Garden Lake Blog
Stay with us at Garden Lake Resort and fish the Kawishiwi River Chain BWCAW
BWCA RESERVATIONS & PERMITS
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While the lakes may be covered with ice and snow, plenty of fish are hungry and waiting to grab hold of one of your fishing lures. This is the best time of the year to go after crappie, as they are now at depths that can easily be reached with “standard” equipment. The walleye and northern fishing can be equally as exciting and productive here on Garden Lake! Many of the lakes that usually are too difficult to get into in the summer are now easily reached by snowmobile, snowshoes, cross-country skis or even a sled dog team. You can break your own trail or travel on any number of well-groomed or packed routes. Your fishing trip can be as comfortable or as rugged as you like. Many people combine winter camping with an extended trip out onto their favorite Ely area lake. Others prefer day trips in the comfort of a heated fish house and at the end of the day they relax in the comfort of their room or cabin.
Snowmobile Trails
MN State Snowmobile Trails officially open on December 1. A recent law change: A snowmobile that is registered after July 1, 2012 and received 06/30/2015 expiration does not need the snowmobile state trail sticker to operate on state or grant-in-aid trails. The snowmobile registration fee was increased to cover the trail sticker cost. An individual who possesses an unexpired MN snowmobile registration that was issued before July 1, 2012 must continue to display a valid snowmobile trail sticker until the snowmobile is renewed. A snowmobile that is not registered in the state of MN must purchase a trail sticker.
Garden Lake Resort is ready for Winter Festival. Now that the lake is frozen, we are beginning to hear the thumping and moaning as the lake makes ice with single digit nightly temps. Dianna and I are excited about our winter guests returning to fish, dogsled, ski, snowmobile, or just hang out in the peace and quiet of a winter experience at Garden Lake. The economy and the fiscal cliff weigh on all our minds as we enter 2013. Our response to this situation is to have no increase in rates for 2013, and in some instances you will actually see a reduction in the rate depending on your dates and numbers in your party. Check out the 2013 rate schedule at our web site: www.gardenlakeresort.com If you have never stayed with us in the winter, why not check out Ely’s Winter Festival, February 1st-10th 2013. http://www.elywinterfestival.com or the Wolf Track Classic dog race, February 23rd, 24th http://www.wolftrackclassic.com There is so much going on in and around Ely all weekends and during the week! Queen beds and air conditioning for 2012 were a welcome addition in making your stay at Garden Lake Resort more comfortable. We will continue to do upgrades for 2013 which include all new beds for all cabins, additional new queens in Moose, Loon & Bear cabins and some new bathroom remodeling. Book early to be guaranteed your cabin and dates. Ely continues to be a top vacation destination for Minnesota and the Nation! Thank you all for your patronage and past business while staying at Garden Lake Resort. We look forward to seeing you all again. Call anytime to book or just chat! Toll free 1-855-365-5498 Mark & Dianna Ellerbroek Garden Lake Resort
It’s true, "If you can walk, you can snowshoe." Most people do well without any formal training and it doesn’t require a lot of special techniques. You can start today, and have fun immediately!
Snowshoes are highly maneuverable, allowing one to go places where cross-country skiers and snowmobilers cannot go. Comparing hiking in the other three seasons and hiking in the winter snow via snowshoes, is the experience of the quiet and serenity of the snow-covered landscape.
The lakes in the area are forming some nice clear ice which is suitable for foot traffic up to about five inches in places. While this is the norm for foot travel, no ice should be considered safe. It's always wise to drill as you go and have adequate emergency tools with you. One should wear a life jacket or flotation suit and carry a set of ice picks. If you are going to be out with or near others, a good length of rope and a throwable flotation cushion. Bunching up at this time is not a good idea, so keep your distance from each other so that if someone goes through, they aren't taking others along with them.
Walleyes up to twenty inches have been taken on a local area lake, with many more smaller fish in the mix. Active jigging with small spoons such as Buck shot rattlers, Rattlin Flyers, or Frosties tipped with either waxies or a minnow heads can be deadly for early ice walleyes. Thumping the bottom with Lindy darters and Salmo chubby darters stirs up the bottom sediment and that can be the dinner bell for perch and walleyes which can draw them in from a distance.
Travel by car or snowmobile in Fun Run 2013 January 26, 2013 to the towns of Babbitt, Tower and Ely and increase your chances of winning over 200 prizes. Money raised will go to support Snowmobile Trails in Ely, Babbitt and Tower! Prize drawings will be held at Fortune Bay Resort and Casino at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Your $20 pre-registration will automatically be entered for the Fun Run Grand Prizes. You need not be present to win for these prizes. Plus, Bonus Prize Tickets will be given to you on the day of the Fun Run. When you register at one of the three Check-In Points you will receive your Trail Map and one Bonus Ticket, at your next Check-In Point you'll get two more Bonus Tickets and at your third and final Check-In, you'll get an additional three Bonus Tickets for a total of 6! Support your trails, have a great time with your friends and family and have a great chance of winning prizes. A fun, fun day for ALL AGES with Fun Run 2013 on January 26, 2013! Stay at Garden Lake Resort for your accomadations 855-365-5498 www.gardenlakeresort.com www.snowmobilefunrun.com
For a breath-taking winter dogsledding adventure, nothing compares to driving a dog team or just riding along in a dog sled. In Ely there are more sled dog trip providers than anywhere else in the world.
No experience required! Your sled dog guide has spent countless hours training their dogs all year long so that you can experience an enjoyable trip. Your sled dog guide will teach you everything you need to know for your mushing experience and you will learn how to harness the sled dog team and maneuver your very own sled.
While the lakes may be covered with ice and snow, plenty of fish are waiting to grab hold of one of you fishing lures. This is the best time of the year to go after trout, as they're at depths that can be reached with "standard" equipment. Walleye, northern and crappie fishing can be equally as exciting and productive. Many of the lakes that are too difficult to get into in the summer are now easily reached by snowmobile, show shoes, cross-country skis or dog team. You can break your own trail or travel on any number of well-groomed or packed routes. Your fishing trip can be as comfortable or as rugged as you like. Many people combine staying at a warm lakeside cabin like Garden Lake Resort with an extended trip into their favorite lake. Others prefer day trips in the comfort of a heated fish house. All in all, don’t let a little cold and ice stop you from fishing all year round. Follow this link to the MN DNR site for your fishing license and information. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/fishing/index.html?type=fishing While in Ely, try out all the local restaurants and stores for the perfect Christmas items on your list! www.gardenlakeresort.com