Ice Fishing’s Hidden Haven

Ice fishing this season? If so, you should consider–no, decide–on Grand Rapids, Minnesota. As noted in previous stories, I have an ice fishing bucket list. This city and its surrounding lakes provided enough species to keep me in the Minnesota borders if I didn’t have a “lake bucket list” that keeps me on the road. I fished the satellite waters around Lake Winnibigoshish and reeled in pike, crappies, perch, walleyes and on beautiful Bass Lake, near-trophy bluegills. Bass Lake is one of only two lakes in Itasca county, Minnesota that are specifically managed for trophy bluegill fishing and the results are self evident.

I stayed at Hidden Haven Resort in amazing cabin 12. The resort offers top-notch accommodations with cabins right on the lake. During the summer months, guests enjoy the 300-foot sand beach, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and pontoon boats. Those that choose to take advantage of the hardwater season will be in total awe as they awake to the view of a beautiful frozen landscape and warm their toes in front of the roaring fire. The resort supplies guests with firewood cut right on the grounds.

After a great day of fishing, resort owner Bob Barton will clean your fish for you at no extra charge. That may seem like a small thing, but I can honestly say that in all of my travels, I very rarely have ever found a resort that offers this service. It’s a big plus in my book. The cabins offer a full kitchen if you like to cook your own meals, and they have propane fish cookers on site if you’d like to serve up your daily catch. But if you’d like to go out, I have a recommendation for that as well.

Forest Lake Steak House grilled up a fabulous top sirloin and finished her off with a pecan pie that I’d swear was from the south. The restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers a full bar.

I’ll be heading back to Grand Rapids when the snow melts to try out their biking trails and continue my pursuit of a bluegills and slabs. If you are interested in planning a trip to the area contact Visit Grand Rapids.

Dena Woerner

Dena Woerner is the president of Argia Media, LLC and a strategist for Traditions Media, LLC. She is the former Tourism Division Communications Director for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism where she was the editor of state tourism publications, blogs and web content. Dena is a published outdoor freelance writer and editor. She plans and organizes fishing industry writer's events and photo shoots. She has been published in the River Management Journal, Arkansas Wild, North American Fisherman, and in National Wildlife Federation publications, to name a few. She has appeared in Outdoor Life photo essays, Sporting Clays magazine, and has been a featured guest on episodes of Midwest Outdoors, Illinois Outdoors,Wisconsin Outdoors and local Arkansas television fishing segments. She is a former culinary and hospitality & tourism instructor. An avid cyclist, she competes in woman's crosscountry cycling events. Dena holds a B.A. in Marketing form the University of Arkansas, a M.A. in Professional Communication from Purdue University and is Certified in Tourism Crisis Communications from the University of Florida.