If you’ve ever tempted a walleye with a jig and a minnow, then you’re probably aware of the walleye factory in northern Minnesota called Lake of the Woods. This big body of water is bordered by two provinces on the Canadian side and features a unique part of the United States called an “exclave.” An exclave is a portion of land or territory surrounded by a foreign land. In this case, we’re talking about the Northwest Angle.

If you look at a map of Minnesota, you’ll see the “tip” or “chimney” of the state. This was created because a small piece of land, surrounded by Canada in the northwest part of Lake of the Woods is actually in the US. But to get there by vehicle, you have to go through Canada. It all happened due to a mapping error during the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

Today, that allows American anglers who visit Lake of the Woods to fish waters that look different than the south shore. While Big Traverse Bay is largely a muddy bowl with few islands or reefs, the Angle is quite the opposite. The rocky shorelines and underwater boulders give you the feeling of being whisked away to a Canadian fishing destination north of the border. In reality, that’s what it is, only because of the mapping error are we allowed to come and go as residents.

Traveling there isn’t as tricky as one might think. There are a few options:

Driving. You can drive north and cross into Manitoba. Popular ports are in Roseau or Warroad. This gives you about an hour-long drive to the Angle. You will need the proper border crossing credentials such as a Passport, Passport Card, Enhanced Driver’s License, original birth certificate combined with a government issued ID such as a driver’s license. You are bound to the usual alcohol and tobacco restrictions and if you have felonies or DUI’s on your record, you need to work with the Canadian Government to clear those up before you can cross. Once you get back into the US, you need to check in at Jim’s Corner, via the ROAM app or by the kiosks available at various lodges at the Angle. Traveling home you will be traveling back through Canada and will have to gain permission to do so.  There is a phone with a direct line to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) at Jim’s Corner or simply call the 888-CAN-PASS number from your vehicle at Jim’s Corner. Distances to Young’s Bay at the Northwest Angle from various places are below:

• Fargo, ND 260 miles.  4 hours, 25 minutes
• Grand Forks, ND 171 miles.  3 hours, 18 minutes
• Minneapolis, MN 416 miles.  7 hours, 10 minutes
• Aberdeen, SD 442 miles.  7 hours, 2 minutes
• Des Moines, IA 659 miles.  10 hours, 48 minutes
• Madison, WI 639 miles.  10 hours, 47 minutes
• Omaha, NE 675 miles.  10 hours, 4 minutes
• Chicago, IL 779 miles.  12 hours, 38 minutes

Lake of the Woods Passenger Service. This service, owned by Sportsman’s Oak Island owner Greg Hennum, takes visitors across Lake of the Woods by boat in the summer or by bomber in the winter. This allows any US residents to go to and from the Northwest Angle without going through Canada.

By Snowmobile. There is a staked and groomed “Grant-in-Aid” state snowmobile trail from the Rainy River to the Angle. This is maintained by Hennum and allows anyone to travel the 42-mile trail without going through Canada. It is a state trail so you will need to register your snowmobile for on-trail use, which is $113.50 for three years.

I’ve gone by truck now multiple times and have gone across the lake twice. I’ve yet to use the passenger service, but plan to in the future. I even got to take the 38-mile ice road that only was built once due to the border closure after covid.

If you’re driving up through Manitoba, we suggest making a stop in Sprague at a small grocery store called Carl and Kay’s Fine Foods. There you can grab some snacks for the trip that you can’t find back in the states. Items like Coffee Crisp candy bars, uniquely flavored potato chips and a rye bread that is popular in Manitoba.

There are a few airports in the area, should you choose to fly. Winnipeg Richardson International Airport is about 3 hours away. Baudette and Warroad each have small airports and Sunset Lodge has a private sea plane base. More info about flying is here.

If you’re at the Angle in the summer, you have many fishing options and resorts to choose from. You can even get a round of golf in! Angle Inlet is also home to the only one-room school house left in the state. Young’s Bay has a popular watering hole named Jerry’s Bar. This is where most people check in for their trip. Here you can launch a boat, rent a cabin or get picked up for a ride to an island resort. It’s also where the ice road begins in the winter. Once on the ice, you’ll have a marked path with signs to the various resorts along the way.

While there are multiple options for lodging, you have four places to dine. Cyrus’s Flag Island Resort, Sunset Lodge, Sportsman’s Oak Island and Jerry’s. Each have their own unique feel, cuisine and location. Sunset and Sportsman’s are located on opposite sides of Oak Island, so each evening can be an adventure going around the angle to try different meal options. More on those options are below.

Of course you can just book with one lodge and get their meal plan so you don’t have to go anywhere. In fact, most resorts offer full service packages so you don’t have to worry about anything but setting the hook. From transportation to the lodge and their comfortable cabins to heated bomber rides to their heated fish houses. They will even clean and cook your fish for you. Or if you prefer, there are do-it-yourself options as well.

During our recent trip we experienced below zero temps for three straight days. While I own a floating ice fishing suit, I never put the bibs on. You’re rarely outside in the elements and the houses are comfortable enough for fishing in a hoodie and jeans. You should always be prepared for cold weather of course, as you are still ice fishing in a remote area, but generally, you will be warm most of the time. Flag Island even pulled a smaller house nearby for a heated bathroom, making it more comfortable for women to come. Other lodges have been known to do that as well.

Fishing at the Angle is similar to the rest of the Lake of the Woods with loads of hungry walleyes. But you will also have the opportunity to catch jumbo perch, crappies, big pike, burbot, sauger, and in the summer, muskies. While these species are caught occasionally on the south end, the variety is more common here. This year, the perch bite has been even better with a handful of chunky fish going into the bucket each day.

Fishing Tips:
A dead stick and a jigging stick can be used for the “one-two” punch approach. A plain hook with a minnow is tough to resist for bottom-hugging walleyes. Use a split shot to get it near the bottom. You can move the split shot closer to the hook to keep the minnow from swimming around too much. You can also hook it through the tail to give it more action or through the top of the back. If you see fish coming to check it out but not eating it, don’t be afraid to change it up.

For the jigging stick, I like to try something big and noisy. Lake of the Woods has stained water, so you can get away with things you wouldn’t on a clear body of water. The rattle helps bring the fish in and if the bait is too aggressive, the fish have the dead stick option to bite. I always use something that glows or has a gold color. They help the lure show up in that murkier water. If the noise seems to be spooking fish that are passive, downsize to smaller tungsten jigs or flutter spoons. I recently had success with a VMC Teardrop that was glow red.

When I use big rattlebait, I will start without any live bait on it. If fish don’t bite, then I will put a minnow head or minnow tail on it. If they still don’t eat, then I downsize to the smaller jig and use a minnow head.

Resorts and Fishing Guides – Here is a link to all of them
There are four resorts that offer dining as well as lodging and fishing. There are also a number of resorts for DIY fishing and guide services who will put you on the fish. Some will take you into Ontario to target crappies and other species of fish. We visited the four offering meals during our recent trip:

1. Cyrus’s Flag Island Resort. This is also where we stayed during our trip. They were recently purchased by the owners of Cyrus Resort on the south end of the lake. They are a full-service resort with meals, a variety of cabins and guided fishing.

2. Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

This Greg Hennum-owned property is also a full service resort. With condos, villas and their new “Inn”. This is the former Angle Inn Lodge and now offers private lodging for groups up to 24. According to their website: We recently purchased Angle Inn Lodge, the resort next to us in the Bay on Oak Island. This is a great private place for your group and is less than a 5-minute walk on a lighted path to the Lodge. Our full-service restaurant and bar are open at the Main lodge. We hope these accommodations will give you some new ways to experience your Oak Island fishing adventures!

3. Sunset Lodge – This full service fishing and hunting lodge is also a private sea plane base. Our service here was peppered with light-hearted humor from our server Nolan who kept us entertained while we ate. While the usual favorites are available, smashburgers were enjoyed along with a unique appetizer offering called “Tot-chos”. Think nachos, only with tater tots instead of chips. If you’re a bit more daring, there are some more spicy offerings from the guy in the kitchen with the Louisiana background, including a dry rub cajun flavored bone-in wing option. I ordered this expecting it to be a “Minnesota” level of hot, but was surprised to see the sweat start to form on my face. It definitely had some heat but not too much to eat.

4. Jerry’s Bar – While Jerry’s offers food and drinks, it’s not a resort. It’s more or less your gateway to the lake. It’s located at Young’s Bay right next to the boat launch for summer trips and the ice road access in the winter. There’s a place to check in to the US there and if you’re staying at one of the lodges on the mainland, it’s your option to grab a bite to eat. Young’s Bay Resort, located next door, has a gas pump if you need to fuel up before heading out.

There are 14 total resorts at the Northwest Angle, so you have other options for staying. Fishing and hunting aren’t the only activities there either. Some people just travel there to see the northern-most point of the contiguous United States. The bouy has a look-a-like at the southern-most point in Key West, Florida.

The NW Angle golf course is northern-most golf course in the contiguous US. It is a 9-hole, par 33 course with 7 sand greens! I had to see it for myself. The total yardage is 2,231 with six par-4’s and 3 par-3’s. Distances range from 119 – 363 yards. Two of the holes border the lake so you have the danger of hitting into Lake of the Woods!

There is a lot of history at the Angle and the nearby Canadian islands. Joe Laurin, a former engineer at Polaris designed the Lake of the Woods Explorer app, which allows you to go on self-guided tours of the area to learn more. He also takes people in his boat around to different sights with his “Light House Boat Tours.” We went with him last summer to see petroglyphs, exploratory gold mines, Massacre island and more. Watch for the episode coming to the new season of Prairie Sportsman. You can also book your own trip with Joe here.

The Northwest Angle at Lake of the Woods offers a lot of outdoor recreational opportunities for the whole family any time of year. If you have any questions, let us know or visit Lake of the Woods Tourism’s website to learn more about this unique part of Minnesota! You can also watch this podcast below, or download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or where ever you get podcasts.