Updated February 11, 2026

• Because I get a maddening amount of email scam attempts and solicitations, I have removed the digital directness of my email address.  I have replaced it with a photo of my contact information in the hopes this will reduce the number of unwanted communications that I receive.  At the same time, I hope this is acceptable to my legitimate human friends and guests.  To those unwanted solicitors and scammers, I am not sorry!  (Feb. 11, 2026)
           
• Ice fishing is in full swing with more than 24 inches of ice on area lakes.  Snowmobile trails have been open but their conditions are worsening as we've received little snow in the past several weeks (Feb 11, 2026).
• We had very cold temperatures in late-January.  On the morning of January 24th, our thermometer bottomed-out at more than 40 below F!
                                
• I've had several fun outing fishing on frozen lakes in the area.
                                
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• With my friend Scott, I caught this 38.5 inch northern pike on a Burnett County lake.  I never could have landed the fish without Scott's assistance.  I released this fish which was my personal best.  I caught it on a Clam Predator Tip Up baited with a shiner minnow.  December 23, 2025.
  
• Fishing for bass and panfish on Benoit has been solid during July.
  
  
  
  
   
• Jackie's niece and nephew visited for several days.  They caught some nice bluegills at the deep weed-line on Benoit Lake.  Good Job Layla and Jack!

  
   

• The G. Family had fun over the 4th of July!
  
  
   
• We watched the fireworks display in the town of Shell Lake.  It was a pleasant evening.
  
  
   
• The bass fishing in Benoit and area lakes was very good in June.  Cousin Jack and I had fun catching a bunch one day at a nearby lake.  (June 2025)
  
   
• Bryan and I shared some laughs and good fishing at nearby lakes during late-May, 2025.
  
   
• Les with some nice crappies from Benoit Lake, May 2025.
  
   
• I installed a new sign that my neighbors, Bill and Joyce, gave me.  Thank you Bill and Joyce!
  
   
• Bob and Sue W caught some good crappies in our bay during May, 2025.
  
   
• There was a good panfish bite on Benoit Lake during early-March, 2025.
  
  
   
• I observed NO zebra mussels on a sampling device that I had suspended under a dock during the summer of 2025.  Thank you to all who are careful to clean their boats before launching them into Benoit Lake.
• Zebra mussels were discovered in Big McKenzie Lake in October, 2016 and then in Middle McKenzie in 2017.  Both of these lakes are only a few miles from Benoit Lake but are not directly connected to Benoit Lake.  Zebra mussels are an invasive species that can harm lake ecosystems.  We are concerned that these invaders are so close to our lake.  We encourage all boaters and anglers to be cautious when trailering boats between waters.  These boaters should always completely drain live wells, bait buckets, and lower units when departing a lake to help prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species.  It is typically impossible to rid a lake of an invasive species once it becomes established.  The DNR will continue to monitor Big McKenzie and Middle McKenzie lakes for zebra mussels in 2018.
  I have hung a sampling device from our main dock in the summers of 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.  The device is a series of flat plates layered horizontally.  Larval zebra mussels are free floating and will attach to a hard surface.  When I pull the dock ashore in fall, I inspect the device for evidence of zebra mussels.  I'm told that they would feel gritty on the undersurface of the plates.  Fortunately, I've observed no evidence of zebra mussels in Benoit Lake so far.
  If you take your boat to other lakes, especially Middle McKenzie and Big McKenzie, please be especially careful before launching your boat into Benoit Lake.  Thank you in advance for being extra careful!
• State law prohibits smoking in motel and tourism rooms statewide.  The law went into effect on July 5, 2010.  Smoking is still permitted outside.  We ask that our guests please respect this new law and also properly dispose of their butts.
  
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