The city of Devils Lake has a calm, quiet energy, until you find out what it’s been through. This area was originally home to the Dakota people, including the Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Cut-Head bands. After an 1867 treaty, many were relocated to what’s now the Spirit Lake Reservation. You can still hear echoes of the Dakota language in place names: “Devils Lake” is actually a loose translation of mni wak’áŋ, which means “spirit water.” The name wasn’t meant to sound ominous. It was more about the sacred, mysterious nature of the lake itself.
The town is no stranger to extreme weather. Winters here are brutally cold. In 1936, during a record-setting cold snap, the temperature averaged –21°F for over a month. That’s not a typo. Even now, over 100 days a year don’t climb above freezing, and nights in the negatives are pretty standard. Summers are warmer, but heat waves are rare. It’s the kind of place where people just get on with it, no matter the forecast.
Devils Lake itself is North Dakota’s largest natural body of water and it’s been known to swallow roads, farms, and even entire towns when water levels rise. It’s a lake with a temper.
