Best Winter Resort

All of this warm weather has me thinking about going ice fishing. I want to go up to Lake of the Woods in January and check out the awesome ice fishing everyone talks about. I have looked at alot of the resorts, but they all just have so many options. Is it better to drive out yourself or have them take you out? Will they all provide bait? ( I have my own poles) Is it worth staying at a resort or should I rent a house and stay at a hotel? Is it worth getting the meals included in a package? Which place puts you on the most fish? What time does the deep water bite usually start and what time does it get over at?

Well heres my 2 cents. My group and I have been going to Zipple Bay Resort for the past 9 years. Last year we stopped at Red lake and rented a house from Kelly P at the Washkisk Minnow Station for a night. This year we plan on staying two nights on Red. We have been treated very well at Zipple Bay Resort. Our second year there, our truck broke down in front of Sportsman lodge. We asked people at Sportsman if we could somehow get a ride back to Zipple Bay and even offered a large reward. Nobody would help us. I called Nick (owner) at Zipple Bay and he came and got us. The Chev dealer in Warroad came and got our truck the next day. Nick let us use a resort truck the rest of the week to get to our houses. Then he drove us to Warroad to get our truck back when it was done being repaired. We offered him an extra $100 on top of our final bill and he refused it. We have been back ever since and it wasnt just for what he did but what they offer. We like the idea of driving out ourself and not being stuck in a trac truck with other people at set times of the day. Zipple has a nice large heated fish cleaning house with plent of outlets for elec knifes. The rental houses are clean and they will move you into other houses if the fishing is slow. The cabins are clean and they have added new log cabins. Overall the prices are reasonable and the service is very good. Not to mention the excellent fishing out of Zipple Bay. Your better off just staying at a resort and renting a house, most places offer packages. Bring your own food and cook in the cabin. Fish fry every night The bite is from sun up to sun down with some days from 9-5 or 8-4 seem best. Banker hours!!

Hope this helps

What I have done for several years is head up with a group of guys with portables and ATV’s. Keep in mind we always go at first ice in early December. We stay at Ships Wheel Resort. You bring your food like Derek does and a towel and soap for the shower. Every thing else is provided. It is very clean, I have high standards, and affordable. They have a heated fish cleaning house. It is a short 5 minute drive to get on to the lake. In early December we fish just past Pine Island. Usually at sun up and sundown we fish 8′-12′ of water. The middle part of the day we head out deeper for saugers.

PM me if you would like more details.

Right on the people at zipple are tops great mid week deals.

they have treated us so well in the past I wouuld recomend them to my grandma! Last year my lovely wife wanted to try some one new , will call him fairly on reliable,take your money and never see you again,sorry but its the truth he promised depth finders and never came back , so we called zippel they had a day opening and up we went, and got fish. So yes we wont be making any new changes this, back to zippelbay. Thankyou again for the great ice fishen!

Thanks guys for your input. Do you think I could make it out to their fish houses with my Taurus?

Yes the roads are plowed and as wide as a super hi-way with no ditch at Zippel. Zippel was great for us also and the fishing was fantastic but the four man sleeper is more like a two man sleeper. You’ll have to use your vehicle to store all your gear, keep all your sleeping gear out of the shack also, there is enough room to sleep or fish or eat but only one method at a time, if you know that ahead of time it will make things easier.