Perch
fishing in each of the past three years has improved over the
previous year. Our 2007/2008 winter success was excellent when
we could get to our favorite perch spots but . . .
there were periods when
access was difficult. We had many sub minus 20 degree days,
frequent light snows, and lots of wind blowing our ice roads closed.
Except for those 10 or so days, guests were thrilled with the
success and size of the fish caught.
We wrapped up our guided
operation March 13. We thank all our guests and look forward
to seeing you again in 2009.
To insure each guest personalized
attention from our guide staff, we limit the number of guests so
book early to insure your choice of dates.
Portable "Otter" two person
ice shelters to follow active fish
Free fish cleaning
Overnight lodging in high
quality 3 and 4 bedroom homes
A continental breakfast in
our comfortable lodge
Due to the large size of our
lodging units we require: A three person minimum and
a two night minimum per group.
Late February Jumbo Perch
Leech Lake is legendary for it’s Jumbo Perch.
It has an irregular shore line with
large points and bays ranging from 4 feet to 170 feet of depth.
It receives much less fishing pressure than Mille Lacs Lake.
Two of the premier ice fishing "hot spots" of Pine Point and Grand
View Flats are just minutes from Brindley’s Harbor Resort.
Each persons daily perch limit is 20 fish and you may have up to 40
perch in your possession.
Brindley’s uses
four commercially
manufactured aluminum ice houses from Klave manufacturing plus one wood frame
unit. They are heated, lighted, and comfortably hold 4-5 anglers each.
Additionally our guides employ portable "Otter" two person day houses to help you stay with the fish schools
and still have shelter. If the lake roads are snowed over we provide transportation
to your ice house via utility snowmobiles.
Tim Campbell (left) and Greg Campbell (right) with one of our guests and the afternoon catch of Jumbo Perch.
Our full time on ice guides are Greg and Tim Campbell (resort owner
family members), and Mike Bridges, an 12 year full time employee. Mike is
often the focus of attention for our summer visitors when cleaning fish. He
can professionally fillet a fish about every 18 seconds !
We host a maximum of 18 angling guests at a time so
Mike, Greg and Tim, (plus Paris and Jean and the housekeeping staff in
support roles), can continue to provide their famous Brindley's service at a
personalized level.
A typical day starts between 7:00 and 8:00 am with a continental
breakfast in the lodge. By this time the guides have been on the lake to
warm the permanent ice houses and open their fishing holes. About 8:00,
conditions permitting, guests can follow the guides to the ice houses in their
own vehicles. After opening a series of fresh ice holes in the selected
area, the guides spend time fishing with, coaching, instructing and
enjoying the company of our guests.
If catching is difficult or if large schools of fish are not
evident the guides will set off to try and locate active fish. Finding
active fish for our guests is our top priority. On a lake with 112,000 acres
this is both a challenge and an opportunity.
If the guides are successful in locating a more productive area, they will
return, advise all of the possibilities, and help guests move and get set up
in a new target area. This involves drilling 6 - 10 new holes per angler
and setting up portable shelters. We feel that moving frequently adds
considerably to everyone's overall success but in the heart of a northern
Minnesota winter the logistics can become difficult. Anglers with
their own portable shelters, ice augers, and ATV's or snowmobilies are
encouraged to bring them.
Generally our fishing sites are within
3-9 miles of the resort so guests can return to the resort for lunch if they wish. The fishing day ends about 4:30. Perch seldom bite well
after dark and at our latitude, "dark" equates to about 5:00 pm.
At days end guests
can settle in at the lodge or in their deluxe housekeeping home for relaxation while the guides fillet and package the days catch. Almost all our
guests have good success and enjoy the excellent facilities at Brindley's Harbor
Resort. Much of the fun of course is simply enjoying the wonders of Leech
Lake in the company of friends and family.
Ice Fishing Photos
(From 2006. 2007 fishing was also excellent but we took
fewer photos)
The following excerpt is from the
MN Department of Natural Resources "Leech Lake Update" dated September 25, 2006.
Leech Lake Gillnet Sampling
. . . There is more good news from our
gillnet survey. The catch of yellow perch in the main lake increased
dramatically from last year, primarily perch less than 7 inches in
length. This is likely the result of good natural reproduction and
the double-crested cormorant control over the past two years. With a
larger population of small yellow perch currently in the lake,
better catches of big yellow perch are likely to follow in the
coming years. Anglers this fall, however, are catching good numbers
of big yellow perch.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click "Back" on your browser to return to this page
2007/2008 Ice Fishing
Package
Midweek
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
nights
Weekends
Friday and Saturday nights
$105.00
each person per night Including all taxes
$125.00
each person per night Including all taxes
Two night minimum. $200 deposit
per lodging unit. Storm cancellations - deposits applied to rescheduled winter
reservations. 6.5% State Sales Tax and 3% Lodging Tax included in
price. We accept personal checks, VISA & Master Card. Telephone reservations held
seven days without deposit. Deposits and reservations will be confirmed by mail. Sorry, no pets.
Please observe the following
guidelines so your facilities may be properly prepared for you.
Check-In:
Ice House . . Arrival Day, after 1:30 PM
Lodging . . . Arrival Day, after 4:00 PM
Check-Out:
Ice House . . Departure Day, prior to 11:30
AM
Lodging . . . Departure Day, prior to 10:00 AM
Also please note:
- In the year 2000 Minnesota initiated an on-line electronic License
Identification Number program. Brindley's no longer sells licenses.
You can purchase your license via telephone by calling 888-665-4236.
You will need to have a credit card (MN residents also need their
drivers license #) and you will be issued a ID # which authorizes
you to fish immediately. Alternatively you can still purchase a
license at larger area sporting goods retailers. Near the end of our
"Leech Lake Fishing" page there is
information on fishing license costs, seasons and limits.
- In addition to a license, you need to bring
groceries, personal items including bath towels and bath soap,
fishing tackle and your choice of live bait.
Winter Fishing
Lodging: (Included in Ice Fishing
Package)
Visiting guests have first option for the
same lodging and (approximate) calendar dates the following year. If a
departing guest has not renewed a reservation the lodging unit is available
to others.
Click on our
" Availability
Calendars" page to see current openings.
(Then click
"Back" on your browser bar to return to this page).
Oak Ridge House:
(minimum 5 people, maximum 11 people)
Our Oak Ridge House is a deluxe year 'round home well suited
as a base for enjoying a north woods winter. There is a full kitchen,
3 baths, 2 stone fireplaces, a dish washer, and a clothes washer and
drier on the lower level to deal with wet clothing.
TV/VCR. Click here on Oak Ridge House
to see photos and a complete description.
Cottage "B":
(minimum 3 people, maximum 6 people)
We winterized our popular summer "Cottage B" for winter use
in 1999. It has a full kitchen and 3 bedrooms, (a queen bed in one
bedroom and 2 twins each in the other bedrooms). There is also a
hide-bed-couch in the living room to bring the total sleep capacity to 6.
There is a full bath and an additional 1/2 bath. The interior is
knotty pine and it has a Heat-N-Glo glass front stove to provide a warm
glow to the cozy north woods ambiance. TV. Click here on
Cottage B to see photos and a complete
description.
Luxury Log Homes "16 and 17":
(minimum 6 people, maximum 8 people per unit)
New in 2003. Four spacious bedrooms per unit.
May be rented as individual 4 bedroom units or a combined 8 bedroom complex.
Each unit features a fireplace, 2 & 1/2 baths, a luxury 2 person
whirlpool, dishwasher, and many wonderful amenities. This is
definitely not "roughing it". Click here on
Log Homes 16 and 17 to see
photos and a complete description.
All
accommodations have lots of secure parking for vehicles and trailers. Brindley's
lodge, store, and game center are open all winter. Snacks and
beverages are available to compliment lively conversation.
Sorry - No Pets Allowed
For current local ice and snow conditions
plus the weather forecast click, "Weather"
To return to this page click "Back" on your browser bar.
If the guides are successful in locating a more productive area, they will
return, advise all of the possibilities, and help guests move and get set up
in a new target area. This involves drilling 6 - 10 new holes per angler
and setting up portable shelters. We feel that moving frequently adds
considerably to everyone's overall success but in the heart of a northern
Minnesota winter the logistics can become difficult. Anglers with
their own portable shelters, ice augers, and ATV's or snowmobilies are
encouraged to bring them.
