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February 6, 2012

The Ice Hole: Part bar, part ice house

Photos by Nathaniel Minor
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Ice fishing and beer drinking are two closely intertwined traditions in Minnesota's winter months. Two enterprising business people in northwestern Minnesota figured out a novel way to capitalize on both.

Ice Hole bar

1

The Ice Hole bar on Lake Lida near Pelican Rapids, Minn. is part bar, part fish house and part gathering place for anglers on the popular lake in northwestern Minnesota. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

Catching a fish

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Teresa Nordich, of Rothsay, Minn. holds a perch pulled through one of the two fishing holes in the Ice Hole bar on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

Jigging for fish

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Patrons at the Ice Hole bar jig for fish. The tavern serves bottled beer and stocks a limited selection of hard alcohol. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

Tending bar

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Chris Haugen, right, serves customers at the Ice Hole bar. Haugen, a businessman from Fargo, N.D., co-owns the establishment with Josie Norgren, owner of Hillbillies Vittles and Brew in Erhard, Minn. Norgren had the liquor license needed to open the Ice Hole. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

Ice Hole bar

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Jason Kugler, of Pelican Rapids, Minn., enters the Ice Hole bar on Lake Lida on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. The bar is located on the ice to be close to anglers, but many in the tavern said they didn't fish and were visiting just for the novelty. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

Drilling ice

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Jason Kugler drills holes in the ice outside of the Ice Hole bar on Lake Lida. Kugler said he was helping build a beer garden for an upcoming fishing tournament on Lake Lida. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

Fishing shack

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Fishing shacks like this one on Lake Lida dot the area around the Ice Hole bar. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

Ice road

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An ice road leads to the Ice Hole bar, located a few hundred yards off the northeastern shore of Lake Lida in northwestern Minnesota. (MPR Photo/Nathaniel Minor) link to this photo

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