Retired Polaris Engineer and acclaimed explorer Joe Laurin has started providing informative and explorative tours of the northern portion of Lake of the Woods. By northern portion, basically Garden Island north throughout the NW Angle and amongst the entire islands region of the Ontario portion of the lake all the way to Kenora.
You might remember Laurin as the creator of the Lake of the Woods Exploring App. This app was released a few years ago and is a way for guests to do self exploration tours. It lists waypoints and explanations of a variety of unseen attractions such as waterfalls, interior lakes, abandoned gold mines, WWII prisoner of war camps, Cheerio beach, Fort St. Charles, pictographs and petroglyphs. Now that Laurin has his Coast Guard license, all of these options and more are now available as a tour. 
There are so many gems in this area many visitors don’t even realize exist. Through his app, and now his tours, Laurin is enabling others to get a deeper dive into the many special and unique wonders this area possesses. 
Some may come for a series of exploration tours in one of the most beautiful regions in North America. Others may add a day of exploring to their traditional fishing trip.
There are a few pre-set tours as well as an option for creating a custom tour.
-  Essentials. Northernmost Point Buoy, Fort Saint Charles, Cheerio Beach, Massacre Island, Flag Island Lighthouse Home Tour.
- The Loop. Pinnacle Rock and waterfalls. History includes 1930’s cars, Schoolhouse Point, French Portage Church and an old cemetery. Experience the rope swing! Discover and explore pictographs and petroglyphs, beautiful interior lake portages and abandoned gold mines.
- Custom. Search for clues on the lake from past stories and legends. Travel by boat 40+ miles through thousands of islands and unforgettable beauty to Kenora, Ontario. Eat, drink, shop and explore!
Imagine taking an extra day and traveling to Kenora via boat amongst the thousands of islands. That in itself would be an incredible adventure. Once to the public docks in Kenora, guests will be able to explore up and down the quaint streets of Kenora amongst the many small shops, restaurants, taverns and brewery. When the day is over, sit back and relax enjoying the beauty and wildlife on the ride home or possibly stop at a couple of good fishing spots just to test the waters.
The tour boat is 22′ long for comfort and it has an enclosed cabin for inclement weather. It can take up to six passengers. 
Tours are offered via half day or full day excursions.
Lighthouse Boat and Snowmobile Tours, as the name indicates, will also offer a winter option. Traveling in these parts via snowmobile is a special treat. It is also important to know where the good ice and bad ice areas are while exploring and Lighthouse Tours safely lead the way. Much like the Jet-Ski tours, those wanting to do the snowmobile tours must provide their own machine.
The NW Angle is a special place with so much to see. There is no doubt that most visit this area for the world class fishing amongst breathtaking beauty. With that being said, there is so much more this area offers. The wildlife and birding alone would make this destination stand out, let alone the many things to see throughout the islands area as well. 
If you are interested in setting up a tour, contact Lighthouse Boat and Snowmobile Tours at flagislandlighthouse@outlook.com or at 763-350-4700.
Info about the Lake of the Woods area
