Northwest Angle of Minnesota

The Most Northern Part of the USA

The Northwest Angle of Minnesota (affectionately called "The Angle" by Minnesotans and those who vacation there) is the most northern part of the United States. A small piece of the state juts about thirty miles north of the rest of Minnesota.

Unless you travel by boat across Lake of the Woods, you must enter Canada to get to The Angle driving through Baudette or Roseau, Minnesota up through Manitoba.

It's a beautiful peninsula. This is my tribute to one of the last natural wilderness areas in the country.

Where is the Northwest Angle?

You can see the border dividing the United States from Canada as that black broken line.

Click on the map to enlarge it for a much better view of the map area.

As you can see, the only way to reach The Angle is either by boat which would take several hours or by driving across the border just north of Warroad, Minnesota and traveling about 60 miles where you will again cross the border into the United States.

"Upon entering the Northwest Angle by road, the traveler must enter the booth at Jim's corner and report to U.S. Customs via videophone. Before leaving the Northwest Angle by road, one must report to Canadian customs from the same booth." Source: Wikipedia

The History of the Northwest Angle

The Northwest Angle of Minnesota was formed where the border between the United States and Canada juts to the north and then turns back through the Lake of the Woods. It cuts off the piece of land on about 150 square miles on the west shore of the lake. This was the result of an error that was made in 1783 when border was determined.

Most of the Northwest Angle is Ojibwa Indian Reservation and National Forest. Many of the inhabitants live on islands in the lake, but the village of Angle Inlet has a population of 100.

Some Facts About The Lake of the Woods

The Northwest Angle of the United States juts into the Lake of the Woods.

The Lake of the Woods boasts 65,000 miles of shoreline, 14,582 islands, 90 miles long, 55 miles wide.

The Lake of the Woods is known as The Walleye Capital of the World. Other fish you'll catch are Northern Pike, Sauger,Smallmouth Bass, Crappies and Jumbo Perch. . . That's just for starters!

In the winter, snowmobiling and ice fishing are popular.

If you are visiting The Angle and you want to fish on the Canadian side of the lake, you must register your boat by telephone at this tiny booth. Quite amazing!

Prothero's Post

Prothero's Post is an old resort with five log cabins and the lodge all of which were hand made by the owner, Dale Prothero. He and his wife (Grace) built the resort in 1963 after moving from Wichita, Kansas (of all places). Dale passed away in 2017 at the age of 88.

The cabins are gorgeous with window boxes overflowing with flowers - it's as neat as a pin. The furniture was all handmade, too, by Bill and a good friend of his who was an old Trapper, I guess. There's a beautiful painting of The Trapper over the fireplace in the lodge.

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A Trip to The Angle

Lucky us.

Good friends and neighbours built a wonderful cabin at The Angle right on the creek that flows into Lake of the Woods. They took us up for visit.

So there we were at the Angle and I caught my very first fish ever which is kind of ironic since we live on a lake. It was a beauty...a 20" walleye. I will admit that at first I thought I had caught my hook on a rock and I also have to admit that catching fish on the Lake of the Woods is so easy even I can do it!

There are millions of rocks throughout the lake because it's not a very deep lake in many places. In fact, most boaters have a GPS gadget that shows the depth of the water and where the reefs and rocks are. Very cool.

After we fished for awhile we pulled up to an island for lunch. They call it "shore lunch"...supposedly because you eat it on the shore?? Lots of the islands have these spots where you can clean your fish and then cook it over an open fire.

How old is your Walleye?

Remember I mentioned that I caught my first fish at the Northwest Angle on the Lake of the Woods. Well, it was 20-1/2" long which is dandy size. I found a chart on The Walleye Kid website that calculates the age of the fish by the size.

Here's that chart: (you can see that my fish was almost 5 years old)

Walleye Age Chart

1 year old is 10"

2 year old is 14"

3 year old is 17"

4 year old is 19"

5 year old is 21"

6 year old is 22"

7 year old is 23"

8 year old is 25"

9 year old is 26"

10 year old is 28"

11 year old is 29"

12 years old is 30"+

Visiting the Northwest Angle of Minnesota - ...or the Canadian Lake of the Woods.

Now that you've read my impressions of The Northwest Angle, I'd like to know what you think about the northernmost part of the United States.

Important Websites - More information about The Northwest Angle

This website will tell you just about everything you need to know to plan your visit to the Northwest Angle.

• The Northwest Angle Chamber of Commerce
  The Chamber of Commerce website will give you all of the information you will need to plan a trip to The Angle.

Thanks so much for visiting this lens. I hope you've learned something you didn't know before and maybe even learned that you'd like to visit The Angle!

© 2009 Cheryl Kohan

My Guestbook - Please leave your calling card!

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on October 02, 2012:

@PromptWriter: The walleye are indeed scrumptious! It's a really cool area - probably one of the USA's best kept secrets! And thanks for the heads-up about the map link. I'll fix it.

Moe Wood from Eastern Ontario on September 15, 2012:

I did not know about this little stretch of land. (fyi: the map link is broken). Those wall-eye look scrumptious. :D

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on September 12, 2012:

@RuralFloridaLiving: Oh, you should visit Minnesota! You would love it here...and the Northwest Angle is extra special. Thank you for visiting this lens.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on September 12, 2012:

@sheezie77: So glad you found it interesting and thank you for the Squidlike!

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on September 12, 2012:

@Rosaquid: Well, you know exactly what I'm talking about! Thanks for stopping by!

Rosaquid on August 02, 2012:

I spent happy childhood summers in Brainerd, MN, swimming, fishing and enjoying beautiful Minnesota. Thanks for the interesting lens!

sheezie77 on July 04, 2012:

Nice lens, interesting topic! Squidlike

RuralFloridaLiving on May 08, 2012:

Thanks - Never been to your area but it looks wonderful....

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on April 06, 2012:

@TolovajWordsmith: It is a beautiful place, indeed. And there are probably angels, too, although I haven't actually seen any at the Northwest Angle. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on April 06, 2012:

@anonymous: Susie, you'd be an angel even if you weren't a Squid Angel! Thank you.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on April 06, 2012:

@TonyPayne: Tony, my friend, if I win the lottery, I'll bring you over and show you the Northwest Angle in person!

Tony Payne from Southampton, UK on April 04, 2012:

This looks like a wonderful part of the USA to visit. Other than in transit in the airport in Minneapolis, I haven't been there, but one day hpefully if we win the lottery. Nicely done, blessed.

anonymous on February 02, 2012:

Whew, looking back, I was here in 2000 and now returning to the Angle with a little angel dust in hand. You sure just made me homesick, its been too long since I've gotten to northern Minnesota again and its calling to me even stronger now for sure. I had the pleasure of listening to White Cloud's Prayer over again while here, which made my visit even more special. I'd forgotten or maybe never knew about the correlation between walleye length in inches with its age...very cool to have here!

Tolovaj Publishing House from Ljubljana on February 01, 2012:

Looks like very very beautiful place. I bet you can find real angels there;)

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on November 29, 2011:

@julieannbrady: Nice to see you, too, Julie! Thanks for the visit.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on November 29, 2011:

@SweetsFishing: Thanks for stopping by, SweetsFishing! Have to admit I was pretty proud of that walleye!

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on November 29, 2011:

@firstcookbooklady: Your side of the state is gorgeous, too. Thank you for visiting. I hope you've been inspired to visit the Northwest Angle, sometime!

julieannbrady on November 19, 2011:

My dear, I was thinking two things ... first, "Northwest Angel" and was looking for a winged creature; second, "Northwest Territory" ... so your lens is quite evocative. Nice to see you today.

SweetsFishing on September 13, 2011:

Everyone needs to get up North and visit the Northwest Angle. Nice walleye you caught Thanks for being a fan and liking fishing!

Char Milbrett from Minnesota on June 30, 2011:

Have not been that far north on that side of the state. Our cabin is in Floodwood.. and I have relatives in Duluth area and grew up in Grand Marais area in the 60's.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on January 26, 2011:

@anonymous: Thank you for the heads up. I got that photo from Flickr at this address: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaydoubleyougee/28245... and I credited that person (whoever he is) so you might want to contact him to tell him to remove it from his photostream.

Funny, but if you look at the photo closely (which I obviously did not) you can see mountains in the background! Sorry about the mix up and thanks for contacting me.

Would love to have you fly over "our" Lake of the Woods for a photo shoot!! Let me know if you ever do!

anonymous on January 26, 2011:

Just a heads up. The picture labeled An aerial view of Lake of the Woods is in fact a picture of a lake in California with the same name. It is located in Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe, California. This picture is identical to one I took and I have never been to Minnesota.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on January 21, 2011:

@poutine: Thanks, Maria. It really is a wonderful place.

poutine on January 07, 2011:

I love all those beautiful photos and it sure sounds like a great place to visit.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on November 22, 2010:

@WhitePineLane: Thank you so much for all of the "lens love"!! I am grateful for the Squid Angel blessing and the lensroll. I'll stop by your Northern Minnesota lens to see what that's all about, too!

WhitePineLane on November 03, 2010:

I've lived in Minnesota all my life and had no idea that you could only get to "The Angle" by driving through Canada (or long boat ride)! Very cool lens. Great photos. Blessed by a Squid Angel! (And lensrolled to my lens: Northern Minnesota: Explore the Iron Range and the Arrowhead with Your Kids)

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on October 22, 2010:

@Wednesday-Elf: Well, I am so glad you learned something new! Thanks for the kind comment! I like learning about places I've never been, too. I especially like traveling to them! Detroit Lakes is about an hour from where I live and it's not too far from the Canadian border.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on October 22, 2010:

@anonymous: Hi there and thanks for the visit...much appreciated! I'm so glad you have fond memories of your time in Minnesota. Thanks for telling me that.

Wednesday-Elf from Savannah, Georgia on October 21, 2010:

I've (naturally) heard of 'Lake of the Woods', but was not familiar with 'The Angle'. What a gorgeous site, as seen in your fabulous photos. Didn't realize you could only reach it by going first into Canada (except by a long boat ride). How interesting. I love reading, and learning about, places I've never been, especially written by a fun tour guide like you.

My college roomie & her husband owned a resort on, I think, Detroit Lake -- anyway, near Rochert, MN, for many years, before retiring. She always says how gorgeous Minnesota is.

anonymous on October 20, 2010:

I grew up taking family vacations to Minnesota and I loved every minute of it. It is some of the fondest memories I have of my childhood. Nicely done.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on October 18, 2010:

@eccles1: It's a beautiful place with a gazillion photo ops! So there was a lot of luck involved in my photography...I'm happy you enjoyed it.

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on October 18, 2010:

@Twmarsh: Thank you! I thought the Walleye age chart was interesting, too.

eccles1 on October 17, 2010:

What beautiful pictures !! The log cabin is so nice too

Twmarsh on September 22, 2010:

I like the way you have assembled this lens. The map and the Walleye age chart are a nice touch!

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on April 10, 2010:

@CherylK: I'm sorry...I meant roadroamer. Sometimes my brain and my typing aren't on the same page :)

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on April 05, 2010:

@roadroamer: Thank you for visiting, roadrunner...glad you learned something new about Minnesota!

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on April 05, 2010:

@anonymous: I'm late getting back to you, Alisa, but am happy you like the lens...thanks to your folks, I got all the information I needed to create this page! It's an awesome place, that's for sure.

roadroamer on March 31, 2010:

This is interesting, I've always wondered why part of Minnesota jutted up above the rest of the continental US. Great information!

anonymous on October 08, 2009:

Great pictures and information on LOW. You did a great job of showcasing its beauty and explaining to everyone what it is all about!! I have never been able to explain it well to anyone so now when they ask where I am going I am going to direct them to this site so they can see and understand exactly why we are making the drive up there - GREAT JOB!!!

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on October 08, 2009:

Hey, Barb! Thanks for dropping by...glad you enjoyed this tribute to the Angle. You were the perfect hostess and your cabin is exactly what a cabin on the Lake of the Woods should be like. Great memories of that trip. I have more pictures, as you know, but didn't want to overdo. [in reply to Barb]

anonymous on October 08, 2009:

I loved the Lake of the Woods pictures and commentary. You have done a great job on this Cheryl, Since you are a neighbor and great friend (it's our cabin that you were visiting) I find it humbling and thrilling that you chose to highlight our fun time at LOW.

Thanks,

Barb

anonymous on October 01, 2009:

Hi Cheryl! ~ I'll be going to Kabetogama Lake on the 2nd for the weekend to visit my Mom, etc. Sure am looking forward to getting into the northwoods of MN again. Wish I had more time to go to the Angle, it is on my list of places to visit...would love to do some camping out there to really take it all in and meet some local folks. Good to see this lens doing so well, best wishes!

Susie

Pete Schultz on September 29, 2009:

CherylK,

I enjoyed this lens, and I'm intrigued by some of the tools you have used. Lake of the Woods holds many great memories for me, as my folks had a small lake place near Morson on the east shore. Great job, I'll be looking for more of your work. Pete Schultz cvb@rainylake.org

WindyWintersHubs from Vancouver Island, BC on September 25, 2009:

Wow, this is wonderful! I learned a bit of history and enjoyed the scenery of Lake of the Woods. I can sneak in through Canada, cool! :)

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on September 24, 2009:

I am very grateful for this blessing! It's especially meaningful coming from you. You are so knowledgeable! [in reply to spirituality]

religions7 on September 24, 2009:

Great lens - you've been blessed by a squidoo angel :)

ElizabethJeanAl on September 20, 2009:

Absolutely wonderful. I've never been to that corner of the state. I need to add it to my list for next year.

Thanks for sharing.

Lizzy

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on September 20, 2009:

Thank you, everyone. I'm so glad that I was able to help you see the real beauty of The Northwest Angle.

Kate Loving Shenk from Lancaster PA on September 20, 2009:

I loved your photographs capturing trees, beauty, eagle and pelican.

I wish I was a Squid Angel, so I could bless it.

For now, *****5 and faved.

Spook LM on September 19, 2009:

Without a doubt a masterpiece, beautiful, and if you don't mind am going to give it the works.

anonymous on September 18, 2009:

How delightful! I love your slide shows--very inviting. Tipi is my sister and I noticed you in a guestbook and just had to follow you home--just delightful!

anonymous on September 15, 2009:

I would love to visit this place, it reminds me of the Kabetogama - Voyageurs area very much. Great pictures and lens. Thank you for posting one of my lenses and for visiting with me in a guest book ( I love guest books). I saw that you have a lensography and they are my favorites because they tell so much about our interests and passions. So!...I'm going to go there next! :)

Best wishes to you! (lensrolling and will feature this, very nice)

Susie

Deb Kingsbury from Flagstaff, Arizona on September 15, 2009:

I'm so glad you stopped by my Voyageurs National Park lens, leading me back here. We didn't get to your part of the state--in fact, we didn't know it existed!--but we'll definitely have to on another trip. Maybe we'll rent a canoe again at Voyageurs and paddle over that way. It looks just beautiful there. I'm lensrolling this to the one you visited and keeping it as a favorite, so we can look at it again before our next trip. (Probably next year.)

Sue Dixon from Grasmere, Cumbria, UK on August 20, 2009:

I loved looking at your lens. My aunt has lived in Minnesota for 50 years, and I remember camping in the lakes with her!

The Angle looks very special.

squid-janices7 on June 19, 2009:

Didn't know you were from MN too. I haven't made it to the Northwest Angle yet, but it looks absolutely fabulous! We drove the North Shore all the way around Lake Superior to Michigan a few years ago and it was quite scenic. 5*!

Jennifer Sullivan from Chicago, IL on May 14, 2009:

This looks beautiful!

Cheryl Kohan (author) from England on May 14, 2009:

You're not a fisherman, I guess, Bambi. The Angle is a Minnesota fisherman's paradise. There are homes up there on the islands that are owned by people all over the country. I'm with you, though, not fond of winter so I tend to head South after the first frost. I did love fishing in Lake of the Woods and I'll go back, for sure. [in reply to mysticmama]

Bambi Watson on May 13, 2009:

very interesting, I've lived in Minnesota for most of my 44 years and have never heard that area called that before??? maybe it's a term used by non-Minnesotans lmao :-)

It is pretty here in Minnesota... for the 3 days in July when it's not snowing lol...

No really I can't wait to never see snow ever again...I would love to only visit Minnesota once a year in the spring or fall when it's not too cold or too hot to actually go outside, fun lens 5*

Sherry Venegas from La Verne, CA on May 10, 2009:

I want to go here. No kidding. The taste of walleye fish dinner at my Aunt's is a memory that never leaves me. I want more! Those lake pictures are stunning.