The island that we now know and love as “Shady Roost” was first discovered by a party of fishermen from the Sigmund Ullman Company, who began fishing on Lake of the Woods in the early 1920s. Among the party were brothers Guy and Glenn Sensiba, who were allured by the nine-acre isle’s beauty and decided to purchase it from the Canadian Government.

In 1925, the first log cabin was built on the island. The team that built the cabin included the Sensiba brothers’ colleague and fishing companion Otto Quetsch, who christened the island “Shady Roost.” As the years went on, many more cabins and facilities were built on the island.

Initially, Shady Roost was a private retreat for the Sensiba brothers and their friends but they soon began accommodating guests from all over the United States and Canada. The popularity of Shady Roost exploded in the decades that followed, with hundreds of guests flocking to the island each year for guided fishing tours of Lake of the Woods.

In 1951, Shady Roost was purchased by the Haag Family, who operated the fishing resort until 1980, when it changed hands again. This time, Shady Roost was purchased by Pennzoil, Co., who turned the island into a private business retreat and closed off the access to the public. Our lovely little island didn’t become accessible to the public again for awhile until it fell under new ownership in the fall of 2004. Now, you can add your fishing adventure to the chronicle of great stories that have occurred at Shady Roost during the past hundred years!