Cold weather is something expected in northern Minnesota and this week has been a reminder of how cold it can actually be. The high temperature on Sunday was 46 degrees and the temperature gauge on my truck was reading 43 degrees at 7 a.m. while driving to the Saganaga boat landing. It took me a long time to realize that... READ MORE >
Bears and berries seem to find their way into my columns each August and justifiably so because both have been easy to spot this week. Wild blueberries have been harvested in the burn areas near Seagull Lake each year since the fire, however I am told they are getting a little harder to find. The berries are peaking in ripeness... READ MORE >
While sound asleep after a long and exciting day on the water, my peaceful dreams were abruptly interrupted by a crack of lightning so loud my body levitated as the earth shook our entire house. I have witnessed my share of lightning storms on the Gunflint Trail, but the strength of this single crash was second to none for me.... READ MORE >
The sweltering heat and humidity has taken a toll on the northland this week and for some strange reason the bigger lakes refuse to warm-up. Surface temperatures on both Saganaga and Gunflint lakes are peaking around 72 degrees, but anyone who has taken a dive off of a dock can confirm that it is much cooler a few feet below... READ MORE >
It has been seven years since the Ham Lake Fire ravaged the Gunflint Trail leaving a scarred landscape in its wake. Each year the blackened trees become fewer as Mother Nature reclaims the once sterile ground with green life that will provide shade for the blossoming forest. It is fascinating how quickly a forest begins to rebound, however it will... READ MORE >
For the first time in many years I am actually talking my “Canada ready” customers into staying on Saganaga rather than portaging over to Northern Light Lake. There have been some good reports from Northern Light Lake this year but most of them are coming from the opposite end of the lake, near the resort, and that is a long... READ MORE >
I hope everyone had as much fun on Independence Day as my family did in Grand Marais, the “Coolest Small Town in America.” It was so cool that I purchased a pair of jeans at Ben Franklin to keep warm on the beach and judging by the long line of customers clutching sweatshirts and jeans, I was not the only... READ MORE >
The roadside daisies are knee high which means the walleyes are moving out to the main lake rock piles feeding on anything that moves. Spring-time pockets and bays are getting too warm for the baitfish causing them to migrate out to rock piles where the water temperature is more suitable for their delicate bodies, and the walleyes are close behind.... READ MORE >
If the weather cooperates this week the Gunflint Trail road construction should be complete by the time you read this column, and the minor delays and dust will come to an end. Dust from the gravel road bed has caused havoc on my boat and equipment each day as I trailer up the Gunflint to Saganaga Lake but a smooth... READ MORE >
The heat of summer has finally arrived on the Gunflint Trail and we could not be enjoying it more. My wife and children have been swimming at the beach and soaking in the rays while I have been fishing hard every day from Poplar to Northern Light—and many lakes in—between. The special limits on walleyes at the end of the... READ MORE >
