Amazing Shore Lunch on Lake of the Woods

There’s nothing like fresh fish and nothing like eating those fresh fish at a shore lunch! Yes, Lake of the Woods is known for adventure and creativity in lots of things and that’s also true when dining on the beach of a remote island. Lake of the Woods is also known for its abundance of walleye and other great species of fish. That’s one of the reasons it is known as the Walleye Capital of the World™.

Now you can go out fishing for a day and bring your fish back to your favorite resort and the guide will gladly clean your fish and deliver them to the chef of the day. He will then prepare that delightful catch and deliver it to your table with all the “fixins”. Totally enjoyable and totally delicious.

However, let me tell you a story. This writer has lived in the area for 40 years and one my favorite experiences is my very first shore lunch. There was a two-decker boat called the Leonard C. (RIP) It was amazing!! Huge double decker that had a bar on the first deck and riders on the top of the deck were thrilled as you sped through the beautiful waters heading for Pine Island.

Our captain landed the boat and threw open the front hatch. He threw out humungous frying pans and ice cream pails full of food. Then he and his boat mate set up two fires on the shore. When the fire was right, he set the fry pans on them and threw a pail full of a sliced potato and onion mix. The next pan was filled with baked beans. After emptying the potato pan, he wiped out the fry pan and threw in some oil and a pail full of bacon. While that was cooking, he was breading some of the biggest walleye fillets I have ever seen. He removed the bacon and started frying those walleyes to perfection!!!

Let me tell you….it was the most delicious meal I have ever eaten! Right on a sandy shore. Now this captain probably fed about 30 people and didn’t blink an eye. He wiped out the pans, put out the fire and very soon we were back on the boat for a ride back to the home resort. All smiling!!!

Now some things have changed over the years, but shore lunches remain as awesome as the first one I had. Some guides from the Northwest Angle cruise their launches up to a remote island and serve up a tasty meal somewhat the same way my first meal was served. Some, however, use propane now, but the menu is the same. Yum!

The Northwest Angle is approximately 40 miles from the south shore of Lake of the Woods and is the home to over 7 resorts. Beautiful waters surround the area and produce those fresh walleyes for the shore lunches. There are two islands up there also. Oak Island and Flag Island house some beautiful accommodations and also provide a great place for shore lunches.

Garden Island is a State Recreation Area totally equipped with docks, picnic tables and restroom facilities. This is a favorite spot for guides to take their clientele for that great eating pleasure. Garden Island is about 30+ miles across the lake so that’s an adventure all its own. As the summer progresses fish move to cooler waters so this location becomes very popular late July and August. Our local forest ranger has seen to it that this location is a must-go for anglers.

It is TRUE that each guide has his/her own favorite batter recipe so you’ll have to try to snag it from them if possible.

Here’s a list of tips that guides use and you can too if you try your hand at a shore lunch.

 

-Make sure the grease is hot enough to make water bounce or to pop a popcorn kernel

-Have a breading that has been perfected with the right touch over many years

-After applying breading to the fish, place the filet into the hot great skin side down

-Some guides fry bacon in the grease to add flavor to it before frying the fish

-Add fresh onion to the fried potatoes

There are so many more nuances, but when this well thought out meal of fresh LOW walleyes, saugers, perch, crappies and sometimes even deboned pike are prepared in this manner, it creates an experience for your pallet not to forget.

When you book a guide trip or charter trip, make sure you know what the lunch plans are as some trips offer shore lunch and others bring lunches along to maximize fishing time.

When the goal of a fishing trip is memories, relaxation and delicious food, think about a traditional Lake of the Woods shore lunch.

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