Private Ice Roads on Lake Of The Woods?

[2springers]

Plain and simple. They can only charge you for initial access onto the lake. Once you are on the lake you can go wherever you would like or dare, regardless of who plowed it. And if someone approached me saying I was on "his" road and I had to pay him to stay and fish, Id laugh in his face. Plain and simple.

[bturck]

The imposition of a fine would have to be done through legislative action based on an enacted law. The fine would then be determined by the category of the law ie: misdameanor, gross misdameanor etc. To arbitrarily say a fine is emminent if you drive on that road would have no legal basis in a court of law. I understand the guy busting through the snow to make a path to his houses, but he still does not own the water and therefore no legal means to restrict the usage. Respect for not fishing, or drilling holes directly on the road I think goes without saying. Just not the thing to do. Good luck and hang on. Bill

[18 inch Crappie]

You guys are off the mark.... I called Adrian's and spoke to one of the owners and she said, she has not heard of this and told me I could drive anywhere I wanted on or off her road as long as I bought a pass from them.

[Freewheeler]

Roscoe16 Why don't you just come out and tell us which place or motel put up these signs? At least that way we will know who to give our respect to. You wouldn't think they would be ashamed to see there name in print here on this forum if they are brave enough to threaten you with fines that big before you even get fishing. Might even be advertising for them. After all, isn't this what this forum is suppose to be about, information sharing?

[otis32]

Note from admin, please read forum policy before posting again, Thank you.

[Roscoe16]

As I pointed out multiple times already, it was not Adrian's who put up the signs. They do a great job of plowing and I am more than willing to pay them to cross their property to access the lake. The signs were placed on roads made off of Adrian's main road by a different resort. If some of you don't believe me, that is entirely up to you. Someone DID corroborate my story here. And the reason I am not divulging the resort whose name was on the signs is because I believe I would be in violation of the forum policy here if I did. If any of you want to know the name, post your email address here and I will email it to you.

Roscoe16

[CANOPY SAM]

I just hauled my 10 x 20 ft. sleeper out on Adrian's road last Sunday. I payed the $8 fee, and asked if they might have someone to help me plow a side road I could park the house on.

Unfortunately, the Adrian's plow guys were all pretty shot from plowing snow all night, so I couldn't get any committment. I completely respect that.

There's more snow on LOW than I've ever seen, and winter's just begun. I genuinely wonder, if the snow and wind keep coming, how long they'll be able to even maintain any roads up there.

I called a neighboring resort and asked the same question. Their guy not only helped me get to my house to move it, but came out on the lake a few miles and plowed a side road I could park on. The price was amazingly fair considering the time and gas money he put in to give me a hand.

Personally, I guess if someone is so passionate about getting reimbursed for using "their road" I'd opt to not mess with them. They're not obligated to plow you a road just because you want to go fishing on Lake of the Woods.

I'm just extremely grateful to the resort owners all over LOW for their willingness to serve the varied desires of their clients. It's got to get old, hour after hour, day after day, month after month, blah, blah, blah. Complaining, complaining, complaining....

On a side note, I'm always amazed by how territorial people get about fish and game. People actually shoot, and kill each other over deer hunting stands. There are fist fights in cleaning houses, and people threatened and berated constantly over public, and private "spots".

Fish swim. That means, without barriers, they can move a long way in a short time, and they do. Deer run, and birds fly.

I think you get the point.

It was only a few short years ago that no one had wheel-houses, or portables. We drove up to LOW and fished where we could on the open ice, or we rented a house from the resort and fished where they put us - and that was okay.

Relax. I can't think of too many things that are free anymore. Five bucks doesn't even buy you a scoop of shiners . It's now way more economical to buy your walleye fillets in the grocery store.

[harvey lee]

Whenever I'm using a road plowed on a lake by a resort, I'm more than happy to pay the fee.

lets just think for a minute about the fees charged, if no one plows the roads, how are we going to go fishing in most of these locations.

I will never complain about a resort good enough to keep a road open for me to go fishing and I will always pay the fee they ask for.

I think if we all knew what it costs these resorts to purchase the truck and gas, maintain the truck and put insurance on it, we would not see it as a big money maker but rather a service to the fisherman.

If I think the resort is charging too much, then I should go to the public access and try to get around on the lake without a road. lets see, my tranny would run approx $2,000.00 to repair that after i tore it up trying to get around and how much life would be taken out of my truck with that plow on the front end?

Oh ya, I need to purchase a plow also.

[only ice]

Sorry for saying some not so good things about people on this topic! Got a little upset at some of the things said. Wont happen again. Good fishing to all here!!

[Red Miller]

Harvey, (not to beat a dead horse here) but I dont think the issue ever was about paying a hard working resort owner to access the lake through their property and use their road. Im all for it and thank them for it.

The original issue was the guy who went out on that road, blew another road off of that road and then staked it out like it was his property. Thats the clown we all have an issue with.

Just to keep things straight here.

[shadyzr]

This happens down around Millacs lake also. A couple years ago I had my wheel house down on the south end out of a resort that charged $10 road fee. That was ok till i went to spend an over nighter in the house with my family. She asked if I was staying over night, and I said yes. She then said that will be $20!

I said, "so your charging me to rent the ice over night". I paid it and never paid them again. I have a one ton ford 4x4 dually with chains all around, 6" lift, and a V-plow on the front. Basicly unstopable. I plowed a road from the public access to her road. 2 guys came out a few days later and tryed to get money out of me by bullying me, that did'nt work when I stood-up. I called the local C.O. and he was there in 15 min. He told the 2 guys not to bother me again or he would ticket them both for disorderlly.

They tryed to plow my road shut and plow snow around my house to no avail, I'd just bust my own trail again. I do abide by the resorts wishes as long as they treat me right, I treat them right. On another note, I was going to put my house on the lake on the east side and the resort owner told me access was $10 without wheel house, $30 with. And I was suppose to bring the house off at the end of the day. I said forget it. Some resorts hate wheel houses, because their losing money by the people not renting the resort houses. I know the resorts work hard and all that, but they're getting paid for their sevices. If they were'nt making money, I sure would'nt do it for nothing. When I come up to LOW, I am greatful of most the resort owners for their hospitallity and help, If they say not to go down a plowed road for their houses, I stay off, just being respectful.

Hope I did,nt upset the cart, good fishing!

[Fishing Freak]

[email protected]

[hardwaterjig]

There is alot whineing about the plowed roads on the ice.I don't understand why?!!! The resort owners up spend alot of time and money plowing roads up here!!If they did not plow the roads there would not be many people out there fishing. They cannot control the snowfall.They always will plow spots for wheelhouses and you can also ask them to. They always will try to accomindate the public. Also the wheelhouses will pay the road fee for one day and maybe stay on the lake for 2 3 4 5 days sometimes.They bring all their gas: food and bait for as long as they plan to stay!!They don't spend any money at the stores baitshops or resorts. This is what they make their living from!! Iknow its not true about everyone with wheelhouses but it is with some of them. Please give the resort owners a little common courtesy and respect.Everyone thinks its so cheap to live up here they better think again. Come on up and give it a try.

[JeffB]

I think 95% of the resorts and people that maintain the ice roads do a great job and deserve everything they earn. I think most fishermen are happy to pay for their great service. But this guy with the $500 dollar fine thing is wrong and I think its great that people expose these things if they happen. I haven't seen the sign but I did get chewed a new one once for using a branch off adrians that someone said was their road. If he would have asked for some money and explained that he maintained that trail I would have given him something. But I don't need to be yelled at after already paying to get on the ice. I don't know If it was the same guy, but he sure sounds the same. Resorts live or die by word of mouth so go ahead and say when you have a good trip who treated you right.

[Boar]

I thought we pay to access the lake by crossing one's land, there just happens to be a nice road on the other side that they choose to maintain, The nicer the road the more people, the more they maintain the road to good fishing spots, the more people, it kinda a win win for the resorts aint it? build it an they will come. Bummer that a guy was threatining to extort money for a choice he made on public water. All the resorts do an awsome job an I'm surprised they dont charge more to cross their land to nice roads for ice fishing. And I would pay it. I plopped my camper down by lil' gull rock, A guy with his boss plow had plowed a nice little off shoot from the main road that babbler plows, The off shoot that was plowed is probabley 150 to 200 yards long an the width of a city street. This guy did not come out an charge me to use his road cause he cant, It's not his road, it's a road he chose to develope but he dose not own it, but he deserves a huge thank you an some fish when I run into him, maybe some bear sausage. Anyway, Thanks to all those that coose plow a road or an off shoot an those that help when it's needed. Later boar

[18 inch Crappie]

Just got back, I should have took some pics but did not. There are signs all over the place by resorts using Adrians road and plowing their own roads off to the sides. I see why they do it. If you drilled a hole on their road 5 inches of water would come up and flood the area out (trust me I tried it and learned quick) I see they're point now at least this year with so much snow. The roads they are plowing are about 4 truck wide and they place the houses in the middle with a trail around both sides of the house, so if you used their road you would have to drive with in 5 feet of someones house and if you set up you would block access to the rental houses forther down the road. They do not own the ice but you have to respect what they are doing and if you wanted to start a fight then park on the road and see what happens.

[Roscoe16]

Then how about a sign that says "Please Don't Drill Holes On The Road" rather than "NO PORTABLES - $500 FINE!!!"

You're right, they don't own the ice.

Roscoe16

[pinkfloyd4ever]

I'm with Roscoe on this, I respect the other point that someone is putting the time in to plow a road but they can't be harassing people into paying just because someone drove on it, or block them from driving on it. Flip it around to open water and that would be similar to dock owners charging fees if you cast or trolled by them

[Jethro80]

extortion?

[rem870]

Roscoe16 is dead on with this one. I have to think that you guys that are speaking up for the resorts are not visualizing what is actually going on. Adrians is the only resort that has a right to charge a fee. Adrians does a fine job and makes the lake accessible to thousands of ice fishermen who don't want to walk out 5 miles to fish. This posting of side roads is however a different issue all together. These other guys who shall remain nameless due to policy, are trying to privatize a public resource that provides there livelihood. I was fishing on Christmas morning and pulled off Adrians main road and on to a side road that had been plowed in.I drove through 10 inches of snow to get on the relatively clean side and then drove down a ways and pulled off the side road fifty feet into the snow with my pick-up and set up my portable. I had been fishing for a few hours when a "resort pick up"(not Adrians)came by and opened the side road and checked one of there houses, then drove off. Then a few hours later I packed it up and headed shallow for the evening. On my way out I noticed the sign that he had posted at the entrance of the side road. DO NOT SET UP PORTABLES OFF PLOWED ROAD. I then set up shallow facing the main road hoping to see the guy drive by again and discuss this sign with him. These guys have no right to declare any part of the lake as there own. As stated previously don't drill in any of the plowed roads otherwise get out there and enjoy your resource.

[WalleyesWest]

Tough subject. I have been on both sides. It all comes down to commensense!!!! Don't drill holes on or near the plowed roads, don't use the resort houses for wind brakes "setup off their back wall 5ft seen it done manny times", and their is many more stories i can tell but any way. If you respect the resorts they will give you respect. Everyone is out to have FUN but a few bad apples ruin it for everyone else. This is why the resorts have put signs up like this A FEW BAD APPLES. Subjects like this is why I am no longer working on the ice, it made me almost hate fishing. It not always so called Tourists either.