Great Fishing at Iowana Beach Resort

Location! Location! Location! Iowana Beach Resort gives guests the convenience and manageability of a small lake along with easy access to larger challenging lakes. Its location on the ever-productive Portage Lake is ideally situated between two world-renown Minnesota fisheries - Lake Winnie and Leech Lake. Few Minnesota fishing resorts can offer anglers similar proximity to three outstanding fisheries.

Lake Winnibigoshish: When talk turns to walleye fishing in Minnesota, few lakes enjoy the reputation Lake Winnie has as one of Minnesota's premier walleye fishing lakes. Lake Winnibigoshish offers great fishing for walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, muskie, crappie, perch and panfish.

Leech Lake: Leech Lake is famous for its outstanding fishing for nearly all species. In addition to excellent walleye fishing angler's can find trophy muskies and abundant northern pike. Fisherman also find some of the best bass fishing anywhere in Minnesota in addition to crappie, perch and panfish.

Portage Lake: We'll let you in on a well-kept secret...Portage Lake offers great Minnesota fishing opportunities! The lake receives relatively little fishing pressure due to its proximity to well-known fisheries and its largely undeveloped shoreline. Although managed by the DNR primarily for walleye, anglers will find great northern, slab crappies and fantastic panfish just waiting for your hook!

Words of Wisdom About Fishing Portage Lake

Portage Lake - a well-kept secret among anglers.Portage Lake is approximately 1,500 acres with a maximum depth of 53 feet. The median depth is 15 feet with a good variety of bottom structure. It harbors a large variety of species for the serious and recreational angler. Good numbers of walleye, perch, bass, crappie, northern pike and sunfish can be found.

Walleye can be found along the drop-offs, sunken islands, and center bar. The majority are caught in late May and early June as well as late in the season. Depending on the time of year Lindy Rigs and leeches, bottom bouncers and Shad Raps work well. Jigs tipped with minnows are also a "must try."

Perch are everywhere from around the docks to deeper water and around the weeds & reeds. If the kids want to "catch fish" this is the species of choice! Jig and a minnow or a hook, minnow and a bobber are usually sure bets.

A large crappie population swim the waters of Portage Lake. We had many 16 inch crappie caught this past winter and a record 17 inch caught. 12-13 inch crappie are a regular site in the fish cleaning house. Try using small crappie jigs and minnows in the weeds early in the season. They move out to 12 to 20 feet of water as the weather warms. Locators help locate the schools of crappie. We also have some "crappie cribs" just out from the resort which hold a lot of fish all summer. Sunnies can be picked up when fished in pockets in the weeds as well as the reed edges. Don’t be surprised when you pull out Sunnies over 11 inches.

A pretty good northern pike population can be found in Portage Lake. Because of the high perch population the northerns don't lack for bait fish and can be finicky at times. You might try casting around weeds as well as trolling Rapalas; spinnerbaits can work well also. The color scheme of choice is in the yellow/green/orange family to replicate perch - their main forage food.

Largemouth bass are an under-fished commodity and their numbers and size make them a fish to target. You'll usually have to "go in the weeds" for them. Go into the reeds quietly and cast spinnerbaits and weedless top water lures. Portage Lake has an abundant stock of 3-5 pound bass.

For the family who wants fish to eat, you should have no problem filling the skillet! We encourage anglers practice Catch & Release. Releasing the bigger "spawners" keeps the Minnesota fishing tradition alive for future generations. The trophy fish you catch is likely the "spawner" released years before!

Happy Casting!

For more information on fishing Minnesota waters check out these helpful links:

State Fishing Regulations
Fishing Season Information
State Record Fish
Resident Fishing License Information
Non-Resident Fishing License Information

Questions? Please feel free to call us at 1-877-665-2311.