TV channels & antenna towers in Forest Lake, Minnesota

Forest Lake, Minnesota has a population of about 19,600. There are 29 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 12 full-power, 1 Class A, 13 low-power and 3 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 19 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 10 at good or strong strength.

12 of them are within 25 miles of Forest Lake, 12 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 5 are more than 45 miles out. Seven of the 10 network stations in range are licensed to Minneapolis, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Minneapolis's stations.

For the networks, the best local options are ABC on channel 5 (KSTP-TV), CBS on channel 4 (WCCO-TV), NBC on channel 11 (KARE), Fox on channel 9 (KMSP-TV), CW on channel 23 (WUCW), ION on channel 41 (KPXM-TV), Telemundo on channel 25 (KJNK-LD), Univision on channel 21 (WUMN-LD) and MeTV on channel 5.3 (KSTC-TV). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (fair signal) and Univision (fair signal). 4 full-power stations in range have no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.

Point your antenna SSW, at about 206°. The main network towers for Forest Lake sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Six network stations, KMSP-TV, WCCO-TV, KARE, KSTC-TV and KSTP-TV and others, transmit from the same tower site about 17 miles southwest of Forest Lake (204° SSW). Aim there first: one setting covers all of them.

Of the 7 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Forest Lake at fair strength or better, 86% arrive from the southwest; the rest are spread across one other direction.

All of the main network towers are within their radio horizon as seen from Forest Lake, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.

The farthest main network tower for Forest Lake is KSTP-TV (ABC), 17 miles away with a strong estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here. Skip that station and you may get away with a smaller antenna.

An amplifier only helps here if you run a long cable (over about 50 feet) or split the antenna to several TVs. Otherwise better placement does more. See the amplifier guide.

With 19 stations at fair strength or better, Forest Lake ranks 119th of 371 places in Minnesota: more than the typical Minnesota town (13). Its nearest major network tower is 17 miles away, against a state median of 24 miles.

26% of Minnesota's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an indoor antenna. The nearest larger city is Blaine, 15 miles away.