Upper Red Lake ice fishing

Upper Red Lake is in north-central Minnesota, and it's a walleye lake first and last. Red Lake is the largest inland lake in the state, split into Upper and Lower Red and joined by a channel. Lower Red and the western part of Upper Red sit inside the Red Lake Nation and are closed to the public. The part you can fish is the eastern side of Upper Red, which still works out to roughly 48,000 acres of state water.

Most trips start from Waskish, a small community on Highway 72 along the lake, with Kelliher a short drive away. It's a quiet area with resorts, cabins, bait shops, and not much else, which is about what you want on a fishing weekend.

What you're fishing for

Walleye are the reason people come. The population crashed in the 1990s, came back strong, and has been the backbone of the winter fishery ever since. The DNR's recent fall netting in state waters turned up the highest walleye catch rates since 2014, with lots of fish in the 13- to 16-inch range and good numbers of 17- to 20-inch fish behind them.

Crappie have had big runs here before, and perch show up in the mix too. Plenty of anglers spend the day on walleye and pick at perch or crappie in between.

The lake is shallow, with a maximum depth around 15 feet. That's part of why it tends to see anglers earlier than deeper lakes, and it's also part of why early ice here can be trouble. More on that below.

Kinds of trips

Upper Red is an ice road lake. Resorts and house operators plow and maintain private roads out onto the lake, and there can be a dozen or more of them in a season. You typically pay a daily access fee to use a road, and in return you get a plowed, marked route out to where the fish are. Those roads open, move, and close as conditions change, and the operator running each one decides where you can go.

Sleeper houses are a big part of the scene. Several operators rent overnight houses, mostly to walleye groups, so you can fish the evening bite, sleep, and be back at it at first light. Local guides also work the lake, and some combine guiding with cabins and ice house rentals, so you can book the whole weekend in one call.

If you're bringing your own portable or wheelhouse, you'll likely still be driving out on someone's road. Talk to whoever runs it. They're the best source for current word on what's open.

Licenses and rules

Anyone 16 or older needs a Minnesota fishing license, and nonresidents need one at any age. Licenses run March 1 through the end of February.

Upper Red has its own walleye rules. The Red Lake Nation and the Minnesota DNR manage the walleye together under a joint harvest plan, and a citizen advisory committee reviews harvest numbers and recommends limits for the state waters. The DNR sets separate rules for open water and winter, and the winter rule is decided after summer fishing and fall netting.

As of the 2025-26 winter regulations, the limit was four walleye in possession, with only one longer than 17 inches. The 2026 open-water rule was five, with one over 17. The 2026-27 winter rule hadn't been set when this page was written, so check the Upper Red Lake regulations before you go.

Minnesota's shelter rules apply here too. Non-portable houses need a shelter license, portables need one if you leave them unattended, and every shelter needs your name and address, driver's license number, or DNR number on the outside. Upper Red is north of the DNR's dividing line, so it falls under the later removal date. As of the current regulations, that was March 16 for 2026.

Before you go

Upper Red has a history of ice breaking away. In November 2022, about 200 anglers were stranded when a large sheet of ice broke loose after the wind shifted, and it took first responders about two hours to get everyone off. In early 2024, after more than 100 anglers were evacuated from a floe, the Beltrami County Sheriff banned private vehicles from the lake for a stretch, while resort operators and guides kept running their customers out.

A few things that follow from that:

• Book with an operator and ask them about current conditions, every day you're there. They're on the lake daily and know what's changed.
• Wind matters a lot on a big, shallow lake. Ask how a shift in wind could affect where you're set up.
• Cold weather doesn't make the ice good. Rain, warm spells, snow cover, and current all change things, and only someone checking the ice can tell you where you can go.
• Watch for sheriff's office notices about vehicle restrictions before you leave home.
• Check the current walleye rule. It changes between seasons and sometimes between years.
• Have your shelter license and markings sorted if you're bringing your own house.