaters, museums, Saturday night NASCAR racing, and many other activities and attractions. Downtown is also situated on two lakes, several parks, and the Central Lakes Trail for walking, jogging, roller skating, or bicycling. Visitors will also find a number of golf courses in the area. In the winter, the area has cross country skiing, downhill skiing, ice fishing, and snowmobiling on beautifully groomed snowmobiling trails. If a bigger city is more to your liking, Lake Mary is located 130 miles northwest of Minneapolis and St. Paul and 100 miles southeast of Fargo, North Dakota.

    Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy use of the Central Lakes Trail which stretches for 55 miles from the town of Fergus Falls to the town of Osakis on the shore of beautiful 6,272-acre Lake Osakis, and then connects with the Lake Woebegone Trail which runs from Osakis to St. Joseph. The paved, nearly flat trail winds through unpopulated, pristine areas of woods, streams, lakes, farmland, hardwood forests, and open prairies as well as through 10 communities of varying sizes. Because the trail is built along an old railroad bed, the grade is easy for walking or pedaling. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail with the exception of snowmobiles during the winter months. The trail is enjoyed by thousands of hikers and bicyclists. Since the trail passes through so many communities (typically one every seven miles or so), there is plenty of access to water, snacks, restaurants, and parks along the way. Many of these communities provide facilities specifically for trail users.

    The many lakes around Lake Mary also offer great fishing and a number of summer and winter activities. Over 300 lakes can be found in the Alexandria area, the most notable being the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. The chain is comprised of seven primary lakes: Lake Carlos, Lake Cowdry, Lake Le Homme Dieu, Lake Darling, Lake Geneva, Lake Victoria and Lake Jessie. The chain is commonly referred to as the Le Homme Dieu Chain, due to the fact that Le Homme Dieu is said to have the best fishing of all the lakes.

    Whether you are looking for a weeklong vacation, or a quick get-away, Lake Mary offers guests everything from outdoor activities to antique and specialty shopping. Lake Mary offers a variety of vacation rentals, so rent a cottage on the lake, wander the Central Lakes Trail, browse the many shops and stores in historic downtown Alexandria, or just indulge in some personal tranquility. Lake Mary Lake is sure to please the entire family and become a place to return year after year.

    Things to Do at Lake Mary

    These are some activities in the Lake Mary, MN area visitors can enjoy:

    • Vacation Rentals
    • Fishing
    • Ice Fishing
    • Boating
    • Swimming
    • Canoeing
    • Water Skiing
    • Tubing
    • Golf
    • Camping
    • Campground
    • Picnicking
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Hiking
    • Biking
    • Downhill Skiing
    • Cross-Country Skiing
    • Snowmobiling
    • Museum
    • Playground
    • Amusement Park
    • Antiquing
    • NASCAR
    • Shopping

    What Kind of Fish Are in Lake Mary?

    Lake Mary has been known to have the following fish species:

    • Bass
    • Black Bass
    • Crappie
    • Largemouth Bass
    • Northern Pike
    • Perch
    • Pike
    • Smallmouth Bass
    • Sunfish
    • Walleye
    divider

    Find Places to Stay at Lake Mary

    If you’re considering a Lake Mary lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

    Note: These are affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase. Read our full disclosure policy here.

    More Sites to Book a Lake Mary Vacation

    Our interactive Lake Mary lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

    Check TripAdvisor
    Check Expedia
    Find a Campspot
    All Travel Resources

    Lake Mary Statistics & Helpful Links

    divider

    Lake Type: Natural Freshwater Lake, Not Dammed

    Surface Area: 2,371 acres

    Shoreline Length: 24 miles

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 1,368 feet

    Average Depth: 24 feet

    Maximum Depth: 40 feet

    Water Volume: 32,009 acre-feet

    Water Residence Time: 4 to 5 years

    Trophic State: Eutrophic

    Lake Mary Map
    Local Weather Forecast

    More local lakes to explore in this area:

    LakeLubbers heart icon

    Lake Lida, MN

    LakeLubbers heart icon

    Lake Lizzie, MN

    LakeLubbers heart icon

    Lake Minnewaska MN

    We strive to keep information on LakeLubbers as accurate as possible. If you’ve found something here that needs updating, please touch base by filling out our Content Correction form.

    Shop Lake Mary Gifts

    Custom Lake Tumblers

    Create Your Own Captain / First Mate Custom 20oz Tumbler

    ORDER HERE
    Custom Lake T Shirt

    Create Your Personalized My Boat My Rules Unisex T-Shirt

    ORDER HERE
    Custom Lake Coffee Mug - On Lake Time

    Create a Custom Coffee Mug – 11oz or 15oz

    ORDER HERE
    VIEW ALL CUSTOM LAKE PRODUCTS

    More Lake Mary news from LakeLubbers.com

    • Advertise your vacation rental property or local business: DETAILS HERE
    • The Lake Mary forum has been discontinued: HERE’S WHY
    • New Lake Mary photos coming soon!
    • You’re invited to join our lake-lovin’ community on Facebook and Instagram!
    • Share this Lake Mary article with your fellow LakeLubbers: