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Lake Pepin is a naturally occurring lake, the widest naturally occurring part of the Mississippi River. It is a widening of the river on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The formation of the lake was caused by the backup of water behind the sedimentary deposits of the Chippewa River's delta. It has a surface area of about 40 square miles and an average depth of 18 feet. The first written history of the area documents a French fort (or fur post) built on its shores. Fort Beauharnois was built in 1727 on lowlands and the fort was rebuilt in 1730 on higher ground. In 1922, Ralph Samuelson invented the sport of water skiing on the lake. The largest city on the waterfront is Lake City, Minnesota, though the wide area stretches from Bay City, Wisconsin in the north down just past Pepin, Wisconsin in the south, just upstream from where the Chippewa River enters the Mississippi. The cities of Maiden Rock and Stockholm also border on the Wisconsin side, while Frontenac State Park takes up a large part of the Minnesota side. There are three marinas on the lake, the Lake City Marina and Hansen's Harbor both in Lake City, and Dan's Pepin Marina in Pepin, Wisconsin. There is also a private dock for customers only at the Pickle Factory in Pepin. Sailboats are common on the lake in summer. In the winter, there are ice roads that cross the lake.
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