OAK ISLAND, NORTHWEST ANGLE, Minn. _ In July the sun rises here early and stays in the sky late and nearly everyone thinks about fishing. Maybe not the postmaster on Oak Island, Don McClanathan, who opens his small office three days a week. But everyone else.

BAUDETTE, Minn. _ Glance across the seemingly endless expanse of ice and snow that covers the Minnesota side of Lake of the Woods, and you'll witness a sight that makes people here smile.

By Brad Dokken, Grand Forks Herald, N.D. Feb. 10--A tiny critter documented last summer in the Rainy River watershed could mean significant changes for the Lake of the Woods ecosystem and the area's bait industry. At the very least, the spiny water flea, an invasive species, is cause for concern.

By Brad Dokken, Grand Forks Herald, N.D. Dec. 17--BAUDETTE, Minn. Ask just about anyone who makes their living along the south shore of Lake of the Woods, and they'll tell you last winter wasn't much fun.

By Brad Dokken, Grand Forks Herald, N.D. Oct. 9--Experimental northern pike regulations in place since 1996 on Lake of the Woods and Rainy River likely will become permanent, based on what appears to be a lack of significant opposition to the rules.