Hints of Spring have been showing its face all winter, even though Mother Nature blanketed us with 6 inches of snow this past Tuesday. Temperatures have been above average all winter with episodes of below zero temps at night, so this makes for a very interesting winter to spring season.  With the warmer winter temps, spring Rainy River anglers are thinking ahead!

There is still lots of ice on the lake and resorts / outfitters still providing some great ice fishing.   Fish houses can remain on the lake through March 31st (depending on Mother Nature), anglers are already getting their boats and their gear ready for the spring run of walleyes on the Rainy.

Walleyes go up river in the fall chasing shiner minnows and then again in the spring to do their spawning. Here’s when the trophies show up. Whether there area ice burg size chunks of ice floating on the river or it’s totally clear, anglers line up along roads and access points waiting to dawn the beautiful waters of the Rainy River.

Rainy River flows out of Rainy Lake near International Falls and forms the border between the United States and Canada at the top of Minnesota. It flows into the famous Lake of the Woods known as the Walleye Capital of the World.

Each spring anglers and local residents watch this body of water for the signs of liquid water to show up. Each year this “ice opener” is documented by the local newspaper and has been recorded since 1934.  The recording place is near the International Bridge connecting the United States and Canada between the towns of Rainy River, Ontario and Baudette, MN.   This early ice out is a welcomed sight for anglers chomping at the bit to get their boats out into the open water. The Northern Light Region is the official reporter of first “ice-out” over the years.

The most current report at the time of this writing is that the River is open just east of Birchdale which is located 25 miles to the east of Baudette. That’s exciting!!! This is usually reported as resort owners to east of Baudette keep checking daily for spring updates. Usually the report is recorded as whether the river is open shore to shore or not.

Koochiching County to the east of Baudette is a great neighbor that works at clearing the first river accesses available for fishing. They use their county machines to clear the ice and snow off so that anglers are able to back down the accesses to launch their boats. Anglers are usually dressed in the appropriate gear as they don’t know what temperatures they will meet when fishing. It could be a sunny day to fish with just a hoodie, but when watching the skies, they might see a snow storm coming on the horizon. What an adventure!!!

This writer has seen scores and scores of fishing rigs lined up to launch their boats and even having to anchor them to small icebergs along the shoreline. This year looks like the land will be free of that scene.

River accesses open up from east to west with Franz Jevne, a primitive state park area, being opened first with only one lane. The next larger access point is at Birchdale where there is also a beautiful campground and lots of space to park rigs and hang out. When visiting that area, be sure to stop into the one store in Birchdale which is one of the last general stores to be open in this area. It’s amazing!! And a Must-Stop location!!!

The next access moving west is at Frontier Landing. There is parking there for about 10 rigs and signs are posted for other parking places along designated roads. Moving again to the west you come to Vidas Landing. Again, a pretty large area to park your rig up and down the road approaching the landing. These landings open as the open water moves towards town. Of course it’s all up to warmth and current increasing as spring arrives.

Minnesota’s state fish, the walleye, is a good fighter, tastes excellent and is common throughout most of Minnesota. Effective Mar. 1 – Apr. 14, Walleye/Sauger catch and release fishing is allowed during this time period in Four Mile Bay and the Rainy River. All Walleye and Sauger must be returned to the water immediately. There is no closed season for northern pike on the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. The possession limit for northern pike is three. All northern pike from 30 through 40 inches must be immediately released; only one northern pike over 40 inches may be possessed.

The Sturgeon is a pre-historic fish that inhabits these waters. Sturgeon is a unique catch and fights to the finish! Often times taking over an hour to land the fish in the boat. The spring sturgeon season shifts from catch and release, to a keep season and eventually is closed for spawning.  Spring fishing details can be found here.

Local bait shops and resorts have the necessary bait and tackle used to fish the river this time of the year.  Much of the sturgeon tackle, like the sturgeon rig referenced, is made by the local company Tom’s Tackle. Regardless of what species you are interested, know that the opportunity for a fish of a lifetime exists in these waters.

So plan your spring fishing trip soon! Come to Lake of the Woods area and experience the beauty of the famous waters of the Rainy River!!

For lodging see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging

Seasons and regulations are also found on this site.

Also see our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn

MN DNR: www.dnr.state.mn.us

Lake of the Woods is such an exciting place to live. The lake itself is international as it spans two countries, the United States and Canada. The Rainy River flows from the East at Rainy Lake into Lake of the Woods which forms this incredible border.

People ask this writer all the time, “Where is it you live again?” and “What border do you live on?” and “What exactly do you do up there all the time?” At the very middle of the continent of North America is a border that separates Canada and United States. That’s the border we are talking about. Yes, I can actually see the border from my house in the center of Baudette, MN.

I count it a privilege to live on this border for the simple reason that it is first of all very unique, it presents challenges of being quite an isolated area, but the genuine-ness of hearts and the pioneer spirit still remains.

People in this locality are far from the “stay at home” types. Everyone is on the go with either their businesses or getting out into nature using all kinds of sports. This area is especially known for its excellent fishery. Walleyes are in abundance as well as other species such as: smallmouth bass, black crappies, sauger, northern pike, muskie, sturgeon, lake trout, eelpout, and yellow perch. The walleye population made this area known as the Walleye Capital of the World™.

The resort area is divided into three geographical sections. First is the Rainy River where all the resorts along that river are located. The second is the resorts that make up the section called the South Shore area. The most interesting area to be noted is the Northwest Angle which is a parcel of land that makes up the “chimney” of Minnesota.

Here’s what’s so interesting….one must cross the border into Manitoba, Canada and then re-enter the United States by crossing the border at Angle Inlet, the small town on the Northwest Angle.  This locality is the northernmost spot in the contiguous United States.

The Northwest Angle is its own unique area which hosts 7 resorts, and the two islands of Flag and Oak host 8 more resorts. It features a first-class restaurant, a golf course, and a post office at the locality of Angle Inlet. An incredible feature of this area is the last one room schoolhouse of Minnesota. Youngsters get their early education here and travel in by boat or snowmobile when the lake freezes over. When they reach the appropriate age, they are then bused to the Warroad school district which may I say is quite a trek from door to door.

My hat goes off to the people who live and work at the Angle because it takes a lot of planning and creativity to live there and also operate first rate resorts.

This writer moved to the area in 1983 and soon after that winter fishing began making its entrance. Before that period of time open water fishing was the draw. Today the same holds true, however, hard water fishing has become so popular on the lake that you can actually call it another village on the lake.

A few thousand fish houses owned by local resorts dot the horizon on the big lake. There are also individual fish houses, portable fish houses, and wheel houses that enjoy the sport whenever possible. This border is unique as Ice Houses can remain on the lake for an extra month of fishing. That puts them available until the end of March.

The walleye season is still open so you will still find anglers using pop-up fish houses and using their ATVs an small crafts to travel the lake. Otherwise, stand out in the open sunlight, drill a hole and sit on your bucket to await that great catch. Maybe even a trophy fish. What an incredible feature of this border area!!

Jobs in this border area are in abundance with 50+ resorts that are always looking for loyal workers. They employ office workers, restaurant workers, ice workers, housekeeping workers, maintenance people and bar/ lounge wait people to serve their clients. Hospitality is an incredible industry on this border.

The city of Baudette has put out a website called Get Hooked for Life that lists features of the area as well as an elongated list of employment opportunities. Lake of the Woods County is the county seat with a well-equipped Government Center able to assist you with all of your legal county needs.  Lake of the Woods School is the one and only school in the county but it continually ranks as one of the highest in the state of Minnesota for educational excellence.

LakeWood Health Center is located in Baudette which houses a clinic, an acute care unit, a well equipped emergency room and a Long Term Care Center. This border area is very fortunate to have such a great facility in our locality. Once again, jobs are in abundance here also.

Farming and logging are still high operating careers along the border. There is also ANI Pharmaceuticals which is a big employer in the area.  Marvin Windows is 36 miles to the west of Baudette and employed over 6,500 people along the border. Further to the west is Polaris Industries where snowmobile, ATVs and motorcycles are manufactured.

Speaking of snowmobiles, Lake of the Woods has an incredible system of well groomed and maintained trails as well as trails that have been marked and staked across the lake. Summer kayaking and canoeing are big also and hunting is a draw for many sportsmen from all areas in a 5 state area.

Service organizations, churches, and local businesses all make up the population of Lake of the Woods. As you can see…..the Border area is an amazing place to live. Come visit us or come and stay!

For more information and lodging see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging

www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn

Two bars. The Angry Walleye Bar and the Igloo Bar on the ice are sensational sights to experience on Lake of the Woods. Who ever thought of placing establishments like this on ice?!?! Well, there are many entrepreneurs around and Lake of the Woods is no exception. There’s even a food truck parked near or on the ice called Walleye Bites that “lure” customers with their specialties.

The Angry Walleye is located off of Cyrus Resort’s Road and is open at 2 p.m. daily. They feature beer, drinks and pizza to add to a great day of fishing on the lake. Bring back your limit and celebrate at the bar with friends all around. This is a great destination to add to your fishing experience.

The bar itself has been built inside of a large fish house and has a delightful and inviting atmosphere. Last week featured a celebration for a 90 year old fisherman who has fished Lake of the Woods quite frequently over the years. Congratulations.

You can see that this addition to the attributes of the lake is exceptional and very inviting for all anglers. Bring in your fishing stories to the Angry Walleye to add to those being already told there.

Winter is a happy and busy time up at Lake of the Woods.  The area is buzzing with activity.  In these parts, winter is celebrated and welcomed.  Ice fishing is an absolute culture in Northern Minnesota.  Anglers from all ability levels and all walks of life come up to partake in some of the best ice fishing in the world at Lake of the Woods.

Another destination at a different location on the lake is the Igloo Bar. This bar, in particular, has earned quite a reputation.  You see, this bar looks like an igloo.  It is located out on frozen Lake of the Woods.  It is loaded with big screen TV’s, electric lights, running water, a bar, limited hot food menu, and heated porta-potties that look like little igloos. It’s unlike anything else on the lake. This year the bar is located in its usual position out on the lake on Zippel Bay Reef.

Decked out with satellite TV, propane heat, running hot water and hoodie-clad bartenders, the arc-roofed bar also serves soup, sandwiches and pizza. The bottled beer, shots and mixed drinks flow for six nights a week until the ice softens in late March. That’s when tractors haul it back to shore in two pieces.

Couples have been married there and snowmobilers drive miles to use the heated outhouses. And for a few dollars an hour, you can lift up a section of the tavern’s insulated floor and jig for walleyes from your bar stool.

“If you are looking for something different, this is different.”  “It gets a little crazy in here when someone catches a big one,” offered Nick Painovich, owner of the Igloo. He usually situates the Igloo miles out from shore above a walleye hot spot in the Zippel Bay fish house village.

The Igloo is licensed as a mobile food court, fish house and caterer, the Igloo requires electricity (supplied by a gas generator) to heat food and pressurize hot and cold water. All waste water gets hauled to shore in holding tanks and poured into the resort’s own disposal system.  Each morning and evening workers haul out huge generators on wheels that send power to the big Igloo and also the heated lavatories. If traveling by snowmobile, a “spur” of the trail goes right to the bar from the Zippel Bay State Park trail as well as the trail on the lake.

The owners of these bars had to jump many hoops with the MN DNR when first done. They have passed the tests and they have proven to be  “hot spots” for anglers to frequent during their trip to Lake of the Woods. Ice roads are well marked, plowed and maintained when heading to these locations.

It is quite the entrepreneur who is able to organize and operate a business like these. It takes on greater than normal financial risks and staffing to run these bars.

A great success story each year is about bartender Jennie who daily places tip ups in a hole during morning hours before she preps the building. History has shown that Jennie is an avid fisher-woman as the picture shows. She has landed some monster northerns through the holes of the Igloo to “bring and brag” to other anglers that frequent the spot. So, have a beverage and pizza and lift up the table to drop your line in a hole in one of the biggest “fish houses” on the lake.

Let’s don’t forget about the great comradery to be had with anglers at both of these great locations. Come soon!!!

For more information on ice fishing contact our website at: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/ice-fishing

And for lodging see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging

See Face Book pages also at these sites: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodmn, The Igloo Bar and the Angry Walleye.