Did you know that ice fishing is one of the fastest growing outdoor sports? Considered the “Walleye Capital of the World”, Lake of the Woods has some of the best ice fishing in Minnesota. The area has 68 different lodging facilities, including cabins, Airbnbs, and hotels. But, the most unique way to experience ice fishing for the first time is by staying in one of the Lake of the Woods sleeper houses.
There are several Lake of the Woods ice fishing resorts that are perfect for anyone new to ice fishing. They offer a full-service experience including ice fishing guides and gear to make the most of your experience.
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Where is Lake of the Woods located?
Lake of the Woods spans across the border of Minnesota into Canada, west of International Falls and north of the Red Lake Reservation and Bemidji. From the Twin Cities, it is about a 5-½ hour drive or 325 miles.
The lake is massive, measuring 85 miles long and 56 miles wide! There are over 14,000 islands and 65,000 miles of shoreline. As a comparison, Lake of the Woods is about 68 times larger (in acreage) than Lake Minnetonka (a popular lake near the Twin Cities).
One unique thing about Lake of the Woods is that the uniquely shaped border shared with Canada creates a small section of land called the Northwest Angle. The Angle is technically part of Minnesota but separated from the rest of the state by land. This makes it only accessible via US waters or by crossing into Canada via land.
When to go Ice Fishing in Lake of the Woods?
Obviously, the weather and conditions vary each season but in general the ice fishing season begins on December 1st and runs through the end of March. Early in the season, it’s best to fish closer to shore and above shallow water until the ice is thick enough to drive on in the deeper parts of the lake.
If you’re nervous about being out on the frozen ice, that’s understandable! It’s a strange feeling. If you book a sleeper house through one of the Lake of the Woods ice fishing resorts they can advise you on the thickness of the ice and discuss any safety concerns you have. It’s in their best interest to keep you safe, plus they maintain the ice roads on the lake and will have a good understanding of the conditions firsthand.
Best Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Resorts
There are a lot of options for Lake of the Woods sleeper houses, some of which are arguably among the best ice fishing resorts in Minnesota!
River Bend Resort
River Bend Resort offers full service sleeper house rentals, meaning that guides will check on you regularly, teach you how to ice fish, and even clean and prepare your fish if you’d like. They also offer gear rental. Live bait is included.
The newer sleeper houses sleep up to 5 adults and include a propane heater, stove, oven, TV, folding chairs, table, ceiling fan, lights and outhouse. The outhouse was very clean, fairly warm and easy to use.
The guides were patient and helpful with our group, which were all first-timers at ice fishing. When a snowstorm and high winds came through on our last day, the guides came to check on us and escort us out on the ice road to make sure we made it back safely.
Pro Tip: If you want to come and go from your ice fishing sleeper house as you please, make sure that the resort you book with maintains ice roads for their guests to use.
Bostic Bay Ice Cabins
Want a more luxury ice fishing experience? Bostic Bay Ice Cabins offers sleeper houses with more space and creature comforts. The beds are located on a loft area and on the main floor there is a finished wood floor, rug, indoor bathroom with a cartridge toilet, and a nicely sized kitchen.
Since they don’t have a website, prices and included services are not listed online but they are responsive via their social media and by phone.
Arnesen’s Rocky Point Resort
Arnesen’s sleeper houses sleep up to 4 adults and include water, propane heat, lights, stove, oven, indoor bathroom with a toilet, and live bait. They do not maintain an ice road, but do provide transportation on their own track vehicles out to your sleeper house.
Pro Tip: Because they do not maintain an ice road, anytime you want to leave your sleeper house, you need to arrange for it with a guide.
Meal plans and fish cleaning are available for an additional cost.
Sleeper Houses on Lake of the Woods: Before You Go
Before you go on your first ice fishing sleeper house experience on Lake of the Woods, there are several things you should do.
Get a Minnesota fishing license.
This is absolutely required and regularly checked by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Find them for purchase at most Holiday gas stations and bait shops but the best option is to search the MN DNR website or purchase one online.
Add a generator onto your sleeper house rental.
Most rental sleeper houses on Lake of the Woods do not include a generator. This is required to do things like charge your cell phone. If you plan to bring electronics that need to be plugged in, you’ll want a propane generator. Alternatively, bring a powerbank to charge smaller electronics.
All of the ice fishing resorts listed above, offer generators for rent but have a limited quantity available.
Verify check-in time.
The check-in time for an ice fishing sleeper house may be earlier than you expect. At River Bend Resort, the guides want to get you setup on the ice around midday but before 4pm so that they can do a final round of checks with all of their guests for the evening. If you are coming from the Twin Cities, this means you may need to leave fairly early in the morning to get there in time.
Consider purchasing a portable propane heater.
The sleeper houses are several miles out on Lake of the Woods. While practically all of them include a propane heater with a thermostat, there is a chance that if the wind blows in just the right way, it could come in the exhaust and cause the heater to stop working.
If the conditions on the lake are challenging (high wind, heavy snowfall) the guides may not be able to come out until morning to help fix it and it could get pretty cold inside the sleeper house if that were to happen.
This is a very rare occurrence, but if you prefer to be prepared it’s worth bringing a Heater Buddy. This portable propane heater is designed to operate safely indoors, runs on small propane tanks used with camp stoves, and costs under $100.
Plan and prep your meals.
Some resorts offer meal plans or maintain ice roads so you can come and go on the ice whenever you want. There are plenty of restaurants on shore and in nearby Baudette. But, it’s likely you will want to prepare at least some of your meals in your sleeper house.
Most sleepers come with a propane stove and oven. Any kitchen utensils, pots, pans, or other items you might use are not included. Some sleepers allow you to bring a small grill. If you have a camping kitchen kit, consider bringing that. Here’s my list of camping basics.
Pro Tip: Check with the resort to confirm what is provided with your rental and what is allowed as far as grills or other kitchen accessories.
Verify whether an ice road is maintained and if a road pass is provided.
As mentioned, some Lake of the Woods ice fishing resorts maintain their own ice road. This means they plow and maintain a drivable road on the ice and mark it with signage. Other resorts either offer access to an ice road maintained by someone else or they have no ice road and transport you to/from your ice house on track vehicles that look kind of like small tanks.
Most ice roads require a “road pass” to manage traffic on the ice. Often these are provided by the resort when renting a sleeper house. Check with your resort to find out if your rental includes a road pass. If it doesn’t, ask where you need to purchase one.
Mentally prepare for the noises on the ice.
If you’ve never been out on the ice before, prepare yourself for the creaks and groans you’ll hear at night. As the temperature and weather changes throughout the day, the ice expands and contracts. The noise from this movement reverberates through the unfrozen water under the ice and you can hear it through the ice fishing holes in the sleeper house.
Pro Tip: If noises like this bother you or you are a light sleeper, consider bringing ear plugs or headphones to wear at night.
Sleeper Houses on Lake of the Woods: What to Expect
Wondering what to expect when you arrive at one of the Lake of the Woods ice fishing resorts? Here’s a rundown.
Check in at the resort and collect any rental gear requested.
Start your adventure by checking in at your Lake of the Woods ice fishing resort. Here they will answer your questions, give you a road pass (if included), and issue any rental gear you reserved. Be sure to display the road pass on your dashboard.
Get escorted out to your sleeper house.
Each resort is a little different, but it’s likely you will be escorted out to your sleeper house by one of the guides. This is helpful so you know how to navigate the ice road.
Pro Tip: If there are turns required to reach your sleeper house, consider “dropping a pin” on Google Maps. It can be especially hard to see turns after the sun sets.
Get familiar with the inside of the sleeper house.
Most sleeper houses have bunk beds with mattresses as well as a folding table and chairs. Expect to bring your own bedding or sleeping bag to use on top of the mattress.
The ice fishing holes are located under hatches in the floor. The propane heater is controlled by a thermostat inside the sleeper house. The resort will typically maintain the level in the propane tank outside.
As for the kitchen, expect a small gas stove and oven next to a built in table surface for meal prep and storage. It’s likely that the sleeper house will have a small battery system that is used to run the overhead lights and ceiling fan. If you want to plug in any other items, be sure to bring or rent a portable generator.
Understand the toilet situation.
The toilets for the sleeper houses on Lake of the Woods will vary significantly. They will range from a (very clean) outhouse next to the sleeper house to a small portable toilet in a separate room inside the sleeper house.
With River Bend Resort, we had an outhouse which was honestly the most clean outhouse I have ever used. Essentially, there is a toilet seat over a bucket. Each time you go to the bathroom, you place a new clean garbage bag over the seat and into the bucket. When you’re finished you tie off the bag and put it in the garbage bin behind the outhouse.
While you might initially assume an indoor toilet is preferred, the benefit of an outhouse is that there are no smells inside of the sleeper house.
Pro Tip: Avoid going to the bathroom on the ice or around the sleeper house. As the snow melts that waste goes into the lake and, for obvious reasons, is just pretty gross.
Drop a line (or two).
There are two fishing holes drills per person inside the sleeper house and a folding chair for each person. For comfort, consider bringing a pad to place on the chair.
Learn from the ice fishing guides.
The guides at River Bend Resort were phenomenal, particularly patient with teaching us ice fishing for beginners. They showed us how to use the live bait, fish finder and even demonstrated ice fishing techniques. Before our guide left the sleeper house we had already caught fish!
Some like to keep one pole passive and gently jig the other by moving it up and down. If you have or rent a sonar fish finder, it’s easy to track the fish.
Pro Tip: Our guide instructed us to run the line along the bottom of the lake and bring it up very slowly. He indicated that very little movement is needed. Best biting on the lake seems to be in the middle of the day, but obviously varies.
Enjoy the sunrise and sunset.
The sunrises and sunsets in northern Minnesota in winter are magical. The sky transforms into pale pink and purple, like cotton candy. Make yourself a cup of coffee or cocktail and go outside to enjoy the peacefulness and beauty.
Lake of the Woods is also a great place to catch the Northern Lights. Use an app like Aurora Tracker to monitor whether the conditions are right to see them. If not, just enjoy the bright stars above. With very little light pollution, the sky comes alive at nighttime.
Have your own happy hour.
It’s true what they say about ice fishing – it pairs well with an adult beverage. Honestly, though, ice fishing is about spending quality time with people you enjoy being around. Bring your favorite drink and some snacks or appetizers to share in the afternoon or evening. If you’re into games, bring a deck of cards or board games!
Prepare a meal.
There’s something surreal about preparing a meal inside an ice fishing sleeper house. Keep it simple and toss a frozen pizza or lasagna into the oven. Or, take it up a notch and prepare a full meal. It’s up to you!
Pro Tip: River Bend Resorts will deliver pizza to your sleeper house! Be sure to place your order earlier in the day through your guide or by phone.
Take a break and explore Baudette.
If you want a break from ice fishing, check out some of the fun things to do in Lake of the Woods and the nearby town of Baudette! Here you’ll find restaurants, shopping, a distillery, a brewery, grocery store, and more. Also nearby is Zippel Bay State Park and Zippel Bay’s unique Igloo Bar which is located out on the ice.
Pro Tip: If you have a road pass, you can come on and off the ice as you wish. If not, arrange your transportation to and from your sleeper house through your resort.
Catch fish in your sleep.
Before you tuck yourself in for bed, drop a line down a hole overnight. Some ice fishing houses have a reel bolted to the wall of the sleeper house and fixed with a bell. If a fish grabs it at night, the bell will go off so you can reel it in.
Pro Tip: The ice fishing holes can freeze over if you close the hatches at night. However, it is very easy to accidentally drop something down one of the holes. Keep valuables away from the holes!
Would you stay in one of these Lake of the Woods sleeper houses?
Staying in a sleeper house and ice fishing on Lake of the Woods is one of the most unique experiences I’ve had in Minnesota. Ice fishing and staying in a sleeper house was unexpectedly empowering and enjoyable for me, but it’s not for everyone. Would you give it a try?
Related content to read next:
Beginner’s Guide to Snowmobiling in Ely MN
Perfect Minnesota Road Trips for a Weekend Getaway
What to Wear for Winter Hiking
Check out my Minnesota travel page for even more inspiration and tips!
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Great tips! I’ve always wanted to try ice fishing, and this guide makes it feel much more approachable. The details on choosing a sleeper house and what to bring are especially helpful. Can’t wait to experience Lake of the Woods for the first time!
Great tips for first-timers! I’ve always wanted to try ice fishing but was unsure about the sleeper houses. Your advice on selecting the right rental and the essential gear really helps. Can’t wait to plan my trip to Lake of the Woods!
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful – and hope you get out on the ice next season. It’s such a unique experience!
Great post! I’ve always wanted to try ice fishing but felt overwhelmed with all the options. The tips on choosing the right sleeper house and what to bring were super helpful. Can’t wait to put this guide into action on Lake of the Woods!
Yes, the creaking of the ice was a bit unnerving at first but I got used to it. The sleeper houses are so comfy it made it easy to fall asleep.
This looks fascinating but I think the creaking of the ice would keep me up all night. I like the idea of the premade serviced units.
I can relate – I’m not super into fishing either but this was a fun experience. And, yes, those sunsets are beautiful!
Thanks, Melanie! Yes, you’ve got to be mentally prepared for the creaks and groans the first time:)
If you’ve done the polar plunge in Antarctica, you should def try out staying in an ice fishing sleeper house! The resort experience is a great way to ease into it, especially for beginners. I think it’d be a fun experience to share with the whole family!
Fishing generally is not one of my hobbies I have to admit, but this really looks like a great experience all together, bunking on the ice, and what incredible sunsets from the ice!!
This sounds like an awesome experience. Love all the tips! Preparing for the creaks and groans is a good one
I must admit that we normally do not go looking for winter adventures. But after having done our polar plunge in Antarctica, maybe that should change. We often see ice fishing huts but never thought about visiting an ice fishing resort. The sleeper houses are sure much of an improvement over those we have seen. And I would definitely add the generator! I may have to try this with our kids one day.
Thanks, Karen! I had a similar vision of ice fishing in the cold or in a small pop-up shanty. This experience opened my eyes! Sadly, I didn’t catch any fish at night but the idea that you can is pretty awesome. I was mostly worried that if I did hear the bell go off at night I might jump up and lose my phone down one of the holes!
It was all very new to me too! I had no idea ice fishing could be so fun and, more importantly, cozy.
I absolutely loved reading this–what a wonderful adventure. I have fond memories of ice fishing in northern MN but nothing as cozy as this. I’d love to be woken up in the night to a fish biting.
Woooah there is so much about this that is completely new to me! I had heard of ice-fishing, but I didn’t know any of the details that you can sleep out there (and poop in a bag) and even catch fish while you sleep! Even that they create and maintain roads on the lake! I always assumed you’d have to hike or ski out to go fishing.
This is so cool!