Imagine, laying back in a small, but stable layout boat at about the level of the water with strings of decoys in front of you. When the time is right, you sit up, anticipate which direction the ducks are flying, take aim, and let loose. There are only a handful of waters that a waterfowl hunter can layout boat hunt in Minnesota. Lake of the Woods is one of them. With it’s many islands and strong migration of diver ducks in the fall, this style of hunting is something unique, offers adventure and will test even the most avid shooter’s accuracy.
Prairie Sportsman takes you up close and personal, giving you a “on the water” view of what this kind of hunting is all about!
Layout boat hunting for waterfowl is offered currently up at the NW Angle of Lake of the Woods. This area provides strong numbers of ducks, lots of islands and shoreline to stay out of the wind on windy days and the opportunity to mix in some fishing with your hunting, ultimately labeled a cast and blast.
Want to try something different as a waterfowl hunter? This might be just what the doctor ordered!
On the south end… Big Traverse Bay, the big basin of Lake of the Woods, is still ice covered. Mother Nature is chipping away at the thickness and durability of the ice, but as is normally the case this time of year, ice still covers the vast majority of the basin.
The open water so far on the basin continues to be the Lighthouse Gap, Morris Point Gap and various bays.
This time of year, pike are running in some cases, under the ice in the bays, often in ditches flowing into the bays and backwater areas of the bays themselves. Open water is expanding in Four Mile Bay, Bostic Bay and Zippel Bay.
Pike season is open year round. Now to ice out is a great opportunity to get in the back bays for some great pike action. Baits for pike this time of year… a live minnow under a bobber, dead minnows laying on the bottom, slow moving spoons, spinner baits and crankbaits.
On the Rainy River… The Rainy River is completely opened up into Lake of the Woods. The Little Fork River let loose early last week and the Big Fork followed about two days later. The majority of ice and debris from these tributaries letting loose has flushed through the Rainy River.
Sturgeon fishing has been good overall. The cold spell didn’t seem to help, but anglers are still catching plenty of fish. Four Mile Bay at the mouth of the Rainy River is producing good numbers of fish, with various spots along the river producing as well. Warmer weather will fire up the bite even more.
The sturgeon harvest season runs from April 24th – May 7th and July 1 – Sept. 30.
south shore open water
The catch and release season runs May 8th – May 15th and Oct. 1 – April 23rd.
If you fish during the harvest season, purchase a sturgeon tag ahead of time for $5. One sturgeon per calendar year 45 – 50 inches or over 75 inches may be kept per angler during the harvest season. The sturgeon must be tagged immediately and registered within 48 hours.
Birchdale, Frontier, Vidas and Wheeler’s Point boat ramps are all open.
As mentioned, pike season is open. There are various tributaries and backwater areas of the river to target pike with some big fish around.
Up at the NW Angle… Open water is expanding amongst the island areas of the NW Angle. Current areas show up well on aerial maps this time of year as that is where the open water shows up. Anywhere there is current will break first with other areas to soon follow.
Water flows into Lake of the Woods from the Rainy River and other tributaries, flowing north through the dam at Kenora, through Lake Winnipeg, and eventually reaching Hudson Bay.
The MN Fishing Opener for walleyes is May 13th, traditionally this is a jig bite and fishing should be excellent.
To travel to the Angle, drive 40 miles through Canada and re-enter back into MN at the NW Angle, or, the Lake of the Woods Passenger (charter boat) Service transports you across the lake to your favorite Angle resort and keeps you in Minnesota.
A complete list of lodging, fishing charters / guides and info about the area at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com.
Airport of the Month – Northwest Angle Not Exactly an Airport, By Tom Foster
In 1783 the “Treaty of Paris” ended the war between the British and their American Colonies. It also defined the U.S./Canadian border. After consulting a map made by John Mitchel, the diplomats decided the border west of Lake of the Woods would begin at “the most northwestern point thereof, and from thence due west to the Mississippi River.” The map was famous, but not very accurate. Lake of the Woods was pretty much the wrong shape and apparently no
one had any idea where the source of the Mississippi is.
In 1824 the British hired Johann Ludwig Tiarks to figure out where said northwestern point was. Tiarks was a German astronomer and used celestial navigation techniques just like the masters of the day’s sailing ships. By then the source of the Mississippi was known so it was decided the border would start at the northwestern point of the lake then go due south to the 49th parallel which would be the border from there westward. That intersection is in the middle of Big Traverse Bay, but the line passes through some dry land so the Northwest Angle was created as part of the U.S. but without a land connection and with the northern most point in the United States that is not in Alaska. As a result of this epoch geographical misunderstanding, some of the world’s best recreational real estate is in Minnesota instead of Manitoba or Ontario.
So, what about aviation? Minnesota’s Office of Aeronautics owns and operates more navigation aids than any other state. AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System) is the most common. Texas is three times as big, but is a distant second to Minnesota in AWOS installations. Water and great fishing often attract seaplanes (or ski planes when water is in a solid state) so in 1995 the Office of Aeronautics put an AWOS in the “Angle” on Flag Island or more specifically a rock a quarter mile from the island.
Fifteen resorts are in the “Angle.” They all have docking and buoys for sea planes. Also, some plowed runways on the frozen lake so landing on wheels is possible in the winter. These are all private facilities so be sure to get permission, and check the weather on the Flag Island AWOS since operations are VFR only. There is a full service seaplane base and airport at Baudette on the Rainey River just southeast of the lake where fuel is available.
Flag Island Resort is one of the many great places to stay in the “Angle” and they have always helped the folks who work for MnDOT’s Office of Aeronautics maintain the AWOS. Flag Island residents have phone service using a microwave link so the METAR is available just like any other, KFGN. It has the usual broadcast on an aviation frequency (118.375), can be accessed by phone (218-223-4023), and as a bonus the information is on maritime channel 17. Most AWOS are not mounted on a big rock so the one at Flag Island has an unusual structure. One inch “All Thread” fasteners are embedded in the granite to hold the piers for a 7 foot square steel platform. Above that it is pretty much a standard system except the transmitter is mounted separately from the sensors to eliminate interference from the maritime unit.
When World War II ended there was limited road access to the Angle. Don Hanson, a B-24 pilot in that conflict, started an air service in Warroad. For 50 years he flew cargo, tourists, and the U.S. Mail to the Northwest Angle. Hanson became well known for his exploits, was the subject of a “Life” magazine article, received a commendation from the Postal Service and is a 2001 inductee of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame.
Going to the Northwest Angle provides the flavor of a trip to a remote part of Alaska that is enhanced by flying there which also saves the aggravation associated with border crossings and a long road trip.
Aviation around the “Angle” is a lot easier now than it was for Don Hanson thanks to the most northern AWOS in the MnDOT system.
Freschetta Pizza, a Minnesota based company, has launched The Great Frozen Pizza Expedition. The goal, deliver 150 Freschetta frozen pizzas made with high-quality ingredients to the residents of Angle Inlet, MN in a very unique manner, a sled dog team across Lake of the Woods.
As you might know, in order to drive to the northern most point of the contiguous United States, the NW Angle, one must travel 40 miles through Canada. It is called an exclave. It appears Freschetta Pizza was feeling a bit sorry for the residents of Angle Inlet, MN, as to get a pizza takes a big effort.
Freschetta Pizza mentions the residents of the NW Angle deserves pizza that they don’t have to drive through Canada to access, so they took it upon themselves to deliver a Freschetta freezer with the 150 pizzas for residents to enjoy. The company’s video mentions residents literally have to drive over 120 miles just to get a frozen pizza and cross an international border four times.
The video mentions, “We respect the distance Angle Inlet residents go to for their favorite food. So we decided to pay that respect back, by bringing their favorite pizza to them”.
A feat like this for anyone who is not accustom to the NW Angle and it’s changing ice conditions, climate and simple ruggedness needs some assistance. In the case of Freschetta, the NW Angle Edge Riders snowmobile club was that local source. Members are residents and in the know when it comes to routes across the lake to the Angle, what equipment is needed, and any support that may be needed.
For residents who may have not had the chance to pick up their free pizza, the freezer is being kept at the NW Angle Edge Riders building on the mainland.
It isn’t often that a company comes up to the NW Angle to make a commercial. It is also not often a company recognizes the hardships of residents of the NW Angle just to live life. A great place to live, but a life that is makes it quite the feat to access a frozen pizza!
On the south end… Big Traverse Bay, the big basin of Lake of the Woods, is still ice covered. Some ice anglers with snowmobiles went out ice fishing this past week for big pike and did well. Safety first this time of year. Resorts and outfitters are no longer plowing or monitoring ice roads so experience, having others with you and exercising great caution is vital.
The open water mark has reached the Lighthouse Gap area of Big Traverse Bay. The flow of water from the Rainy River is pushing against the ice pack. Current, sun, wind and rain are all taking a toll on the lake ice.
Spring is a great time of the year to fish back bays which are perfect for smaller boats. There is a very large population of big pike in Lake of the Woods and these bays will be full of them very soon, if not already. Open water is starting to show up in Four Mile Bay, Botic Bay and Zippel Bay.
On the Rainy River… The Rainy River is completely opened up into Lake of the Woods. The Little Fork River let loose into the Rainy Monday. The Big Fork is about to let loose any day. Thankfully, sturgeon will feed in muddy water conditions until the river has a chance to flush itself out.
The walleye season finished up April 14th. Fishing was very good for most, until we received the 70 degree weather. The almost instantaneous hot temps quickly melted the snowpack along the river, pouring muddy water over the ice into the Rainy. The last couple of days of the season were tough. Before that, some 100 fish days and big walleyes were caught.
Sturgeon fishing is going very well with many big sturgeon being caught. Most anglers are targeting deeper holes, the mouth of feeder streams and rivers, flat areas adjacent to a deep hole or Four Mile Bay on the edge of the channel.
The sturgeon harvest season runs from April 24th – May 7th and July 1 – Sept. 30.
68 inch Sturgeon on the Rainy River
The catch and release season runs May 8th – May 15th and Oct. 1 – April 23rd.
If you fish during the harvest season, purchase a sturgeon tag ahead of time for $5. One sturgeon per calendar year 45 – 50 inches or over 75 inches may be kept per angler during the harvest season. The sturgeon must be tagged immediately and registered within 48 hours.
Up at the NW Angle… Most ice fishing is finished for the year. A few locals with knowledge of ice conditions and the right equipment such as a good snowmobile are still getting out catching walleyes and pike. Reports have been good. Most of us will have to wait until May 13th, the MN Fishing Opener.
Open water is naturally appearing more and more. Anywhere there is current will break first with other areas to soon follow.
To travel to the Angle, one can drive 40 miles through Canada and re-enter back into MN at the NW Angle, or, for those looking to access the NW Angle this summer and avoid customs, the Lake of the Woods Passenger (charter boat) Service transports you across the lake to your favorite Angle resort and keeps you in Minnesota.
Traveling the State Parks of Minnesota can be a great experience for people of all ages. Trails, trees, lakes and education make a great family excursion. Plan one for 2023 including the great state parks of Lake of the Woods. Snow is vanishing and you will soon see spring surprises reaching up from the earth to surprise the passer-by.
Minnesota State Parks are beautiful during all seasons, but spring calls to us all to make plans to visit each one. Lake of the Woods is fortunate to have many state parks in the county and have a great neighbor south of us on Hwy 72, the Big Bog State Park.
2023 Minnesota State Park Sticker
The Minnesota DNR is the place to contact when looking to purchase your yearly sticker. A $35 year-round vehicle permit provides unlimited visits to all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas for a full year from the month of purchase.
By purchasing a vehicle permit, you help maintain and improve the natural resources, facilities, and education and outreach programs that make Minnesota’s state parks among the best in the nation. Vehicle permits are valid for one year from the month of purchase. Plus, you can receive a discount on additional year-round permits for other vehicles you own.
Looking for the perfect gift for the outdoor enthusiast? Purchase a gift card!
Not a fan of windshield stickers? Now there’s another option; the new Minnesota State Parks and Trails license plate provides you with unlimited visits to all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas for an entire year, without requiring a separate vehicle permit. Plus it helps fund the operations and maintenance of Minnesota state parks and trails!
Lake of the Woods has a few state parks and forests. A year-round pass would be perfect with all the time you could spend inside these beautiful parks. A few of the closest ones include Zippel State Park, Franz Jevne State Park, and Beltrami Island State Forest. The outdoor activities you can do in the parks are endless, from fishing, canoeing, hiking, mushroom hunting, biking, camping, etc. Stay informed and be prepared to be stopped and don’t forget to get your permit.
The Big Bog State Recreational Area is just a few miles south of Lake of the Woods County on Hwy 72. This very unique and educational experience is one of a kind. The boardwalk itself is 1 mile long and reaches far into the swamp while having benches and teaching plaques along the way. It’s a must to put on your vacation list.
In order to buy a permit you must follow one of two ways:
Call:
• DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157 (Twin Cities area)
• Toll free 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367)
Visit:
• Any Minnesota state park, and purchase from self-serve kiosk* or the front office
• REI locations in Bloomington, Roseville, and Maple Grove
• Minnesota DNR License Center, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul
• Hennepin County Service Centers in Brooklyn Center, Edina, Maple Grove, Minneapolis, and Minnetonka
• Minnesota’s Bookstore, St. Paul
• State Parks are beautiful and number as high as 75 in Minnesota, however, Lake of the Woods is home to many beautiful areas to explore.
The Beach at Zippel Bay State ParkPaths at Zippel Bay State Park
Spring of 2023 has been slow coming but it’s time to get outdoors and get some fresh air and sit and enjoy the beauty of creation as it comes to life in the springtime. Zippel Bay State Park is a beautiful spot to visit at any season, but springtime has special beauty. With miles of groomed trails, you will enjoy wildflowers peeking through the undergrowth and the aspens and birch trees coming alive with their bright green leaves and beautiful white bark. This State Park is located at 3684 54th Avenue Northwest, Williams, MN 56686 on Hwy #8 northwest of Baudette. This park provides a great opportunity to take the family on a walking tour.
The State Park at Zippel Bay is also known for its sandy beach reaching out into Lake of the Woods. It’s a perfect place for children to build sand castles and explore the shoreline. The bay itself is very shallow there so it is the best place for visitors to swim and walk out a long distance. You may obtain a State Park Sticker online before you visit or right at the entrance. A great family experience while practicing social distancing.
Zipple Bay State Park also manages the Blueberry Hill and Faunce campgrounds inside the Beltrami Island State Forest. For information on these units, please contact the Zippel Bay State Park office at (218) 783-6252. Blueberry Hill State Forest is located 3.5 miles west of Williams on the south side of Highway 11 and is one of the highest points of elevation in the county.
Franz Jevne State Park
If you’re looking for remote, check out Franz Jevne State Park located on Highway 11. Here there is primitive camping with access to the Rainy River. This is located a few miles east of Birchdale, home of one of the last unique General Stores.
Other state parks in the area include an excursion by boat to the northern-most park of Garden Island on Lake of the Woods.
Venture to the northland very soon to enjoy the rich beauty spring offers in state parks. Come to Lake of the Woods, MN.
For more information and lodging availability, please see out website at ww.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging. Feast your eyes on the beauty nature has to offer.
See our Face Book page at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn
Even though this recipe calls for shrimp, I’m suggesting that you use Lake of the Woods Walleye, Perch, Northern or even Suckers from these fresh waters. MLG
In a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the onion, milk, soups, corn, Creole seasoning and garlic powder.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Stir in shrimp and cream cheese. Cook 30 minutes longer or until shrimp are heated through and cheese is melted. Stir to blend.
Creole Seasoning
If you don’t have Creole seasoning in your cupboard, you can make your own using 1/4 tsp. each salt, garlic powder and paprika; and a pinch each of dried thyme, ground cumin and cayenne pepper.
On the south end… Big Traverse Bay, the big basin of Lake of the Woods, is still ice covered. Some ice anglers with snowmobiles are still getting out ice fishing. Resorts and outfitters are no longer plowing or monitoring ice roads so experience, having others with you and exercising great caution is the name of the game this time of year.
Most ice anglers still getting out are targeting big pike. A lot of big fish continue to be iced. The vast majority of pike are returned to the water after a few pics. The season for pike on LOW is year round. Three pike can be kept per day, but all fish between 30 – 40 inches must be released. Anglers are allowed one fish over 40 inches per day.
Those wanting to fish the open waters of the south shore will get their chance once the ice on the bays melts. This is also the time when the big pike slide into the shallows to spawn.
Spring is a great time of the year to fish back bays which are perfect for smaller boats. There is a very large population of big pike in Lake of the Woods and these bays will be full of them very soon.
On the Rainy River… Open water spring fishing going strong on the Rainy River. Most anglers are targeting walleyes and sturgeon. Both species have been very cooperative.
There are now three boat ramps open between Baudette and Birchdale. The Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp just east of Clementson are open to all boats.
Walleye anglers are primarily jigging with a plastic or with a minnow. Bright colored jigs and larger plastics with a twister tail or paddle tail this time of year are effective.
Some anglers spot lock or anchor up and vertically jig. Others pitch the jig out and drag it back slowly to the boat, letting the lure sweep in the current.
Slow trolling crankbaits is also effective. Use a crankbait matching the depth fishing or use a three way rig and cover various depths.
Releasing fish in this ice cold, relatively shallow water, is very successful. As responsible anglers, we ask everyone to plan ahead and take good care of the fish. Have a camera, needle nose, etc ready to go. Be quick on taking pics. Handle fish with care and release quickly.
Four Mile Bay and the Rainy River is catch and release only for walleyes and saugers through April 14th. The big lake is still open for harvesting walleyes and saugers through April 14th. The MN Fishing Opener when the walleye season re-opens for both the lake and river is May 13th.
Sturgeon fishing is going very well. Lots of sturgeon being caught. Most anglers are targeting deeper holes in the stretch of river they are fishing. Sturgeon often will lay in these holes, which enables them to use less energy vs fighting the current and provides a plethora of bait sweeping downstream.
First Sturgeon
The sturgeon harvest season runs from April 24th – May 7th and July 1 – Sept. 30.
The catch and release season runs May 8th – May 15th and Oct. 1 – April 23rd.
If you fish during the harvest season, purchase a sturgeon tag ahead of time for $5. One sturgeon per calendar year 45 – 50 inches or over 75 inches may be kept per angler during the harvest season. The sturgeon must be tagged immediately and registered within 48 hours.
Up at the NW Angle… Most ice fishing is finished for the year. Locals with knowledge of ice conditions and the right equipment such as a good snowmobile are still getting out catching walleyes and pike. Safety first.
Most are looking forward to the open water, which is starting to show itself in neck down areas between islands where there is current. Mother Nature has some work to do, but normally will come through. Things happen in a hurry.
To drive to the Angle, one must travel 40 miles through Canada and re-enter back into MN at the NW Angle. Post COVID, things are back to normal for crossing the border. For those looking to access the NW Angle this summer and avoiding customs, the Lake of the Woods Passenger (charter boat) Service transports you across the lake to your favorite Angle resort and keeps you in Minnesota.
It didn’t take long for the ice to go out. With a late spring and the landscape looking more like winter than spring, some were wondering when, when would the Rainy River open up? Once things started happening on the Rainy River, they happened fast!
After the Birchdale access was cleared of ice on Monday, March 27th, one week late on Monday, April 3rd, the Frontier access was opened up for boats. The next access is Vidas, and although there is open water in front of it and far to the west of it, shoreline ice was hanging on but the anticipation is there of this access also opening very soon.
It is nice to have two ramps open as it takes the pressure off of just one landing and it also allows anglers to fish miles and miles of the river.
Fishing has started out on fire. The water has good clarity and walleyes are present in good numbers. Some boats reporting over 100 fish days. Naturally, others didn’t experience that kind of success but most are catching fish anyways.
Spring river anglers know to watch for the Big Fork and Little Fork Rivers to bust loose and send debris and dirty water into the Rainy River. For now, the Forks look locked up with ice and received a fresh coating of snow this week with a spring snowstorm. This time of year, snow will deflect much of the sunlight and insulate the ice some from the sun slowing the melting process
The go to presentation has been a 3/8 – 1/2 ounce jig (gold, orange or pink) along with your favorite minnow or plastic. Some anglers have been anchoring up on key river spots such as holes, current seams or humps and letting the walleyes swim to them. Others have been using their electric trolling motor to slowly work their way upstream and then do a controlled drift with the help of their motor back downstream.
Each day is different, some walleyes want the presentation vertical whereas some days they prefer it horizontal.
Some anglers actually do very well pulling crankbaits this time of year. If you are trolling in shallower water, often times pulling into the current allows you to get action on your crank while moving slower which is typically most conducive to cold water walleyes. Others will use a three way rig or bottom bouncer and a shallow diving crankbait to fish various depths of the river.
One of the great things about spring fishing on the river is anglers can use a 12′ boat or a 30′ boat. The river is small enough water that even on a windy day, waves don’t whip up too bad.
It is hard to mention the Rainy River without mentioning sturgeon. Dinosaurs are certainly being caught, some by anglers targeting them and others by unsuspecting walleye anglers. Our website has some good information about sturgeon fishing if you are new to it. There are a lot of sturgeon in the Rainy River and to feel the power this fish with prehistoric history is special.
The sturgeon bite this spring has started out hot. Lots of reports of walleye anglers hooked up on sturgeon not even fishing for them. This happens as the sturgeon are actively feeding and when a slow moving jig with a minnow passes in front of it, it is hard for the big fish to resist.
The sturgeon harvest season runs from April 24th – May 7th and July 1 – Sept. 30. The catch and release season runs May 8th – May 15th and Oct. 1 – April 23rd.
If you are looking to fish the sturgeon “keep season”, simply purchase a sturgeon tag. Anglers who purchase a $5 sturgeon harvest tag can harvest one fish 45-50 inches inclusive, or over 75 inches in length, per calendar year: April 24 through May 7 or July 1 through Sept. 30. The sturgeon season is closed May 16 through June 30.
We encourage anglers on the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods to be aware of the MN catch and release records available. In a nutshell, taking a picture of your measuring tape measuring length as well as the widest girth of the fish and having a witness is all part of the process. It is easy, but a couple of pics of the measurements and a witness are required.
Lodging can be found just east of Baudette on the river (Royal Dutchman) into Baudette, north of Baudette along the river and on the south shore of the lake. There is a wide variety of places to stay depending upon where you want to fish and whether you want a full service resort or prefer a hotel room.
The season is finishing up very strong, don’t miss out!
Planning begins now for traveling this summer. After a few years of travel being discouraged, it’s wonderful to know the highways, airways, train and buses have all opened up the destinations that you would like to visit. Have you been to our beautiful northland? While today the land still covered with snow and the lake still frozen, spring is upon us!!!
Whether coming from the north, south, east or west, there are just the right roads to travel to get to Lake of the Woods. Why come to Lake of the Woods? First of all, it is at the very top of the contiguous United States. Yes, when you travel north to the Northwest Angle at Angle Inlet, you will have arrived at the northernmost point. Have your picture taken by the monument for proof that you’ve been as far north as possible.
Lake of the Woods is the largest fresh water lake next to the Great Lakes. I still believe it’s a well-kept secret. This pristine lake and beautiful land area can be reached from many directions.
The Lake of the Woods area is divided into three strategic areas.
The Rainy River houses all the resorts along this beautiful river that divides the US from Canada. The South Shore is the home of all the resorts that border the big basin of the lake, named Big Traverse. As afore mentioned, the third strategic area is the Northwest Angle.
Highway 11 is the main highway at the very top of the state that reaches from Ranier, MN on Rainy Lake and follows the Rainy River that makes the border between the countries of the US and Canada which flows into Lake of the Woods. Waters there travel from east to west and then north into the lake.
Hwy 11 continues west to the very border of North Dakota. Explore Minnesota puts out a great Minnesota highway map each year with updated roads for folks to travel. Contact them for a free copy. The
main road going north to the border and reaching Hwy 11, Baudette and Lake of the Woods is Highway 71/72. At Blackduck, MN the road number changes from 71 to 72 north.
When traveling this road you will be going through the towns of Kelliher and Waskish on Upper Red Lake. After that you will be traveling through the largest bog area of the contiguous United States. The history here is astounding and trees and swamp land and wild life are precious sights instead of billboards. Smile. Stop and visit the Big Bog trail on your way north on Hwy 72.
Lake of the Woods is the home of more than 50+ resorts. Stay in a lodge with restaurants and music available at a lounge, use swimming pools and hot-tubs or rent an entire villa for your family. Motels in area offer beautiful rooms within the city limits also. You can be as remote as you desire or be in the middle of a convention center atmosphere.
Travel by Boat
Travel to the Northwest Angle from Baudette takes about 2 hours. Go west on Hwy 11 and at Warroad, turn north to the border of Manitoba, Canada. Yes, you must travel through Canada for a time and then cross back over into the US at the Angle. This requires that you have a US passport. When arriving at the Northwest Angle you will find a number of upscale resorts, a beautiful restaurant and access to two islands off of the mainland,
also with great resorts. I will mention here that there is a passenger travel service available from the south shore of the lake, across 40 miles of water, taking you right to your destination. This eliminates your travel through Canada.
To give you a further travel perspective, Lake of the Woods is 211 miles from Duluth, MN 232 miles from Fargo, ND, 308 miles from Minneapolis/St. Paul, 476 miles from Sioux Falls SD, 550 miles from Des Moines, IA, 608 miles from Milwaukee, WI, 656 miles from Omaha, NE, and 680 miles from Chicago, IL. As you can see it takes many miles of roads to reach this awesome destination.
If you decide to travel by air, there are three commercial flights that come within traveling distance to the area. 70 miles from Baudette to the east is International Falls International Airport which has daily flights to and from MSP using Delta airlines. Rental car companies are available there such as Avis, Ford and GM. Their phone is 218-283-4461 or their website is: www.internationalfallsairport.com. Then take the road to the east to Lake of the Woods.
Bemidji Regional Airport is located 102 miles from Baudette. This airport has daily flights to and from MSP using Delta Airlines also. Again, Rental car companies are anxious to get you on the road north using companies from Enterprise, Alamo, National, Hertz and Economy. Their number is 218-444-2438 and their website is: www.bemidjiairport.org.
Grand Forks International Airport is located in Grand Forks, ND which is 178 miles from Baudette and has flights with Delta Airlines and Allegiant Airlines. To get on the road, Avis, Hertz, National and Enterprise companies are available. There’s more information at 701-795-6981 or www.gfairport.com.
A great tool these days to find the best and fastest roads or routes to Baudette/Lake of the Woods is a GPS or Google Maps. What a great way to travel when someone is telling you ahead of time where to turn and what turn to take on what road.
Ladies and gentlemen alike enjoy visiting this northern area for it’s beauty and it’s quiet. Plan now to escape the busy schedule and rest along pristine waters and enjoy the clean air.
