Updates

Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters is excited to announce our latest partnership with Boundary Waters Outfitters based out of Ely, Minnesota!

There are about 1,175 lakes in the Boundary Waters and every one of them has its own little nuances. Even connected lakes that are seemingly identical will often have significant variation in available species, forage, depth, etc. Simply put, just because you’ve had success on one lake doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be smackin’ them on the next.

Through support from onX’s Access and Stewardship Program, the Tower Area MN DNR & MeatEater, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters is working to create, conserve, and restore wildlife habitat and access in the Northwoods of Minnesota. This summer, Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters (SFBW) has adopted Pine Island Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on Lake Vermilion. The Pine Island adoption is the first project of SFBW’s Stewardship and Habitat Initiative, a program SFBW is excited to implement in multiple spheres in and around the Boundary Waters with partnering agencies, conservation organizations, and outdoor industry leaders.

Forest Service clarifies dog leash law for BWCA hunters: On July 10th, 2024, the United States Forest Service released a press statement to address growing concerns regarding new language that would change how people recreate with their dogs in Superior National Forest. Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters quickly became involved, working with the Forest Service to gain as much clarity as possible.

On Tuesday, April 30th, despite our efforts in Washington D.C., the U.S. House passed H.R. 3195, The Superior National Forest Restoration Act, which reverses critical Boundary Waters protections. In two

I decided to ask around, interviewing people who’ve spent a lot of time fishing in the Boundary Waters to actually figure out how people are fishing in the Boundary Waters and answer a few questions. I kept my questions open-ended on purpose while I interviewed people. “What are your top 5 Boundary Waters lures/flies and briefly, what is your approach to fishing up here?” While we’ll certainly get in-depth with specific tactics in a later volume of The Canoe Country Angler, I wanted this article to instruct people new to fishing the Boundary Waters on what they should start shopping for and to give seasoned anglers a few ideas for lures and baits they may not already be using.

by SFBW staff The Four Features Bill  On Monday, February 12th, 2024, a new bill was introduced to the Minnesota State Legislature that would prohibit specific nonferrous metallic minerals mining

If you’re one of the thousands of anglers who take to the Boundary Waters every year with a fishing rod in tow, you know what everyone else is missing. I recently met with Steve Renneberg of Arrowhead Outdoors in Ely, Minnesota, to talk Boundary Waters fishing. While the minnow tanks bubbled and eager hunters and anglers trickled in and out, we talked for nearly two hours, constantly returning to the same conclusion: fishing in the Boundary Waters is downright incredible. 

Author’s Note: Below is a short excerpt from my new book, The God of Wild Places: Rediscovering the Divine in the Untamed Outdoors. The book tracks my journey out of the church – I used to be a pastor – and into the woods. As the passage below hints, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has been an important part of my healing, which is why I so fervently support the mission of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. If you love the BWCA as much as I do, I hope you’ll find some resonance in the words below, and in the book as a whole.

For anyone interested in exploring the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness this year between May 1st and September 30th, it’s time to start thinking about making reservations through the US Forest Service. The process can seem daunting, but it’s relatively simple to get you and your group ready for an incredible journey in America's most visited wilderness area. In this article, we’ll break down that process and some important considerations when booking your Boundary Waters trip.