In a large saucepan, brown beef; drain. Add the next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Add green beans. Cover and simmer 15 minutes longer or until the beans are tender.
On the south end… A great week of ice fishing with good numbers and some very quality fish. Ice conditions on LOW remain excellent. Resorts working hard to keep fish houses on walleyes and saugers. Most anglers fishing 27′ – 36′ with ice roads 7 – 20 miles long. Resorts traveled farther out which improved fishing. Jig one line to draw fish in and get them excited. Have a deadstick with a live minnow in the second hole for neutral fish. Rattles and vibration can help in the stained waters of LOW. Gold, glow, wonder bread and pink good colors. Electronics a big plus and can be rented from some resorts, bait shops.
On the Rainy River… The river is frozen over with snowmobile traffic on marked trail. Some reports of good fish in the river. Extra caution is always needed on the river, especially with higher current this year. Thin ice around the International Bridge in Baudette. Work through resort or know ice conditions if ice fishing the river as ice thickness varies.
Up at the NW Angle… Warmer weather made for some good fishing at the Angle. Resorts in 23 – 32′ of water. Some houses on structure, others in mud on edge of reefs. Jig one hole with spoons and rattle baits, plain red hook with live minnow on deadstick. Snowmobile trails from south end to Angle and around the area groomed and in good shape. Fish houses on the ice through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14. A complete list of lodging and ice fishing options available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging
In a nonstick skillet, cook onion in oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini and mushrooms; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle with pepper and garlic powder; stir in lemon juice. Cook and stir 30 seconds longer. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon cheese.Place fillets in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top each fillet with about 1/4 cup onion mixture. Drizzle with butter and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Yes, Good News-there’s Great Ice on Lake of the Woods. This great expanse of water in the northland is the sight of near 30 inches of ice and supports many fish houses and wheelhouses.
Jerry Carlson of the St. Cloud Times recently wrote an article while interviewing Lake of the Woods Tourism Director, Joe Henry.
He wrote, “For much of the northern part of the state, the ice conditions have been a disaster this winter. Heavy snow, slush and thin ice have had a major impact on fishing.
Normal winter hotspots like Red, Winnie and Leech have all had issues. Travel has been limited to snowmobiles and ATVs in many locations. In some cases, there are plowed roads that are open to truck traffic and wheelhouses, but those are limited. If you are traveling to these lakes in the near future, call ahead for current conditions.
There’s Good News-Great Ice, a bright spot up north at Lake of the Woods. Most of the major snows have missed the area allowing them to develop over two feet of good ice.
This popular winter destination is home to over 50 resorts and outfitters that work Lake of the Woods in the winter. About a dozen of these resorts plow and maintain roads for those that wish to bring their own wheelhouse.
The walleye and sauger activity has been consistent. Henry did remind me that as of last year, the limits have changed. An angler can have a total of six fish in possession with no more than four of these walleyes. It used to be eight. There is tremendous wintertime fishing pressure on Lake of the Woods with more than two million angling hours put in last year. In an effort to protect the sauger population, they reduced the limit by two. The protected slot limit for walleyes is still 19.5 to 28 inches. Anglers can keep one walleye over 28. Fishing regulations on Lake of the Woods are different from the rest of the state. Houses are allowed on the ice through the end of March. The walleye season stays open through April 14th.
If traveling to Lake of the Woods, Henry highly recommends using sonar equipment as fish often come in suspended off of the bottom.”
This has been the opinion of outdoors columnist Jerry Carlson. Contact him at jerrycarlson@cloudnet.com.
On the south end… Ice conditions on LOW remain excellent. Resorts reporting around 30″ of ice most places being fished. Warmer weather turned the bite on for many, a good week of fishing. Good numbers of big fish caught this week. Most anglers fishing 27′ – 36′ with ice roads 7 -12+ miles. Resort houses continue to move constantly following the fish. Both jigging line and deadstick with a live minnow producing based on mood of walleyes. Downsize offering or get aggressive if bite is slow. Rattles and vibration help in stained water. Gold, glow and firetiger good colors. Electronics will increase results.
On the Rainy River… The river is frozen over with snowmobile traffic on marked trail. Current has dropped some and river continues to build ice. Extra caution is always needed on the river. Thin ice around the International Bridge in Baudette. Work through resort if ice fishing the river as ice thickness varies.
Up at the NW Angle… A good week of ice fishing with houses in 23 – 32′ of water. Some houses on structure, others in mud on edge of reefs. Jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head or tail on jigging line, plain red hook with live minnow on deadstick. Snowmobile trails from south end to Angle groomed and in good shape. Fish houses on the ice through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14. A complete list of lodging and ice fishing options available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging
Whether visiting to the north country in winter or summer, you’ll find a number of Historical Sites at Lake of the Woods. Let’s visit some of them now.
Lake of the Woods County Museum in Baudette is a bridge to the past. It has exhibits on geology, natural history, native cultures, the Great Forest Fire of 1910, commercial fishing in the past, logging, agriculture and pharamaceutical industries.
Cairn of Peace World Ploughing 2019
The new exhibit coming in the spring of 2020 will be the Cairn of Peace from the World Ploughing Competition which was held the fall of 2019 in Lake of the Woods County where 28 countries joined in from around the world. The museum is open seasonally or by appointment
The Baudette Depot – Once abandoned in the 1980s, is now completely renovated as of 2011. The Depot of 1923 is one of Baudette’s favorite connections to the Canadian Railway and start to the city of Baudette. The depot sits on land leased from CN (the Canadian National Railways) at the very end of Main Ave. Head in for a private tour or attend one of the many festivities and art shows this beautiful location holds.
Fort St. Charles – is the site of the original fortress and fur-trading post erected in 1732, by the French-Canadian voyageurs. The fort is on Magnusson’s Island and is open to the public. This island is accessible by boat during open water
months and snowmobile during the winter months. There is no charge to visit this site
Faunce Tower Lookout – is a 100 foot stairway tower erected by the Civilian Conservations Corps in 1935. It replace an
Faunce Tower
older tower located 3 miles to the south of the original along Faunce Forest Road. It also marks the lost village of Faunce. Faunce campground is located at this site which stands roughly 12 miles south of Williams on Co Rd 2.
Norris Camp – is today’s headquarters of the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area. The history of Norris Camp began in 1933 with President Roosevelt’s CCC program and it became the impetus for creating Norris Camp. Today you can travel to Faunce Tower and Norris Camp view the beauty of the Beltrami Forest with native pines lining the drive. Bicycle enthusiasts would especially enjoy this ride.
Painted Rock Island – is located on Lake of the Woods. Earliest Settlers and those passing through have left their mark on the north side of that Rock. These pictographs are extimated to be over 900 years old. This can be viewed from a boat in the channel between Painted Rock Island and Split Rock Island adjacent to the NW Angle just into Ontario.
Historical Sites at Lake of the Woods also includes Native history found on both sides of this international border. Come and enjoy the beauty of Lake of the Woods area by traveling through its rich history.
1 cup coarsely crushed saltines (about 22 crackers)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 to 6 walleye fillets (about 1-1/2 pounds)
Canola oil
Additional honey
Directions
In a shallow bowl, beat egg and honey. In another bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, flour, salt and pepper. Dip fillets into egg mixture, then coat with crumb mixture.
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 in. of oil; fry fish over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork. Drizzle with honey.
On the south end… Ice conditions on LOW are excellent. Resorts reporting 24-30″ of ice most places being fished. Good numbers of walleyes and saugers being caught. Lots of sorting through fish to get eaters and occasional trophy walleye. Most anglers fishing 27′ – 36′ with some ice roads 10+ miles. Resort houses continue to move constantly following the fish. Both jigging line and deadstick with a live minnow producing based on mood of walleyes. Gold, glow, pink and white good colors. Electronics will increase results. Adapt to the mood of fish. Switch jigging cadence until they bite. Watch for suspended walleyes. Jigging spoons with rattles and vibrating lures having good results.
On the Rainy River… The river is frozen over with some snowmobile traffic on marked trail. Current has dropped some and river is starting to build ice. Extra caution is always needed on the river. Thin ice around the International Bridge in Baudette. Work through resort if ice fishing the river as ice thickness varies.
Up at the NW Angle… Great ice fishing continues with a healthy mix of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, pike and eelpout. Resorts shifting houses to stay productive. Snowmobile trails from south end to Angle groomed and in good shape. Stay on trails as there are ice chunks on lake. Fish houses on the ice through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14. A complete list of lodging and ice fishing options available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging
When looking for a vacation experience, travel to the area of Minnesota to where the largest fresh water lake next to the Great Lakes in the contiguous United States is. It is the northern-most spot in the United States. We also have the privilege of being located on the border of Canada and the United States with a border crossing right in town. That town we’re mentioning is Baudette, MN. It’s one of the finest destinations you could ever visit, but how do you get to Lake of the Woods?
Most people travel to this area by automobile with good roads and scenery that is beautiful. As you travel north in the state of Minnesota, you will be crossing a large portion of land that is the biggest bog area in
the contiguous United States also. There you will not find billboards galore, but instead you will find great natural forest areas with giant pines and cedars and fields of peat moss.
Let’s look at distances to get to Lake of the Woods. We are 126 miles from Winnipeg, MN, Canada; 211 miles from Duluth, MN; 232 miles from Fargo, ND; 308 miles from Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN; 476 miles from Sioux Falls, SD; 608 miles from Milwaukee, WI; and 680 miles from Chicago, IL. Driving these distances are great adventures but also take time. When traveling to the Northwest Angle, be sure to have proper documentation such as
passport, passport card or enhanced driver’s license.
We are fortunate in this area to have access to Commercial airports in close proximity of Baudette. International Falls Airport is 70 miles East of Baudette and has daily flights to and from MSP using Delta airlines. Rental car companies are available there. For more info call 218.283.4461 or at www.internationalfallsairport.com. Bemidji is 102 miles south of
Photo by Iwan Shimko on Unsplash
Baudette and also has daily flights to and from MSP using Delta Airlines at Bemidji Regional Airport. For more info here call 218.444.2638 or www.bemidjiairport.org. Rental cars available. Grand Forks International Airport is 178 miles to the west of Baudette and also has flights using Delta and Allegiant Airlines. Information can be obtained at 701.795.6981 or at www.glkairport.com.
Before you arrive, be sure you have obtained lodging using our webpage at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging. Make your travel plans now to explore this great area.
Beef: Combine seasoning in a small mixing bowl. Season the beef chunks generously on all the sides and leave the remaining of the seasoning for the broth mixture. (Depending on the side of meat, you will probably use 1/2 to 3/4 of the seasoning.) Preheat Instant Pot on “saute” setting and drizzle oil over the bottom and some up the sides. Sear the beef halves until golden-brown on all the sides.
Cooking Pot Roast:
Combine all the ingredients for the broth mix in a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Take the beef out of the Instant Pot.
Pour the broth mixture into the pot slowly while scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Let the broth mixture heat through and return beef to the pot.
Close the lid of the Instant Pot and make sure it is latched. Turn the valve to “seal” and set the pot to cook on high pressure for 70-75 minutes. (Make sure to consult your pressure cooker manual for exact control specifications of your appliance.)
Let it naturally release for 10 minutes and then carefully quick release the pressure. *Add vegetables into the pot, close the lid and make sure it’s latched and valve is turned to “seal.” Set to cook on high pressure for 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of baby potatoes.
Thicken Gravy:
If you want to thicken the broth and make gravy: take cooked meat and vegetables out of the pot right away. Turn on “saute” setting and stir cornstarch mixture together with hot broth in the Instant Pot until it thickens.
Baudette’s favorite connections to the Canadian Railway and start to the city of 
