Minnesota is famously known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but it actually has far more than that. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and other authoritative sources, Minnesota has 11,842 lakes that are 10 acres or larger in size

. Some scientific counts that consider smaller basins and independent lake basins put the number even higher, around 14,380 lakes when including lakes crossing the U.S.-Canada border and excluding those mostly in other states

. In summary:

• Officially recognized lakes of 10+ acres: about 11,842

• Including more detailed limnological definitions and border lakes: approximately 14,380

This count excludes smaller ponds and water bodies under 10 acres, which would increase the total number significantly if included. Thus, Minnesota has between roughly 11,800 and 14,400 lakes depending on the criteria used. The commonly cited "10,000 lakes" is a rounded figure from early tourism branding but understates the actual number of lakes in the state.