Red Lake River
| Red Lake River Rivière du Lac Rouge | |
|---|---|
The Red Lake River on its crooked path through Crookston, Minnesota | |
Northwest Minnesota with the Red Lake River highlighted | |
| Native name | Miskwaagamiiwi-zaaga'iganiiwi-ziibi (Ojibwe) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Polk County, Red Lake County, Pennington County, Clearwater County, Beltrami County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Lower Red Lake |
| • coordinates | 47°57′35″N 95°16′28″W / 47.9596794°N 95.2744491°W |
| Mouth | Red River of the North |
• location | East Grand Forks |
• coordinates | 47°55′21″N 97°01′17″W / 47.9225°N 97.0214°W |
| Length | 193 miles (311 km) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Red River of the North |
The Red Lake River (French: Rivière du Lac Rouge; Ojibwe: Miskwaagamiiwi-zaaga'iganiiwi-ziibi) is a river located in northwestern Minnesota. The river begins on the western side of the Lower Red Lake and flows westward. After passing through Thief River Falls, Red Lake Falls, and Crookston, the river merges with the Red River of the North in East Grand Forks. The total length of the river is 193 miles (311 km) The term "Forks" in Grand Forks comes from this forking (confluence) of the Red and Red Lake rivers near downtown Grand Forks.
As a tributary of the Red River, the Red Lake River contributed to the heavy flooding of Greater Grand Forks in 1997. The river also caused damage in its own right, albeit less severe, in Crookston.