Deer Park Lodge

Make Memorial Day memorable!

The weather has remained cool, but the weather man gave us a pretty strong indication that the upcoming holiday weekend will bring change, and we should see some fabulous weather.  Warmer, sunny skies, with dry conditions. Yeee Ha, bring it on!!!!

Went over to the pier in Grand Marais the other day and caught a bunch of whitefish.  It's that time of year when if we have the right conditions the fishing can be very good. And what a beautiful spot to fish. I debated about what clothes to take and luckily for me I decided my Ice Armor that I use all winter would be best, and boy was I right. Dang, it was windy and cold, but the fish were biting, so it made it all worth while.

The DNR just completed the removal of 10,000 pounds of brown bullheads from Muskallonge Lake. That can only be a plus for us and the continuation of some pretty good fishing on backyard waters. Also caught, but released, were a lot of pike.  With the "no size for pike" rule still in effect for Muskallonge Lake, there will again be a lot of pike caught and eaten from our lake.  The reports from the Blind Sucker Flooding campgrounds have also been very positive for pike. The steelhead reports for the past five days have been the best all season. There is a lot of fish in the river right now.

Had some serious agate hunters around this past week taking advantage of the renewed access to the Lake Superior shore. Our friend Terry took home 3 awesome rocks and two or three other real good ones. He and his wife and friends spend a lot of time on the beach, but each year one of them seems to always come up with some of the finest agates we will see that year. This web site has some real nice examples for sale. But, come on up and find your own beauty.

We still have our two lakeside cottages open for the weekend. These two bedroom units face the lake and have front row seats for some of the finest sunsets anywhere in the country. If you book one or both of these cabins for the Memorial Day weekend and mention this "blog site" we will give a 10% discount for your stay.

Call (906) 658-3341 to make your reservation!

Looks like a great Memorial Day weekend.  Get outside and enjoy it.  We hope to see you Up North.

Cheers,

Mike & Monica

The grass is back! And some bird facts!

Ah, spring. Longer days, and temperatures hitting the 50's. It sure is nice to look out the window and see the grass running out to the lake. Won't be long before we're hearing the ring of horseshoes, and the sounds of boats on the water. Might even have to break out the bocce balls.

With this change in weather, and terrain, we're also seeing more and more birds in the yard. Especially around the feeders, giving us the opportunity to do a little birdwatching through our new camera. We've "captured" a few, from the house, to share with you.

This is an Evening Grosbeak enjoying a meal. Pretty birds, capable of flying higher than I ever imagined. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a female Evening Grosbeak ran into a small airplane over Colorado, 6,200 feet above ground - over 12,000 feet above sea level. Gotta wonder what she was doing up there.

This is a White-throated Sparrow. Notice you can see the ground! Apparently, even though the look nothing alike, this bird sometimes mates with the Dark-eyed Junco, also a sparrow. They produce grayish, dully marked Sparrows with white outer tail feathers. Let us know if you've ever spotted one.

Finally, this guy is a Hairy Woodpecker. According to the guide, the hairy likes to forage behind the larger Pileated Woodpecker, pecking in the heavy blows and taking insects that the pileated missed. That is, when they're not eating our birdseed.

Come on up and enjoy the changing season. Watch some birds. Get out on Muskallonge Lake. Search for some newly revealed agates along the shore of Lake Superior. It's a great time to be on the Upper Peninsula!

(906) 658-3341 - Reservation information

Give us a call at and we'll be happy to help you make it happen.

Cheers,

Mike & Monica

Boats in the water for May 15th opening!

Just a quick post to remind you that Pike and Walleye season opens up on Thursday, May 15th. The pressure will have been off the fish for a while, and this will be our first shot at those bad boys since the end of February.

Next year, in 2009, the winter season will extend through March 15, just like the Lower Peninsula, because the fish, especially the Walleye, have been doing good up here on the UP. So get on up and take advantage of the extra two weeks rest the fish got this year. It'll be the last time since the season was shortened back in the 1990's (learn more here).

Our boats have been laid up for the winter, but they're coming out from under the snow, and we'll have them back in the water and ready to go for the opening (rental info here).

Give us a call at (906) 658-3341 and we'll be glad to help you plan your trip.

Tight lines!

Mike and Monica