I don't have enough great things to say about Steve and Ginny and the rest of the crew at Spirit of…read morethe Wilderness. We were out on Knife Lake on Tuesday July 14 2026 (the day of the closure and evacuation of the wilderness). I had rented a one way Spot and picked up my permit from Spirit. Unfortunately with the device we had no one could communicate with us, but the crew at Spirit was tracking us and keeping everyone back home aware of our situation. After we got back into Ely, they even offered a bunkhouse for us to stay the night before heading home.

Five stars isn't enough for this crew. We fish with Craig at Lake Vermilion Fishing Guides just…read moreabout every year, and our Boundary Waters trips into Basswood are the ones we talk about all winter. From the first phone call he asks the right questions about what you want out of the day, then builds the whole trip around it. Getting into the BWCA on your own takes real planning, but Craig handles all of it, and once you're out there you've got world-class fishing with almost nobody around. He reads the water, adjusts constantly, and genuinely cares that everyone on board catches fish. He handles the big fish with real care too, quick photos and healthy releases. This is what a professional guide service should be. We're already planning next year's trip.

I hit a rock while driving my boat on Eagles Nest Lake. I put the spare prop on, but didn't put on…read morea bushing. Needless to say, I screwed up my spare prop and lower unit gear housing. Thinking my trip was over, I was driving on SR 169 going to another lake, when I noticed their sign by the side of the road. I turned around to have them check the damage and see if they could make the repair. John came out and reviewed the damage. If I were to continue running the boat, more damage would be done. He checked to see if they had the part to fix the lower unit, and prop. They did, but couldn't get to it until after lunch. We went back to our resort and a couple hours later, Gretchen called and sent a text message telling me my boat was fixed! Great service, nice people, saved our vacation!

From the owner: Aronson Boat Works was established in 1914 and has proudly been family-owned since. We are a full…read moreservice marina on beautiful Lake Vermilion offering sales, service, and storage. We also have a gas dock that is open to the public. Another hidden gem we have is the Mailboat. With that we deliver mail to patrons on the lake and also provide Mailboat excursions (Mon-Sat, June 1 - Labor Day).

Horrible customer service. We dropped our boat off on the 5th for a service appointment on the 7th…read more By the 12th they still hadn't looked at it. And we were clear when we dropped it that this was our transportation to our island lake house. They didn't seem to care. If you want to be ignored, have to call multiple times to get someone on the phone, be treated rudely and have to wait five times longer than promised to get service, then by all means use these guys.

I was looking for a seat for my fishing boat. Salesperson showed me a swivel mount he said would…read morefit on seat, it clearly wouldn't fit, though. He continued to insist it would, making me feel like I was an idiot. I took the swivel out of packaging and held it up to seat- the screw holes were off by more than 2 inches! Salesperson (who appeared to be the boss) was insulting and disrespectful, and I do not recommend this business to anyone.

I grew up in the Falls and thought I knew a lot about the lake. Boy was I wrong!! When visiting…read morefamily came to town we decided to book a tour with Voyageurs Outfitters. We took an amazing tour with Merritt, who shared so much history of the lake - I wish I would have even taken notes! We hiked through Voyageurs National Park - trail views were spectacular, saw many hidden gems, and stopped at the historic Kettle Falls. Highly recommend this guided boat tour for all - even if you have been on Rainy many times!

My wife and I did the full day tour with Captain Brent. He was awesome. His background on the lake…read moreas well as many personal and historical tidbits and stories were very interesting. We had a great lunch at Kettle Falls Hotel. The Hewescraft boat we took was very comfortable for the long day on the water. We met Merritt and his wife, and they were super folks for sure.

the guys here took our boat in for emergency motor repairs. saved our trip! Fast, friendly and…read moreunderstanding. Couldn't ask for better help under the circumstances. Two thumbs up, and more if i had them. Mike K

From the owner: Marine Fun Since 1979…read more Frank's Marine has provided top quality boats and parts in Orr, MN since 1979. We believe in going the extra mile for all of our customers. If you are looking for a Mercury outboard, look no further. We know them inside and out.Our boats include:* Mercury outboards* Lund* Crestliner * Shorelandr trailers* Manitou pontoonsWe also have a selection of used boats and outboards. You should still be able to have marine fun without the large expense of a new boat.Call Frank's Marine today for your new boat.

Good equipment and reliable drop off and pickup after securing our entry permit. Knowledgeable…read moreabout fishing and camping sites, but some frustrations with them: - check-in was confusing - recommended we go in through Little Isabella to get good fishing but on drive in, Steve said to not fish there. AND the river was so low we walked and pulled/pushed canoes through calf-deep mud off and on for 4 hours. No water sources too. A terrible way to start a trip. When we got back, the staff was surprised we took that route that Jane recommended. - check and double check equipment: no first aid kit provided in full equipment package...missing coffee pot - provided two different cooking systems because couldn't have fire due to burn ban. If had two of the same and griddle would have make cooking for 5 easier. - 5% service fee for credit and debit card. Wow

One star is too generous for how inconsiderate Jane and Steve are as business owners. I prepaid…read more$650 for one night in a chalet and a deposit for canoe outfitting for 5 people. This was going to be a surprise trip for my Dad's 70th birthday. Two unfortunate incidents occurred - one family member had a severe injury and will be in a wheel chair for months (this happened 2 weeks after booking and 4 months prior to our trip) and my Dad had a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest (two months prior to our trip). He's on life support. I requested for a refund after the first incident and was told maybe the others would like to enjoy the trip while the other stays home in a wheel chair. Then I emailed requesting a refund due to this trip being for my dad and explained that he was on life support and this is a difficult time for us. Jane was the MOST inconsiderate person I've ever dealt with. She replied with: Perhaps, you were not aware that the rest of your group could have gone on a trip since you and your mom were the group leader. The group numbers could've been adjusted. Then proceeded to state this is non-refundable and closed with this: As time passes, you may find that some in your family may wish to consider doing a canoe trip. This was absolutely heartless. I understand policies but there should be some flexibility when unforeseen emergencies occur. I can't imagine proceeding to go on a trip while my dad is in severe condition and on life support. Please do not support this business. God forbid something happens, they will NOT be accommodating.