Lodge of Luxury

Turtle Bay Lodge is not your everyday rustic fishing camp. Already an angler’s (or hunter’s) answer to a luxurious getaway–think of it as silver service meets a shore lunch–this exclusive Lake of the Woods resort has recently expanded.

Turtle Bay Lodge sits on 40 acres of privately owned land, among towering tamaracks and pines on Big Narrows Island, 25 miles down Lake of the Woods and accessible by water or float plane only.

“The lodge is under going an extreme renovation with the square footage more than tripling in size,” says Brad Doerksen, general manager of Salisbury Cruises. Now with about 6,000 sq. ft. of living space and 2,500 sq. ft. of deck, it’s a lot of upscale wilderness accommodation, fine dining and fun.

Doerksen manages the Grace Anne II, a 1931 85-foot yacht owned by the same company that owns Turtle Bay Lodge. The lodge was built in the early ‘80s by 3M Company, and used in conjunction with the Grace Anne II to run three- to five-day corporate fishing and hunting trips, Doerksen explains. Today, that’s still the case and groups larger than eight who take an excursion on the luxury yacht are accommodated at the lodge.

Professional fishermen, avid hunters and corporate executives are still a large part of the lodge’s clientele, with a day out on the water or in the woods accompanied by professional guides. However, the exclusive resort has also welcomed wedding parties and private family gatherings.

To accommodate both business and pleasure, the newly renovated lodge has an 1,100-square-foot media and games room, including a flat-screen TV, pool table and high-speed Internet. There are also private workspaces with a fax and phone, for those who must bring their work to the lake. 

Other renovations include an open concept kitchen and a new 1,700-square-foot bedroom wing, where every room now has walk-out access and a view of the lake. 

After snagging that prize walleye, muskie or grouse, guests can enjoy a glass of wine from the collection of fine wines in the new walk-in wine cellar or a Cuban cigar kept fresh in the humidor just off of the library room. 

If fish and wild game aren’t your thing, the resort offers all kinds of other activities on and off the water. On a hot day, swimming, water-skiing, kneeboarding, kayaking or canoeing are all great options to enjoy the lake, while landlubbers can go hiking or take a guided eco, photography or nature tour. 

And if that’s not enough, there’s a full regulation-size trap shooting range where you can take aim at a few clay pigeons. And whether your targets are clay or the real thing, the lodge will also supply the guns.

After a day of hunting, hiking or water sports, a cedar hot tub and cedar barrel wood-fired sauna await you on the deck, complete with lakeside views and nightly star show. 

Turtle Bay Lodge will be open in June 2011.