Lake of the Woods guide for Feb 2021 recomendations?

[chowder]

We are from Buffalo NY. We will be returning on our annual pilgrimage to Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin for Whitefish next late Jan/early Feb. We want to venture west from there to explore Lake of the Woods. We are experienced anglers looking for Ice Shanty member's recommendations for guided icefishing on lake of the Woods. Looking forward to hearing from you folks!

[cwavs1982]

Chowder - what part of LOW are you heading to?  There is the NW angle area, Rainy River, Warroad, etc.  I have fished mainly out of the Rainy River area with some of the outfitters.  Do you want a charter company with guides or do you want to keep it just a single guide not affiliated with the resorts?

[chowder]

Chowder - what part of LOW are you heading to?  There is the NW angle area, Rainy River, Warroad, etc.  I have fished mainly out of the Rainy River area with some of the outfitters.  Do you want a charter company with guides or do you want to keep it just a single guide not affiliated with the resorts?

Great question! Personally, I'm sketchy about 'resorts'. As a Lake Ontario/Erie part time charter captn, I would prefer a seasoned, no BS, lone wolf kind of guy- but hey what do I know about things out there. Practically speaking it would make sense to head to the closest point(straightest line?) of LOW to Green Bay Wis. Throw some ideas at me to get me thinking the right way.

[cwavs1982]

If you want to head to Green Bay after LOTW - then I would think that you want to be around the Rainy River area. 

I can suggest a local guide by name only - but I don't have any personal experience with them, so I would hate to lead you down a path and you have a bad experience.  LOTW is a large lake and around the time that you will be there the fish will be more scattered so knowledge of where they are is usually more with the resorts.  We fish around Christmas around 1st ice with one resort. This resort has been the best that we have found to know the lake and where fish will be.  We have been doing this for the past 23 years now, so we keep going with what we like.  You are heading there a good time of the year. 

There is a person here in the Ice Shanty who may be able to put you on a guides name - he goes by MN Bassfisher.  He is a local in the twin cities who does alot of fishing around the area and just had a video loaded to the Ice Shanty.  Look in the Ice Fishing MN section here under LOTW 2 Personal Bests.  He also fishes other lakes in MN and puts up some good videos.   

You may want to reach out to him by either a message on here, or reach out to him on social media (Mitch Bradshaw Outdoors). 

If you would go with a resort - how many will be in your party?  Most of the main ones up there can account for nearly any size group and number of days fishing.  You can decide if you want to stay at the resort, or just arrive for the day and fish and then head out.  We normally just fish the day and then head back home.  LOTW is not a  night fish lake - it shuts off at dusk - so, no sense staying out on the lake unless you want to do that.  That can be fun, just don't expect alot of action. 

If you want me to suggest a resort - I will give you a couple that I like, and these are the ones that we keep going back to.  They have good facilities, rates are good, and we usually have good luck no matter the weather.  We use these in the summer and winter. 

Let me know what you think and I can answer your questions!  I would hate to suggest looking up these people on social media, as most of these are just people advertising their business and you really don't know what you are getting.

[cwavs1982]

I can also call a friend of mine up there who lives near Warroad MN and see if he can suggest a person or two who does this.  I have another name off of the social media ice fishing groups that I am in - and can give you that name if this is more the area that you and your group want to go. 

More to think about - do you want the guide to bring you out to his houses, are you looking at driving out, providing all the equipment yourselves, and he just tells you where to fish?  How many days you wanting to do this? 

This may help you decide on who you want to go with.

[chowder]

If you want to head to Green Bay after LOTW - then I would think that you want to be around the Rainy River area. 

I can suggest a local guide by name only - but I don't have any personal experience with them, so I would hate to lead you down a path and you have a bad experience.  LOTW is a large lake and around the time that you will be there the fish will be more scattered so knowledge of where they are is usually more with the resorts.  We fish around Christmas around 1st ice with one resort. This resort has been the best that we have found to know the lake and where fish will be.  We have been doing this for the past 23 years now, so we keep going with what we like.  You are heading there a good time of the year. 

There is a person here in the Ice Shanty who may be able to put you on a guides name - he goes by MN Bassfisher.  He is a local in the twin cities who does alot of fishing around the area and just had a video loaded to the Ice Shanty.  Look in the Ice Fishing MN section here under LOTW 2 Personal Bests.  He also fishes other lakes in MN and puts up some good videos.   

You may want to reach out to him by either a message on here, or reach out to him on social media (Mitch Bradshaw Outdoors). 

If you would go with a resort - how many will be in your party?  Most of the main ones up there can account for nearly any size group and number of days fishing.  You can decide if you want to stay at the resort, or just arrive for the day and fish and then head out.  We normally just fish the day and then head back home.  LOTW is not a  night fish lake - it shuts off at dusk - so, no sense staying out on the lake unless you want to do that.  That can be fun, just don't expect alot of action. 

If you want me to suggest a resort - I will give you a couple that I like, and these are the ones that we keep going back to.  They have good facilities, rates are good, and we usually have good luck no matter the weather.  We use these in the summer and winter. 

Let me know what you think and I can answer your questions!  I would hate to suggest looking up these people on social media, as most of these are just people advertising their business and you really don't know what you are getting.

Your comment about scattered fish and the importance of daily info is a good one. Perhaps wes hould consider the type of outfit you have good experiences with.Are any of them in the Rainy River area? There are 4 potential guys in the bunch but it usually just shakes down to me a one good friend. I'm thinking we will drive all night after fishing in Green Bay and arrive at LOW to fish that day and at least 1 more.

[cwavs1982]

At the end of the Rainy River you can find quite a few outfitters.  I use Ballards Resort.  They have some of the best guides up there year-round.  You can call and ask to be put in Mel's vehicle.  I have fished with Mel for about 10 years now in both summer and winter.  This is the resort that I would recommend.  They have a website and you can look up the prices that you want.  They have day fishing (transport to the house, bait, cleaning/packing).  This is what we do when fishing.  You can also rent a cabin for  sleeping.  You can look at the different price options and see what works best for your group.  They may have an option to park your trailer for sleeping (call them to see, I have not done this).  Even if you have only two in your group - you should be able to get a 4 person shack to yourself.

Others in the area are Border View (my second choice), Sportsmans, Wheelers Point. If you are towing up a "Ice Castle", you can call Adrian's (another resort) and they usually have a road and area that is plowed out for parking/fishing out of. 

Off the Rainy River to the NW is Zipple Bay Resort.  I have fished there a few times there in the summer.  Cabins and services are nice, but I can't recommend a guide. 

[chowder]

Thanks for the advice. I will reach out to these folks.

[cwavs1982]

Glad to help.

May be up there around the same time.  I tried fishing mid March and fish were too scattered to really catch anything.  Our group said that we are going to be up there end Jan early Feb.