St. Albans Bay is the southeasternmost bay of Lake Minnetonka. Located on the southern shores of Lake Minnetonka near Excelsior, it neighbors Excelsior Bay to the west and is bordered by the cities of Excelsior and Greenwood. The bay has an “A” rating for water quality, placing it among the top bays on Lake Minnetonka in terms of clarity. Its relatively sheltered position provides calm waters, making it popular for fishing — particularly for walleye and perch — as well as canoeing and paddleboarding.
St. Albans Bay is home to the Bean’s Greenwood Marina, a family-owned business and the only marina on Lake Minnetonka to offer covered boat slips, and Tonka Bay Marina, which accommodates boats up to 70 feet. A WPA-era bridge on Minnetonka Boulevard, constructed in 1941 in the Art Deco/Moderne style, carries traffic over an inlet of the bay.
In 2015, the cities of Excelsior and Greenwood approved the establishment of the St. Alban’s Bay Lake Improvement District (SABLID) — the first Lake Improvement District on Lake Minnetonka — with taxing authority and specific duties to manage aquatic invasive species.
Onomatology
St. Albans Bay was named by Enos Day, a native of St. Albans, Vermont, who settled in Excelsior in 1856 — one of several New England place names that settlers carried sentimentally to the shores of Lake Minnetonka. The town of St. Albans, Vermont itself was named for St Albans in England, which in turn was named for the Early Christian English saint and protomartyr.
History
St. Albans Bay was initially settled by John McKenzie, who erected a substantial log cabin and outlined a proposed community called Port Minnetonka. During his absence in the winter months, developers seized his claim and devised plans for a new town. The failed Town of St. Albans was laid out by Charles Morris under dubious circumstances, and in 1856 Morris constructed a small hotel, a church, and a sawmill.