Is northern Minnesota crowded right now?
Hi guys,
Wondering how many of you decided to go with "Plan B" and decided to fish northern Minnesota instead. Just got off the phone with a resort owner in the Park Rapids / Walker, MN area and she says it's one of their busiest years ever. Apparently a lot of people who would otherwise be fishing in NW Ontario have opted for northern Minnesota instead. So, my fishing partner and I just pulled the trigger on a trip to Park Rapids, MN area (technically Nevis, MN) and from the sounds of things, it seems that the majority of places in the area don't have many (if any) vacancies right now. (Note: I had booked a 6-night stay in Nevis, because that was all that was available at the place I wanted to go to. I really want to stay 7 nights, so I'm looking for a 1-night stay either in Park Rapids or Walker, but it seems that a lot of places are super crowded / booked right now). So, I'm curious... How many of you guys who normally go to Ontario decided to book a trip to northern MN instead? Will I be able to escape some crowds by doing some night fishing (my preferred method), or should I be expecting crowded waterways in northern MN even after dark? Thanks in advance for any feedback, "Jackpot" John Schroeder |
[QUOTE=jackpotjohnny48;6475142]Hi guys,
Wondering how many of you decided to go with "Plan B" and decided to fish northern Minnesota instead. Just got off the phone with a resort owner in the Park Rapids / Walker, MN area and she says it's one of their busiest years ever. Apparently a lot of people who would otherwise be fishing in NW Ontario have opted for northern Minnesota instead. So, my fishing partner and I just pulled the trigger on a trip to Park Rapids, MN area (technically Nevis, MN) and from the sounds of things, it seems that the majority of places in the area don't have many (if any) vacancies right now. (Note: I had booked a 6-night stay in Nevis, because that was all that was available at the place I wanted to go to. I really want to stay 7 nights, so I'm looking for a 1-night stay either in Park Rapids or Walker, but it seems that a lot of places are super crowded / booked right now). So, I'm curious... How many of you guys who normally go to Ontario decided to book a trip to northern MN instead? Will I be able to escape some crowds by doing some night fishing (my preferred method), or should I be expecting crowded waterways in northern MN even after dark? Thanks in advance for any feedback, "Jackpot" John Schroeder[/QUOTE] A buddy of mine from high school owns a family camp SE of Walker on Thunder Lake. He says his busiest year to date. He's owned for over a decade. Hes going to go deep into fall as so many states are delaying school. I mentioned this on a thread that was deleted, but IMO, MN/WI offers a different trip. Its a family trip with loads to do outside of fishing. Its a trip you can take your wife and youthful kids. You don't take your 5 and 3 yr old on a NW Ontario fly in. You probably don't take your 10 and 7 yr old on a fly in either. Does a family of four with kids 10 and 7 go to NW Ontario for a week? Maybe. IMO, NW Ontario is hardcore fishing. MN and WI offer a trip for all ages. Great lake towns, shopping, casino, golf, boating, pontoon, water skiing, etc.... Ontario is geared towards hard core anglers. When we go to Ontario, we fish 100% of the time. We fish in all weather too. About the only thing that gets me out of the boat is full sun and 85 degrees. At least thats what my group does. I think the next few years could be interesting with the Ontario trip. Will the numbers be there for those camps? I know I'll be there, just curious on everyone else. Time will tell. |
[QUOTE]I mentioned this on a thread that was deleted, but IMO, MN/WI offers a different trip. Its a family trip with loads to do outside of fishing. Its a trip you can take your wife and youthful kids. You don't take your 5 and 3 yr old on a NW Ontario fly in. You probably don't take your 10 and 7 yr old on a fly in either. Does a family of four with kids 10 and 7 go to NW Ontario for a week? Maybe. IMO, NW Ontario is hardcore fishing. MN and WI offer a trip for all ages. Great lake towns, shopping, casino, golf, boating, pontoon, water skiing, etc.... Ontario is geared towards hard core anglers. When we go to Ontario, we fish 100% of the time. We fish in all weather too. About the only thing that gets me out of the boat is full sun and 85 degrees. At least thats what my group does.[/QUOTE]
I think LoDO has covered it very well - most of us go to Canada primarily for the fishing (and to be with "Buddies"). :exactly: |
My brother and I had both of our trips to Canada canceled. We had to roll our deposit’s for next year. To replace out August trip, we booked a houseboat on rainy lake and will be going next week. I heard there’s been a lot of boat traffic on rainy this year. I’m sure quite a few fishermen did back up trips to northern Minnesota. Hopefully the fishing will be good. Been to rainy lake on a houseboat a few years ago and had a blast.
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I was up on Rainy Lake from 8/1 thru 8/8. My past trips there are always in early October so I cant gauge how busy this August is compared to any other August, but there was definitely a lot of people out, resorts were pretty full, lots of houseboats coming and going daily.
That said, the lake is plenty big to get away from any crowds and find your own fish. There were a few days that we fished reeds that had a couple other boats around them, but also days that we fished and had nobody within a mile of us. The further east you go, the less boat traffic, and most of the pleasure boaters dont make it half way to the Brule Narrows |
My wife and I have fished NW Ontario 2 or 3 times a year since 1992. This will be the first year that we haven't been up there. We'll be back for sure as soon as we are able to go.
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[QUOTE=tv4fish;6475206][QUOTE]I mentioned this on a thread that was deleted, but IMO, MN/WI offers a different trip. Its a family trip with loads to do outside of fishing. Its a trip you can take your wife and youthful kids. You don't take your 5 and 3 yr old on a NW Ontario fly in. You probably don't take your 10 and 7 yr old on a fly in either. Does a family of four with kids 10 and 7 go to NW Ontario for a week? Maybe. IMO, NW Ontario is hardcore fishing. MN and WI offer a trip for all ages. Great lake towns, shopping, casino, golf, boating, pontoon, water skiing, etc.... Ontario is geared towards hard core anglers. When we go to Ontario, we fish 100% of the time. We fish in all weather too. About the only thing that gets me out of the boat is full sun and 85 degrees. At least thats what my group does.[/QUOTE]
I think LoDO has covered it very well - most of us go to Canada primarily for the fishing (and to be with "Buddies"). [IMG class=inlineimg]https://www.walleyecentral.com/forums/images/smilies/exactly.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE] I agree and glad to see the local resorts generating the revenue due to the border closing and interesting how I’m not hearing COVID outbreaks from the Northwoods fishing camps. I’m waiting to go up to northern MN until October 3 as the traffic will be gone n fall is my favorite time. Still holding out to join Eck in mid Oct in Ontario, but if not, glad to be on a big lake, fishing with some friends and enjoying what is and has been available to us. |
Mn.Crowded?
Jackpot,
Just sent you a PM Tx Jig Tyr |
Lotw Sept 12 Zippel to replace Lac Seul same week
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We also had two Ontario trips planned. We booked a week on a Rainy Lake houseboat the second week of September. I’m as prepared as I can be to fish w much lower expectations.
I do think there is a chance this will be a more relaxing trip (assuming I don’t crash the houseboat) than our Ontario trips. When in Ontario, it seems I spend every waking moment either fishing, driving to a fishing hole, planning the day’s route or pushing everyone to get up and get going. On this trip, I’m hoping to chill out more, even throw a bobber off the back of the houseboat while making breakfast/dinner. Smell the roses a bit more. Take time to try different presentations. Feed the eagles. Play cards later without worrying about getting up too early. |
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