Are You Up for a Late Summer Trip North?

Just when we thought we had our calendar completely booked, another opportunity has come up, and I’d like you to consider joining me at Lake of the Woods late this summer. I first met Gary Moeller of Minnesota’s Ballard’s Resort when he booked a trip for 20 of his friends to Lake Picachos in Mexico. After they returned from a triumphant visit South of the Border, I checked in with Gary and we started talking about HIS home waters on Lake of the Woods. It turns out they have a SECOND operation up there on the Canadian side: Ballard’s Black Island.

Ballard’s is known among knowledgeable walleye anglers as the “Walleye Capital.” They run 15 charter boats pretty much daily during the season and they’ve been full through the pandemic and are full for most of this year. Meanwhile, because of border restrictions, Ballard’s Black Island (Ontario) has been at less than full occupancy. What does that mean? The fish in that part of the lake have been unmolested for the better part of two years. Now the restrictions have been loosened and as long as you are fully vaccinated you no longer need to be tested for entry to get across the border.

Lake of the Woods is massive — 70 miles long with over 14,000 islands. Just as importantly for our readers, it’s not just walleyes. There are world-class populations of big smallmouth bass, muskies and northern pike, too. You can fish for all of them in one day.

It’s remarkably easy to get there, too. If you’re in the Upper Midwest, you can drive — just 6 hours north of Minneapolis. Otherwise, the International Falls (MN) airport is a little bit over an hour away. It’s served by Delta and Sky West several times a day. We can even arrange transportation from the airport to the dock where you’ll meet the boat to take you out to Black Island.