Penn Lake Rehabilitation and Restoration

This page is dedicated to the City’s initiative to rehabilitate and restore Penn Lake. This is a long-term project. The guiding document for this work is the Penn Lake Management Framework. It is available for download in the documents tab on the lower right of this page.

The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, is undertaking their own lake water quality study on Penn Lake to identify potential water quality improvement projects to help improve the overall health of the lake. Visit Nine Mile Creek's Penn Lake project page.

Please take a few moments to share your stories about Penn Lake and let us know what would bring you out to an event this summer and into the future.

Stories

What's your Penn Lake story?

FISHING | WILDLIFE | WALKS | PICNICS

Please share your memories from yesterday or a yesteryear long ago that make Penn Lake special to you. Registration is not required, however you will be asked for an e-mail and your name so we can contact you if we'd like to use your story in promotions.

Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Share Please Save Penn Lake! on Facebook Share Please Save Penn Lake! on Twitter Share Please Save Penn Lake! on Linkedin Email Please Save Penn Lake! link

Please Save Penn Lake!

by Kiana K., almost 2 years ago

My history with Penn Lake stems back to 2004. I was 9 years old, and moved into our new home across from Penn Lake on 89th St. I have so many fond memories of walking around the lake with my parents, younger brother and dogs, as well as kayaking, biking and fishing!
I moved away in 2014 to attend college in Colorado. It was always so refreshing to return on breaks and feel the comfort of home, walking around Penn Lake once again.
Fast forward to August of 2021, my now spouse, 2 young children and our dog are back... Continue reading
Share Glorious Mornings, Calming Evenings on Facebook Share Glorious Mornings, Calming Evenings on Twitter Share Glorious Mornings, Calming Evenings on Linkedin Email Glorious Mornings, Calming Evenings link

Glorious Mornings, Calming Evenings

by CL, almost 2 years ago

My husband and I bought our house on Lower Penn Lake in May. We had some trepidation about the decision, as the house and yard need some work, but we felt that the pleasures of living on the lake would make up for it. We are no longer second-guessing ourselves! In the mornings, we look out to see the sunlight sparkling on the water and can't believe that we get to see this from our own living room. In the evenings, we often sit on the deck and just watch the birds and other critters that abound because of the... Continue reading
Share Lake Walker on Facebook Share Lake Walker on Twitter Share Lake Walker on Linkedin Email Lake Walker link

Lake Walker

by Karen, almost 2 years ago

Hi Bloomington!
I just moved here in June of last year. Moving is exhausting, so I didn't do much leisurely walking around my neighborhood until it warmed up this spring. But then I discovered the joy (and perfect distance) of walking around Penn Lake. It's truly a beautiful lake, and the park is lovely. I have wondered about its health, though. I've never seen anyone fishing or boating on it or swimming in it. I don't even know if that's allowed. My neighbor told me her son used to go on it, but not anymore.
So, yes, I'm interested in... Continue reading
Share We HEART Penn Lake on Facebook Share We HEART Penn Lake on Twitter Share We HEART Penn Lake on Linkedin Email We HEART Penn Lake link

We HEART Penn Lake

by Jen Reinen, almost 2 years ago

We are new to lower Penn, as of last November 2021, as mentioned by others, we bought our house mainly because of its location on a lake and the serenity that a lake provides for our family. So far we have built an ice skating rink for our young daughters, and taken them out for their first family canoe ride. When friends come over all the kids love throwing/skipping rocks and watching the wildlife that Lower Penn attracts. We are even fortunate enough to have an eagles nest in our yard, whose eaglets rely on the fish from Penn Lake... Continue reading
Share Penn Lake Sparkles on Facebook Share Penn Lake Sparkles on Twitter Share Penn Lake Sparkles on Linkedin Email Penn Lake Sparkles link

Penn Lake Sparkles

by Writer on Penn Lake , almost 2 years ago

On sunny days in the warmer months I gaze out my window to Lower Penn Lake. Sure enough the sparkles have cascaded through the water looking like diamonds. ..millions of them. These sun reflections on the water especially in the afternoon bring me moments of joy and peace as I gaze at this masterpiece before me. In the wintertime sunlight hits the snow like an artist sprinkling glitter on a canvas. These and many more incredible picturesque scenes have been captured right outside our window. On a quiet Sunday, a cross country skier slowly makes his way across the length... Continue reading
Share Penn Lake Improvement on Facebook Share Penn Lake Improvement on Twitter Share Penn Lake Improvement on Linkedin Email Penn Lake Improvement link

Penn Lake Improvement

by Rita L, almost 2 years ago

We have lived near Penn Lake for 26 years and we love to see so many walkers young and older

walking down toward the lake. It is beautiful but what is missing? The freshness and better quality of the water as it was in past years. I believe the sunfish the kids used to catch no longer inhabit our lake.
The jetty formerly well maintained now is surrounded by weeds and last year there were holes on its surface. The waterfowl is greatly reduced from when it was a healthy, cleaner water. I love the lake in spite of the... Continue reading
Share Walking on Facebook Share Walking on Twitter Share Walking on Linkedin Email Walking link

Walking

by KP, almost 2 years ago

I don’t live on Penn Lake, I live across Penn Avenue but I walk around it almost every single day. It’s a gift to have a little pocket of nature and beauty in my neighborhood and in my life.
Share What Makes Lower Penn Lake Special on Facebook Share What Makes Lower Penn Lake Special on Twitter Share What Makes Lower Penn Lake Special on Linkedin Email What Makes Lower Penn Lake Special link

What Makes Lower Penn Lake Special

by Norman Draper, about 2 years ago

This is not so much a particular story as it is an account of what makes Penn Lake (at least the lower and larger part) so special over the course of the years. My wife and I moved across the street from Lower Penn Lake in 1989, and raised our family in sight of it. We never tire of looking out our living room window at this defining natural feature of our neighborhood. Just this morning, we spotted two bald eagles out on the ice. Now, as the lake begins to ice out, we're scanning the surface for migrating birds... Continue reading
Share Penn Lake in the 1940's on Facebook Share Penn Lake in the 1940's on Twitter Share Penn Lake in the 1940's on Linkedin Email Penn Lake in the 1940's link

Penn Lake in the 1940's

by Larry Petersen, about 2 years ago

I don't remember the exact year, but around 1942-43 there was a big rain storm. The land on the west side of Penn had a large washout area that channeled water from the land over there into Penn Lake. There was a culvert under Penn avenue maybe 2 feet across. There was so much water that it went over Penn and washed out the road. The dirt from that flowed out into the lake made a penninsula that is still there. This area is south of 86th about 450 feet