Best route?

in Bloomington area for work and heading up to lake of the woods for a last ice hurrah. Maps suggest 3 or 4 routes that are similar in miles and time. Any suggestions on the best way to take or not to take?

TIA.

A lot depends on what day and time are you leaving?

We left Isanti last Friday at 4am & went up 65. Only saw one other wheel house the whole way. If your leaving after work on a Friday idk which would be better. 169 up through elk river can really suck on a Friday afternoon. But 65 and all its stop lights from Blaine to Cambridge can really suck too. Like I said, it’s going to be all about what time you’re leaving & when.

I prefer the 35 to Moose Lake route.

Second best to me is 494 to 94 to Rogers, then 10 to 169.

I like the eastern route, 35E to Cloquet, because I’ve always lived in East Metro. But a buddy who’s originally from Kelleher lives in Inver Grove Hghts and he goes the western route, 94 to Monticello to 10 and to Bemidji. So does BIL from Waconia.

If you go to Rogers and up 101 you have 1 stoplight in Elk River, 1 in Zimmerman. then nothing until you get past Mille Lacs. I don’t fish LOTW so I don’t know which way you prefer.

I’d head right up the gut on 35W and pick up the Hwy 65 route. Traffic has been relatively light all winter if you time it well. The Google-ater then should bring you up through Grand Rapids to U.S. Hwy 2 west then past Deer River to Hwy 46 north.

Just plug it into Google and let her decide. One silly fender bender up ahead of you mid trip and your “best route” just became the worst.

Erik Swenson wrote:

I’d head right up the gut on 35W and pick up the Hwy 65 route. Traffic has been relatively light all winter if you time it well. The Google-ater then should bring you up through Grand Rapids to U.S. Hwy 2 west then past Deer River to Hwy 46 north.

This is the way we always go. But I’m not coming from the cities.

Dutchboy wrote:

If you go to Rogers and up 101 you have 1 stoplight in Elk River, 1 in Zimmerman.

That stop light in Elk River will be gone by the fall too! Then it’ll be smooth sailing all the way through Rogers and Elk River.

I think eventually they will also remove that light in Zimmerman.

3Rivers wrote:

Just plug it into Google and let her decide. One silly fender bender up ahead of you mid trip and your “best route” just became the worst.

This^^ If you’re purely looking for the fastest route, it’s hard to beat google maps or the apple map app.

Joe Jarl wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>3Rivers wrote:</div>
Just plug it into Google and let her decide. One silly fender bender up ahead of you mid trip and your “best route” just became the worst.

This^^ If you’re purely looking for the fastest route, it’s hard to beat google maps or the apple map app.

I drive the metro every day and Google maps sure can save my butt when a accident happens.

Truth on the Google maps!

Google is the way. In general with little or no traffic, I think 35 thru Cloquet is fastest, but not by much, and I’m usually taking 94 to 10 to 64 to Bemidji which I usually have a stop or two along the way (Cabin, Thielen’s, Val’s etc.).

Thanks guys. Will follow the google.