Here's a sampling of the big fish — and fishy — statues in Minnesota, and the best fishing and camping spots in the vicinity.
Big Fish Supper Club, Bena
This mammoth fake muskie (above, bottom right) first surfaced in the late 1950s as a combo tourist attraction and hamburger stand. Food orders were taken through a window in the fish's belly. The 65-foot muskie was restored in 2009, and today serves up countless photo ops, with the adjoining restaurant serving food and renting cabins.
Fishing: Within short drives are some of Minnesota's best walleye lakes, including Leech, Winnibigoshish, Cass, Bowstring and, not too far north, Upper Red.
Camping: Schoolcraft State Park is a neat Mississippi River getaway. Also managed by the park, Cottonwood Lake and Moose Lake campgrounds offer more down-home overnights.
Billy the Bluegill, Orr
Honoring the heyday of bluegill (sunfish) angling in nearby Pelican Lake, Billy has been greeting anglers and would-be anglers since the 1980s.
Fishing: Pelican Lake isn't the panfish mecca it once was, but remains a solid lake for walleye, panfish and bass (special regulations apply to largemouth and smallmouth fishing here). And the turnoff at Orr leads to the expansive Crane Lake chain of lakes about 45 minutes away.
Camping: Check out the federally managed Echo Lake campground on the western end of the Echo Trail, about 22 miles from Orr. This is an out-of-the-way spot that features crappie and walleye fishing.
Leapin' Walleye, Kabetogama Township
You've been impressed by Billy the Bluegill in Orr, along Hwy. 53, and a little farther north, at a junction leading to Lake Kabetogama, you'll find a 14-foot leaping fiberglass walleye outfitted with, of all things, a saddle. Dating to 1949, this bucking walleye is worth a stop, and a ride.
Fishing: Kabetogama is a massive 24,000-acre, 26-mile-long lake. Smallmouth bass anglers will find their favorite fish here, and walleye seekers will be happy, too. Good walleye year classes in 2015 and 2016 were the first two consecutive productions in Kabetogama since the 1980s.
Camping: Kabetogama lies within Voyageurs National Park, with its extensive campsites. On the shores of "Kab,'' also check out Woodenfrog State Campground and Day-Use Area with its 60 campsites and great swimming beach.
Rainy Lake Mermaid, Rainy Lake, Ontario
OK, so this isn't a statue of a fish — and it isn't in Minnesota. Instead, it's on the Ontario side of Rainy. But its sculptor, Gordon Schlichting, was a Minneapolis architect who as a youngster in the 1930s spent summers at a relative's cabin on Rainy Lake.
Fishing: If you're anywhere near this fin-trailing concrete woman, you're in great fishing water. Given COVID-19 Canadian entry restrictions, to be on the Canadian side of Rainy you'll need to enter at Fort Frances and drop your boat into the Ontario side of Rainy. Too big of a hassle? Plenty — plenty — of walleyes, northern pike and bass lurk in Minnesota's portion of the big lake.
Camping: No more spectacular campsites exist in Minnesota than those in Voyageurs National Park, which borders and encompasses much of Rainy Lake. Note however that all of the park's camping sites are accessible only by water, and are reservable online. (See the park's website for temporary closures due to flooding.)
Willie Walleye, Baudette
Walleye replicas abound in Minnesota, but Willie, featured on Baudette's main drag, has a celebration named after it, Willie The Walleye Weekend, held there each summer.
Fishing: Measuring some 40 feet, Willie is a lunker, and his siren song is heard year-round by walleye, northern pike, bass and muskie anglers, beckoning them to Lake of the Woods. Summer anglers out of Baudette might troll in deep water for walleyes, while waters off the Northwest Angle, whether in Minnesota or, adjacently, in Ontario, are shallower and anglers there often jig or cast to catch limits.
Camping: Don't miss a chance while on Lake of the Woods to picnic at Garden Island State Recreation Area, the northernmost unit of the Minnesota State Park system. For camping (and bird watching and beach walking) check out Zippel Bay State Park, on the south shore of Lake of the Woods.
Chief Kandiyohi, Willmar
Though "Chief Kandiyohi'' never actually existed, apparently, this statue nevertheless represents the time when white settlers first came to what is now Kandiyohi County, with Willmar its seat. Dating to 1915, the image that today is a 17-foot golden statue in Willmar features a Native American holding a buffalo fish. Legend has it that when settlers first asked the locals the names of fish that swam in area lakes, the response was "kandiyohi," which, loosely translated, by lore, means "buffalo fish."
Fishing: Often overlooked in favor of lakes "Up North," Willmar area lakes are gems in their own right. Nest, Eagle, Green and Koronis are good bass producers, smallmouth and largemouth. Long Lake near Hawick, as well as Elkhorn, Diamond and Bass lakes, has sunnies. Check out Nest Lake also for crappies, and Big Kandiyohi, Diamond, Koronis and Point are worth looks for walleyes.
Camping: Located on Lake Andrew, Sibley State Park is a short drive from Willmar. Established in 1919, the park has 132 campsites spread among two campgrounds, 87 of which have electricity. For day use in Willmar, check out Robbins Island Regional Park.
Walleye, Garrison
Whether Garrison is the Walleye Capital of the World, or perhaps the universe, is debatable (Garrison, N.D., is among communities making similar claims). But being on the shores of Mille Lacs, it's in the mix. What's certain is that this eye-catching 24-foot-long fiberglass model (above, top left), which was said to have been caught by Paul Bunyan himself, catches a lot of shutterbugs.
Fishing: Small lakes abound around Lake Mille Lacs, some with excellent fishing. But the big lake remains the hotspot. Smallmouth? Plenty of them, and some big ones. Northern pike and muskies are here, too, and recent DNR surveys found plenty of 15- to 19-inch walleyes in Mille Lacs, with 20-24 inchers abundant as well (walleyes 25 inches and larger, fairly common a few years ago, were mostly no-shows.)
Camping: Two state parks — Mille Lacs Kathio and Father Hennepin — serve the area, with Father Hennepin on the shores of Mille Lacs. Though anglers might favor Father Hennepin, Mille Lacs Kathio, in addition to its 22 electric sites, offers horse and group campsites. Also at Kathio, four backpack sites get adventurous travelers off the beaten path. Various resorts on Mille Lacs also allow camping.
Big Trout, Preston
Southeast Minnesota is known for its river fishing, and this 19-foot brown trout statue is testament to the region's love of moving water and the life it supports. Like many other large Minnesota fish replicas, this one is born not of flesh and bone, but fiberglass. To boot, it's mounted on a trailer, so, as necessary, it can appear in parades during Preston Trout Days, or, while stationary and in mid-leap, greet visitors to Minnesota's Trout Capital.
Fishing: Southeast Minnesota features more than 700 miles of designated trout streams, a movable feast for anyone with a rod, reel and waders. For where to fish when, and for what and how, check out TroutRoutes.com.
Camping: Carley State Park is a sleeper in the Minnesota system, but it's worth stopping by when in the southeast. With 20 secluded and wooded sites and a 30-foot camper length limit, Carley doesn't draw the crowds the southeast's more popular parks —Forestville/Mystery Cave, Whitewater and Beaver Creek Valley — do. But that's its attraction.
Bass, Clarks Grove
Whether this fish statue is indeed a bass or perhaps a walleye or even a combination of species misses the point. Featured at a BP gas station in Clarks Grove on Interstate 35 just north of Albert Lea, and dating perhaps to 1979, this finned critter is plastered with bumper stickers and other popular-culture detritus. But in a way that makes this statue a People's Choice of Minnesota fish statues, and a proud, if quirky, one at that.
Fishing: Most anglers originating from Kansas or Iowa and driving north to fish in Minnesota will pass through Clarks Grove. Fair enough. But in Freeborn County, home to Clarks Grove, Fountain and Albert Lea lakes offer what at times can be productive walleye fishing. Elysian Lake is also worth trying, as are Madison Lake and Tetonka.
Camping: Three area state parks offer plenty of amenities. Notably, Sakatah is bisected by Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, whose pavement extends 39 miles from Mankato to Faribault. Check out also Nerstrand Big Woods State Park with 52 campsites (27 electric) and Rice Lake State Park in Owatonna.
Walleye, Grand Marais
Credit northeast Minnesota artist Jim Korf for the front and back parts of a walleye that decorate the storied Beaver House Bait Shop in Grand Marais. That the featured fish is a walleye is fitting given that the state record walleye was caught at the end of the Gunflint Trail, and a top contender came from a nearby lake. Among Minnesota piscatorial statues, the Beaver House walleye is unique: Its tail sticks out from the shop's roof, while its head protrudes from above the storefront.
Fishing: So many great fishing lakes adjoin the Gunflint Trail, a lifetime or two could be spent exploring them. Saganaga, Gunflint, Greenwood, Hungry Jack and West Bearskin are just a few among many that warrant exploration.
Camping: Check out Flour Lake Campground, Trail's End and Iron Lake campgrounds, each of which is federally managed. Other Forest Service campgrounds are nearby, and some private campgrounds are available at resorts along the trail and in Grand Marais.
