BoatUS opens TowBoatUS Leech Lake as Minnesota boating season starts

Leech Lake gained a new on-water backup just as Minnesota’s boating season got moving, with TowBoatUS Leech Lake opening on May 28, 2026 to cover one of the state’s busiest inland waters. BoatUS says the port will handle towing, jump starts, fuel delivery, salvage and recovery, a useful mix when a dead battery, a fuel issue or a grounding can quickly snowball on a lake as large as Leech.

The local operator is MINNESOTA MARINE ASSIT LLC in Walker, Minnesota, with the port listing a local number of (218) 434-0005. BoatUS says most TowBoatUS ports are built around towing, soft ungroundings, battery jumps and fuel delivery, while salvage can include recovering property, refloating the vessel and towing it to a safe harbor. For boaters who range farther from a landing, that kind of local coverage can be the difference between a short delay and a long, expensive wait.

BoatUS also keeps its National Dispatch Center open 24-hours, 365 days a year, reachable at 800-391-4869, through the BoatUS app or by hailing TowBoatUS on VHF channel 16. That matters on Leech Lake, which Minnesota DNR-linked materials describe as the state’s third-largest lake. The lake’s scale, along with Minnesota’s large-lake fisheries program covering waters over 15,000 acres and some of the state’s best walleye-producing lakes, helps explain why a dedicated response base fits the season.

The timing is especially important for owners who are just shaking off winter storage and getting rigs back in the water. Early-season breakdowns on big inland lakes usually start with the basics: batteries that never fully recovered from the off-season, fuel-system problems after a long layup, trailer-launch headaches at the ramp and prop damage from shallow water or unseen debris. A few DIY checks can prevent the tow call in the first place, including charging and load-testing the battery, inspecting fuel lines and filters, confirming the trailer winch, lights and bunks are ready, and looking over the prop, skeg and lower unit before launching. Minnesota’s Governor’s Fishing Opener, a tradition since 1948, kicks off the summer tourism season for good reason, and Leech Lake’s new TowBoatUS base arrives right when that first rush of traffic puts the most strain on boats, ramps and skippers alike.