Access etiquette

[macminn]

We have a place just west of Mille Lacs. My son in law wants to fish Mille Lacs this weekend. I know in the past it can be kind of dicey getting on to the lake with sleds because of ice shards/heaves, etc.

Last year I went out once, and "snuck" on one of the roads. Felt a little sheepish, but didn't realize the situation until we got there. Just kind of wondering what the protocol is. We'll have 2 sleds, do we go in and pay for the road access for the sleds? Would that mean we pay twice?

As a side note, I did buy all my bait in the summer at the place whose road we used.

[ozzie]

go out of the public access by the casino or any public access and go where you want on the sleds.......or anywhere you can legally access the lake and go fish....with a snowmobile I wouldn't even think about the plowed roads

[JimBuck]

I would also just go out of the public access and make your way to wherever you need to offroad. Off road travel is cake right now and you should have no problem tooling around without paying to use the roads.

[BrdHunter01]

Took the truck out of a public access w no problems last weekend. And hey if u accidentally run Into a plowed road great

[northender]

As near as I know, resorts do not charge if you park on shore, unload sleds or the ATV's, and access the lake via snowmobile or ATV. For example, (I could be wrong but doubt it) Red Door Resort on the north shore only charges for cars and trucks, not ATV's and sleds. You could call them and ask about parking on shore and unloading.

[TravP]

They can't charge you if your on the roads. They don't own water. What they own is the private property that you are crossing to get on to the ice.

[leech~~]

As near as I know, resorts do not charge if you park on shore, unload sleds or the ATV's, and access the lake via snowmobile or ATV. For example, (I could be wrong but doubt it) Red Door Resort on the north shore only charges for cars and trucks, not ATV's and sleds. You could call them and ask about parking on shore and unloading.

Appledorms charges $5 if you park at the resort and unload sleds.

[pushbutton]

this is only MY OPINION.......just go out of one of the resorts and pay them whatever the price is. think it as insurance. insurance on your present trip in case anything goes wrong, and insurance for future trips, in that the roads will still be in existence. no one is getting rich charging you for access, while this year has been easier on the resorts, i am sure there are some years when they are happy just to break even! every time one of these places goes out of business, it opens up the opportunity for the land to be bought up and the possibility for the access point to be closed. yes you can drive on the resort roads once you get out on the lake, but if people do not pay for them, they might not eventually be there!

[TravP]

this is only MY OPINION.......just go out of one of the resorts and pay them whatever the price is. think it as insurance. insurance on your present trip in case anything goes wrong, and insurance for future trips, in that the roads will still be in existence. no one is getting rich charging you for access, while this year has been easier on the resorts, i am sure there are some years when they are happy just to break even! every time one of these places goes out of business, it opens up the opportunity for the land to be bought up and the possibility for the access point to be closed. yes you can drive on the resort roads once you get out on the lake, but if people do not pay for them, they might not eventually be there!

I agree with your post 100%. I was just stating that you can drive on the plowed roads even if you come through a public access. I always pay and come through a resort myself, for the sake of knowing if something goes wrong, the resort is only a phone call away.

[MJ1657]

this is only MY OPINION.......just go out of one of the resorts and pay them whatever the price is. think it as insurance. insurance on your present trip in case anything goes wrong, and insurance for future trips, in that the roads will still be in existence. no one is getting rich charging you for access, while this year has been easier on the resorts, i am sure there are some years when they are happy just to break even! every time one of these places goes out of business, it opens up the opportunity for the land to be bought up and the possibility for the access point to be closed. yes you can drive on the resort roads once you get out on the lake, but if people do not pay for them, they might not eventually be there!

+1

[Walleyehooker]

If I drove my sled to the lake I wouldnt access threw a resort.However if I wanted to unload my sleds I would pay a resort to park and keep an eye on my truck etc.

[pushbutton]

I was just stating that you can drive on the plowed roads even if you come through a public access.

its all good and in no way was calling you out, and glad people have the opportunity to access the lakes at public spots. just making generalizations of the overall trend of the privatization of the lakes, the decline of the mom and pop resorts, state budget issues blah, blah, blah......just think in the future, the people that use the resources are going to have to pay more to do so, and would rather pay joe and jan smoe to do it than a government entity or some big corporate resort. they will do it better for less money!!!!

[mixxedbagg]

I'm not saying you shouldn't support local businesses by any means, but once you're on the lake, you can go anywhere you want, plowed or not. I've heard stories of resort employees trying to intimidate people who have gotten on "their" roads via a public access, but they would be the ones breaking the law.

[kingfish689]

JMO- You have a choice to pay and use the roads and brides that the resort put out or you can use the public access that has no roads and brides .but if you find yourself useing the roads you should pay in good faith. I my self think it is wrong to use the public access just to avoid paying the road fee and then drive right over to the road. the resorts do not own the roads but I think they have a right to ask for some kind of payment for there hard work in putting the roads there. I know it is not against the law to use them without paying but I feel it is morally wrong. Just my opinion

[ldbbeck]

I use public access if conditions allow. When useing public access the plowd roads have been a hinderance as much as helping . For this reason I no longer feel bad about useing a road that leads to where I fish.

[jb426]

Once again FM'ers have gotten off track. Simple answer is park at public access you are free to go where u want on a sled. U don't need plowed roads. If u park at resort either pay them or go in and have lunch or whatever. Like u said last year u used someones road and bought bait there all year. That's what the owner is looking for.