Feel Confidently Prepared

All guests age 16 and older must have a PAPER COPY of their Wisconsin fishing license with Great Lakes Salmon and Trout Stamp. If you don’t already have one, the most economical option is $14 for a 2-day license which includes the stamp. This can be purchased online at gowild.wi.gov or at your local bait shop.

Per the Wisconsin Fishing Regulations, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CARRY A PAPER COPY OF YOUR FISHING LICENSE on your person on the Great Lakes. If you do not have access to a printer, please let us know and we can print for you. Your GoWILD card is not sufficient. Your receipt is not sufficient. You must carry the paper license, it says so 6 times in the regs and on your fishing license and receipt.

If you have never been aboard a vessel on Lake Superior or have a history of sea-sickness or motion-sickness - we recommend that you consider discussing with your doctor if it is appropriate to take an over-the-counter anti-sea-sickness medicine at least 1 hour prior to boarding. Nothing ruins a beautiful day on the water like nausea and vomiting. Typically, once sea-sickness strikes, it does not go away (even with medicine) until well after you are ashore. 

We are sensitive to those with physical accommodation needs. Captain Savanna is a registered nurse, and while she cannot provide medical services or advice, we try our best to accommodate everyone. Please be aware that in order to board our vessel, one must be able to lift one leg up and over the gunnel (about 12 inches). If this is something that might be a challenge for you, call us to see how we can help! We have welcomed many people aboard, including those who use assistive mobility devices.

Children are welcome aboard, too! Kids love to fish and usually have a great time. Somehow they usually outfish the adults. What some call beginners luck we call talent! We have a variety of water-ski type life vests for everyone under 16. They must be worn the entire trip. Youth seem most comfortable in a life vest they're used to. If they've never worn one before, have them wear one around the house a couple times prior to the trip. They get used to them in no time!

Everyone aged 16+ will wear an Onyx A/M inflatable life vest, provided by us. Sizes are truely universal. They're not bulky - you'll forget you're weearing it. 1,334 people drown in the Great Lakes since 2010. Guess how many were wearing a life vest? Fewer than 1%. How many could swim? Probably most. How many expected to drown? Not many. Life jackets save lives, plain and simple. No one expects to find themself unconcious in the water, but it only takes a second. Life vest worn, no one mourns.

You do not need any special angling skills to have a great time on the water with Northern Lights Adventures. We will coach you. This type of fishing is trolling and is fun for novices and experts alike. All we ask is that you understand that, just like people, there are times when fish are hungry and eating, and there are times when they're resting and digesting. We will do our absolute best to get you on the fish, but we cannot guarantee they will bite. We've only been skunked a couple times. 

If you plan to keep fish, you will want to have a small cooler to bring your bagged fish filets home. The marina sells ice. If you need to transport fish long distances, they might have some dry ice at Hansen's IGA in Washburn, but you shouldn't count on it. We're very rural up here. Hansen's does usually have those flimsy styrofoam coolers in case you forget yours.

We will keep your fish cold on ice on the boat, right on top of your beers. Just kidding - we have a big Igloo cooler dedicated for fish on the boat. We also have a different Yeti cooler full of non-alcoholic beverages for you, no extra charge. You can bring your own cooler with whatever beverages you want as well, or toss them in our Yeti to save deck space. 

In addition to providing unlimited non-alcoholic beverages to our guests - we also provide a robust variety of snacks. Think individually wrapped snack cakes, granola bars, cookies, trail mix, beef jerkey, fruit snacks... That sort of stuff, on the house. If you want, you can of course still bring whatever you like. Any allergies? Please let us know.

Full day tours include grilled lunch on the boat. We usually have brats or cheese burgers. Let us know if you have preferences or allergies. Upgrade to a premium menu if interested (see "Food and Recipes" page for pricing).

Who doesn't love a hat. We have extras if yours flies off or you forget it in the truck.

We also have a lot of extra sunglasses. Apologies to prior guests that forgot theirs on the boat - they're in the munifipal sunglasses bin now! Thanks! We do require everyone on deck to wear some sort of sunglasses or eye protection while a fish is being reeled in.

Dress in layers. It can be very cold some mornings and quite hot by noon. April-May and October, bring your ice suit. All other times of year, have at least one long sleeve layer and one short sleeve lay. Its better to have more layers than you need than not have the right apparel for the climate - there is plenty of room on the boat in the cabin to store extra. Rain gear is also a good idea. You don't have to buy new or be stylish - hit up the thift store if you need. Reduce - reuse - recycle. 

Wear sensible, nonskid shoes or boots. Waterproof is best. Nonmarking soles are preferred. Brand doesn't matter - the fish don't care if you have fancy new kicks and neither do we. 

We have extra if you need. The water reflects light and intensifies sunburn. Bring whatever kind you're most likely to use - if it's the clear slippery stuff, just be careful when you spray it. If any gets on the deck, please let us know so we can wash it off so no one slips. Same with bug spray.

Speaking of bug spray - we've tried it all. We like picaridin best for skin. Picaridin is a synthetic version of the natural piperine molecule found in black pepper. It's long-lasting and we think it's at least, if not more, effective than DEET (and doesn't stink, isn't greasy, and doesn't melt monofilament fishing line/plastic like DEET does). For clothing, we like permethrin, a synthetic version of a natural compound in chrysanthemum flowers. For black flies, avoid wind from direction of land.