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Crookston solar + battery powered fish house free for families

February 2025

By Joel Haskard
Northwest, MN

In Crookston, Minn., a local nonprofit and hardware store have teamed up to provide a solar + battery storage fish house on the Red Lake River, providing free fishing access to families. We spoke with CERTs Regional Coordinator Anna Peterson to learn more. 

A community comes together

Get Kids Outdoors Fish House (Blue)The Get Kids Outdoors - Adam Parnow Memorial is a nonprofit foundation that started in June 2023 in the wake of a tragic flying accident of the late Adam Parnow. “He loved the outdoors, and he was a natural magnet for kids,” says Peterson. “Get Kids Outdoors has many activities, and providing a fish house on the river in Adam’s home community so any family can go fishing is one of them.”

Not everyone has ice fishing equipment, so the project provides everything needed. Get Kids Outdoors teamed up with local Crookston Ace Hardware to make the logistics of the fish house run smoothly. Families can call the hardware store to schedule a time between one and four hours. After they pick up the key at the store, the fish house is all theirs! They drop the key in a lock box when they’re finished.

Clean energy + ice fishing…Yes, please!

This is the second year the fish house has been on the river.

“The first year, we just had the little solar panel on top of the house,” says Peterson. “It wasn’t enough to keep the battery charged. So for ice fishing 2026 Get Kids Outdoors purchased two 100 watt panels, and Amped Outdoors donated a 100AH capacity 12V deep cycle lithium battery. This runs LED lights, two ceiling fans, and warms the battery box.

“Last year we had 48 families use the free fish house,” concludes Peterson. “We can’t wait to see how many use it this year!”

Kids Left to Right Eliza, Amelia, SidaLee, Israelle Wentzel (Photo Credit: Dad Fred Wentzel)

Get Kids Outdoors

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