In the vast inland ocean that is Lake of the Woods, 14-year-old Connor Halsa somehow hooked a wallet full of money lost by an Iowa farmer a year earlier.

At Quarterdeck Resort on Gull Lake near Brainerd, Minn., the lodge once painted coastal white has been redone in a stylish black. That's just the beginning of the resort's revamp.

Fishing guide Travis DeWitt of Ballard’s Resort landed this 27-inch walleye Sunday morning, May 11, 2025, while guiding a group of fishermen on the Rainy River north of Baudette, Minn.

On Lake of the Woods, though, there's always the chance of a big walleye. Banish, the youngster in our crew at a mere 30 years old — the rest of us ranged in age from 50 to 68 — found that out ...

Sponsored content by guest writer Gary Moeller, managing partner of Ballard’s Resort Apr 28, 2025 Updated Apr 28, 2025 0 ...

Sponsored content by guest writer Gary Moeller, managing partner of Ballard’s Resort Apr 28, 2025 Updated Apr 28, 2025 0 4 min to read Photo provided by Ballard’s Resort ...

Sponsored content by guest writer Gary Moeller, managing partner of Ballard’s Resort Apr 28, 2025 Apr 28, 2025Updated Apr 28, 2025 0 4 min to read Photo provided by Ballard’s Resort ...

Measuring a trophy fish on Lake of the Woods means you have met up with a 30 inch walleye — 50 inch musky — 20 inch smallmouth bass — 40 inch northern pike.

“I put 400 people through our resort in a summer, and I haven’t had any cancellations,” said John Naimian, owner of Oak Lake Lodge on Ontario’s English River system.

Ron Nies (left) of Minneapolis caught this 28-inch walleye Sunday, May 12, 2024, on Lake of the Woods while fishing with guide Zach “ZB” Brown of Ballard's Resort.