Blog · October 14, 2026 · Minnesota
Lake of the Woods County Flood Zone Map, Minnesota: a practical guide
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Pine Island State Forest.
Main page: Lake of the Woods County, MN GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Before an offer near Garden Island State Recreation Area, look at the Lake of the Woods County flood zone map: the zone on that map shapes insurance, building rules and resale. This county guide covers: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and pairing it with the county Beacon site, at least around Williams.
Getting started with the Lake of the Woods County flood zone map
For a more interactive look, try the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer, which lets you click a spot and read its zone, which applies near Beltrami Island State Forest as much as anywhere. Vacant ground around Angle Inlet can still be found: zoom in from the nearest road then click the parcel area.
The free map to start with
Parcels around Roosevelt are published on the Lake of the Woods County Beacon site, a viewer that needs no account. If you only know roughly where the land is, follow the nearest road on the aerial until the lines appear, then click inside the one you want, and that holds around Clementson too. For a parcel near Arnesén, the record panel typically gives the owner of record, assessed acreage, a parcel ID and sometimes recent sales.
Sections, lots and bearings
Minnesota uses the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Roosevelt reference sections and townships. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though sections near Garden Island State Recreation Area can be irregular. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Beltrami Island State Forest for any title or survey request.
Beyond the mapped zones
Creeks and ditches near Clementson aren't always studied in detail, so look for water marks and debris lines. Wetlands near Birch Beach can limit building even outside a flood zone; the National Wetlands Inventory mapper shows mapped wetlands.
Zones on the Lake of the Woods County flood zone map
For land near Garden Island State Recreation Area, any A or V zone are Special Flood Hazard Areas, meaning a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year. For a parcel near Pine Island State Forest, shaded Zone X marks moderate flood hazard, between the 1% and 0.2% annual chance floods; unshaded X means minimal mapped risk.
Neighboring parcel maps
The county meets Beltrami County, Koochiching County, and Roseau County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map for land near Birch Beach. A tract near the line by Angle Inlet may be split across two assessors' files, so check the neighboring map too. For a parcel near Garden Island State Recreation Area, our state page lists every neighboring county map across Minnesota.
Limits of the parcel data
Listed acreage is a tax-roll number; only a licensed surveyor sets the real corners on land around Garden Island State Recreation Area. On ground around Faunce, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month may not show yet.
Deeds, plats and who keeps them
When the details count, pull the recorded deed through the County Recorder; the parcel line is a drawing of it, which applies near Roosevelt as much as anywhere. For a parcel near Arnesén, bring the document number listed on the parcel record to skip a name search.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so check the Lake of the Woods County Beacon site too to see exactly which lot near Birch Beach you're looking at.
A quick look at the area
Baudette serves as the county seat, home to the main records offices. Smaller places on the map include Roosevelt, Williams, Angle Inlet, and Arnesén, where town lots give way to larger tracts. About 3,778 people call Lake of the Woods County home (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) on about 1,298 square miles. The county was organized in 1922, and some chains of title near Arnesén are long. Landmarks such as Beltrami Island State Forest help you orient on the aerial.
Lenders and permits
On ground around Angle Inlet, an Elevation Certificate from a surveyor helps: it records the building's elevation against the base flood. Remodeling a house in a zone near Beltrami Island State Forest often needs a floodplain permit; ask the local floodplain administrator before you plan.
Questions to ask before you buy
Out toward Beltrami Island State Forest, request whether the home has flooded before closing; an insurance quote early avoids surprises.
Frequently asked
When is flood insurance required around Beltrami Island State Forest?
In and around Baudette, it's typically required only for structures in high-risk zones with federally backed loans, in communities that take part in the NFIP.
Is Zone X safe from flooding around Roosevelt?
Out toward Arnesén, shaded X is moderate risk and unshaded X is minimal risk; FEMA notes that a large share of claims come from these areas.
How often are flood maps updated near Angle Inlet?
If the land is near Baudette, FEMA revises flood maps panel by panel as new studies finish; your community is notified before changes take effect.
What is a base flood elevation in Lake of the Woods County?
For land near Angle Inlet, the BFE is printed in AE zones on FEMA's map; local rules may require building above it.
Who keeps deeds for property in Lake of the Woods County?
Out toward Williams, the County Assessor handles values and the tax roll, and the County Recorder keeps deeds, while zoning questions go to planning
Open the official Lake of the Woods County, MN parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.