Ballard’s Resort on Lake of the Woods
There are fishing trips, and then there are the ones you talk about for years. The kind where the walleye bite just doesn’t quit, and somewhere in the middle of it all, a 50-inch muskie decides to make things unforgettable — the kind of story that only gets better every time you tell it.
For anglers who find their way to the far northern edge of Minnesota, that story often begins at Ballard’s Resort on Lake of the Woods — and, for many, continues just across the border to the remote Canadian waters of Ballard’s Black Island.
Together, the two family-owned and -operated destinations offer something rare in today’s fishing world: different settings, different feels — but the same pursuit of unforgettable days on the water.
At Ballard’s Resort, the experience is immediate and electric. Set on Minnesota’s famed Lake of the Woods, it’s where first-timers quickly learn what all the buzz is about. The lake stretches endlessly, the walleye bite is consistent and the opportunity is real — whether you’re chasing limits of walleye or hunting down a trophy that earns a permanent place in your memory.
Then there’s Ballard’s Black Island.
This remote boat-in private island is on the Ontario side of Lake of the Woods. Ballard’s Black Island trades road noise for wind in the pines and crowded waters for miles of untouched nature. Here, anglers spread out across miles of pristine water, targeting trophy walleye, monster muskie, explosive bass and wicked pike. They call it the Grand Slam if you catch all four in a single day.
For many guests, the real magic lies in experiencing both.
Ballard’s Black Island
They begin at Ballard’s Black Island, where you jig for walleyes in the morning and cast for muskies in the afternoon. It’s the kind of place where you explore first and figure things out as you go — working shorelines, drifting reefs and chasing that one fish you’ll be talking about long after the trip ends.
Then, just when they think it can’t get any better, they head south to Ballard’s. The pace changes. What was once a search becomes a system — guides on walleye, patterns locked in and steady action that keeps rods bent and spirits high.
For anglers who experience it, it doesn’t feel like two trips — it feels like one complete story, finished exactly the way it should be. Go to ballardsresort.com for more information and set the hook!
