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Leech Lake Recreation Area is located in the heart of the Chippewa National Forest in Federal Dam, Minnesota. The area is best known for its fishing and boat access to Portage Bay on Leech Lake, a famous perch, walleye and musky fishery. Natural Features: Leech Lake has 316 miles of shoreline and encompasses 14 natural lakes. A mixed forest of elm, ash, maple, basswood, birch, aspen and pine covers the area. Wildlife is abundant around the lake, where campers commonly hear the tell-tale call of loons out on the water. Recreation: Boating, canoeing and fishing are very popular activities. Anglers will find walleye, perch, bass, northern pike and musky, where every cast has the potential to yield a trophy. Miles of scenic hiking trails meander around Leech Lake, including the Soo Line, Heartland and North Country National Scenic Trails. Facilities: This campground offers 73 wooded sites with electric hookups, including five sites with full hookups. Additional, there are four primitive walk-to tent sites. A group day-use picnic shelter with electric is available, as well as two mini picnic shelters. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water, laundry facilities, a dump station and overnight boat mooring. Campers enjoy the parks basketball, volleyball, badminton and shuffleboard courts, as well as the horseshoe pits. Younger campers love the playground areas. Also available at the waters edge are boat ramps and a marina. ACTIVITIES Boating Interpretive Programs: Educational Programs Fishing Hiking Visitor Center: Ranger Station
From Grand Rapids, Minnesota, take Highway 2 west for 33 miles to Bena. Turn south onto County Road 8 and proceed 8 miles to Federal Dam.
Leech Lake Rec Area is a clean and friendly facility. This is a fisherman’s campground. It’s a mile and a half thru the channel to leech lake and there’s an excellent fish cleaning housing right near the boat ramp with a small playground and plumbed bathroom facility. Campground was quiet at night— quiet hours start at 10 PM and relatively peaceful during the day. There is a newer wooden playground, volleyball court, horse shoe, shuffle board and basketball court near the center of the campground. There is a shed there to borrow basketballs and volleyballs. Thought that was very nice. Bathrooms had showers with locking doors which was excellent. You can tell the main bathroom facilities are getting older but the restrooms/showers were cleaned every day. “Town” has a VERY small grocery store/gas station where you can get things to meet your bare minimums but if you need something/need entertainment you’ll have to either drive 45 minutes to Grand Rapids or Walker. Jerry’s bar 5 miles down the road in Boy River is a “dive” with good bar food. Theres also a cute gift shop in town with handmade trinkets and Tonga’s store off the boat launch sells firewood. Sites were large, well shaded and clean but BEWARE! The squirrels will get in your garbage and spread it everywhere!! Hosts are quick to welcome you and inform you of the rules. T mobile had very poor cellular connection here. Only time I had bars was either on the boat launch or on the lake otherwise it was hit or miss in the campground. Dump station was very clean. Overall, I would highly recommend this campground if you have kids that can entertain themselves and you want some peace and relaxation! It is VERY away from it all!
We had never stayed at an Army Corps campground before and after this last weekend's trip, I am looking for others to stay at. It was wonderful. Large well maintained sites with lots of room between the sites. Beautiful trees throughout. While not on the main part of Leech Lake, the channel and surrounding wetlands still nice and provided lovely sunsets. The bathroom facility was large and clean. The longtime camp hosts were very nice and helpful. Read a lot of reviews about the mosquito issue. We didn't experience that but we were there later in the season and it was a little windy during our time there.
Honesty, the best fee based campgrounds I ever stayed in. Price is worth all the amenities and maintenance here.
Nice place! Neat, well-maintained, clean, quiet, scenic campground! Didn't do too well fishing, but caught some Northern, 1-Lg Mouth Bass & a few little Sunnies....could only get out into the big lake 1 day, cuz kinda windy.
