LEECH LAKE, MN - When thinking of Leech Lake, reflections of long summer days and record setting fishing vacations are typically at first thought.Today, winter vacation enthusiasts and fishermen alike, are quickly realizing that Leech Lake has become one of the hottest (or, in this case, coolest) winter destinations in the Midwest. David Haines, of Richfield, Minnesota, and a group of friends from the Twin Cities area set their sights on a winter getaway to the Leech Lake region in 2008, with ice fishing being forefront in mind. “All of us really enjoy the outdoors and two guys in our group are more hardcore fishermen,” said Haines. “It was our first time fishing on Leech…we had done some research online and had looked at reports for Leech Lake…we heard the fishing was good, so we made plans to head north.”

Much to the liking of Haines’ group, ice fishing reports for Leech Lake were decent all season long and that helped to solidify Leech Lake as the group’s destination of choice. “Reports were pretty good all around,” said Doug Schultz of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Walker fisheries office. “The walleye bite was fantastic from ice-up until the season ended in February.” Roger Tietz, of Bemidji, also made a weekend ice fishing trip to Leech Lake in February and chose to stay right on the ice. Tietz, who averages about 40 days of ice fishing each year, said, “Leech Lake provided us with one of the best weekend trips this year…we set up on the lake at seven on Friday night and we had our limit of fish by 10 a.m. the next morning.” “The fishing was excellent…and the bonus for anglers like me who choose to stay on the ice overnight, was the night bite,” Tietz added. ” The fish were active all night…there are a lot of lakes that don’t offer a strong night bite….Leech Lake does. I would definitely put it on the top of my list as a lake that I will fish again during winter.” Additionally, according to Schultz, the 2008-09 season brought more than just walleye. “Spearers did very well on northern pike in certain areas of the lake, as did bluegill anglers who knew where to look,” added Schultz. “The perch fishing was also hot throughout the month of March, with fish up to 13 inches (or 3/4 lb) not unusual.” Like many fishermen who dipped their lines into the frozen ice of Leech Lake in 2008-2009, Haines’ group caught their fair share of eel pout (or burbot), one of state’s most exciting and unique fish.  As the only freshwater member of the cod family, adult eel pout thrive in large walleye and lake trout basins and feed almost exclusively on smaller fish. With a metabolism geared for cold water, eel pout are the only Minnesota fish species that spawns in winter. Cold water is essential to the survival of the species, making it plentiful in the deep, icy winter waters of Leech Lake. Despite eel pout’s lack of popularity among most fishermen, for the past 30 years, the species takes center stage at Leech Lake each February. Anglers from across the state flock to Leech Lake’s International Eel Pout Festival. The event, which began as a ploy to attract tourists in the dead of winter, brings upwards of 15,000 people to the Leech Lake/Walker region annually. According to a report from the Minnesota DNR’s Conservation Volunteer, the event’s current festival organizer, Jim Gerchy, estimates that 30 to 40 percent of attendees actually fish, while others take part in non-fishing festival activities including foot and automobile races and a polar plunge in which daring participants hop into Leech Lake’s chilly water through a giant hole cut in the ice.

The Haines’ group appreciated Leech Lake’s convenient, yet remote north woods location. “It’s far enough away from the cities so you don’t have 747’s flying over your head all day,” said Haines. “Yet, you don’t spend all your time in the car driving to get there.” “Ice fishing or not, the sheer beauty of Leech Lake, the great weather, beautiful skies and peacefulness made our trip even more enjoyable,” Haines expressed. Walker also serves as a major hub of the snowmobile trails (Heartland and Paul Bunyan) that wander through the Chippewa National Forest and Leech Lake region. “The trails are groomed regularly, maps are readily available, there’s convenient lodging and quality eating establishments everywhere you go….it’s a winter paradise for everyone,”  “The city of Walker has the great small town atmosphere with a real main street,” said Tietz. “I appreciated the hustle and bustle of the downtown district…and, as an outdoorsman, I couldn’t drive through without stopping at Reed’s.” Abundant retail and sporting goods stores (like Reed’s Sporting Goods store), exceptional restaurants and Northern Lights Casino in Walker make Leech Lake the ideal vacation destination no matter the season.

-Leech Lake Tourism Bureau