Denny's Resort is located at the Southern end of Lake Winnibigoshish, also known as Lake Winnie, nearest to the town of Bena, Minnesota. It is conveniently located on State Highway 2, about 35 miles West of Grand Rapids and 20 miles East of Cass Lake. Established in 1932, Denny's Resort is one of the oldest fishing resorts on Lake Winnie and is located nearest to some of the best walleye and perch structure on the lake. We also have great pike fishing and some excellent muskie fishing.

 

Lake Winnibigoshish (Lake Winnie)

Lake Winnie is 67,000 acres in size and Minnesota's fifth largest lake. Located in Chippewa National Forest, 75 percent of its 142 miles of shoreline remains undeveloped and only a handful of resorts provide access to one of Minnesota's best walleye fisheries. The lake is surrounded mostly by national forest providing access to dense woodlands, rivers, marshlands, sloughs and other lakes. The area is truly paradise not only for avid fishing enthusiasts but for all sportsmen and women.

 

Although Lake Winnie was originally created by receding glaciers, it had been a much smaller lake, surrounded by marshland and forest. The Lake Winnibigoshish Dam was completed by the Corps of Engineers on the Northeast end of the lake in 1884 at the lake's outlet to the Mississippi River. The dam's construction helps control water levels from a 1,442 square mile area, containing 28 lakes. The dam also filled in the reservoir of what is now one of Minnesota's best walleye and perch lakes.

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The combination of the cool, clean water, its rich habitat and the lack of fishing pressure, has made Lake Winnie an important lake to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The DNR traps and collects breeding-age walleyes each year to produce healthy fingerlings for re-stocking programs throughout the state. Lake Winnie is their leading resource for the walleye re-stocking program.

 

Lake Winnie has an abundant population of walleyes, large perch and northern pike. Although muskies are not as prevalent as in other area lakes, Lake Winnie has a population worthy of mention. In fact, Minnesota's state record musky was caught on Lake Winnie in 1957 by Art Lyons.

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Denny's Resort

Denny's Resort is owned by Pat and Rhonda Rooney, who bought the resort in the Spring of 1998. Having fished it often as a young boy, Pat later brought Rhonda along fishing throughout their dating years. In love with the area, the lake, great fishing and the resort, they could not pass the opportunity to buy it when the resort became available. Committed to the fishery and to a quality fishing experience, Denny's Resort is a simple resort with simple amenities built to serve those who seek convenient access to quality fishing on one of Minnesota's most pristine, remote-but-accessible, walleye fisheries.

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Our Mission

Denny's Resort is a year-round fishing camp that provides convenient access to one of Minnesota's finest walleye fisheries - Lake Winnibigoshish. We provide year-round cabin rentals, ice house rentals, launch fishing, guided fishing, a protected harbor and boat lunch and all the amenities necessary to please avid fishermen and fisherwomen.