Park Falls Ice Fishing Contest Honors Beloved Community Family

When ice fishers gathered on the Pike Lake chain in Park Falls this January, they weren’t just competing for the biggest catch — they were honoring three neighbors whose sudden loss last summer left a hole in the community’s heart. The Big Dipper’s second annual ice fishing contest took on new meaning this year as the Birchell Family Memorial Ice Fishing Competition, a tribute that transforms winter recreation into an act of remembrance.

For those of us who know the Northwoods, this is exactly how we grieve and celebrate at the same time. We lace up our boots, drill our holes, and gather on the frozen lake where memories and hope coexist beneath the ice.

A Tragedy That Shook Park Falls

Tom, Carol, and Stephanie Birchell died in a devastating house fire last summer, a loss that rippled through Park Falls with particular force. The Birchells weren’t just residents — they were the kind of people who showed up. Tom volunteered with the local fire department, an irony not lost on anyone who knew him. The whole family pitched in at The Big Dipper during busy times, the kind of neighbors who’d roll up their sleeves without being asked.

Caitie Gunderson, who owns The Big Dipper tavern on the Pike Lake chain, counted the Birchells among her closest friends. When she decided to rename this year’s contest in their honor, it wasn’t a marketing decision — it was the most natural thing in the world. In small Northwoods towns like Park Falls, where the population hovers around 2,500, everybody knows everybody. And when you lose three people at once, the entire community feels it.

The Birchells also ran Birchell Property Management, serving northern Wisconsin for years. Their work touched the cabins and lakefront properties that define life up here, connecting them to the landscape in ways both professional and personal.

Ice Fishing as Community Gathering

About 35 anglers turned out for this year’s competition, each paying a $20 entry fee for the chance to land the biggest panfish, walleye, or northern pike. The Pike Lake chain has always drawn ice fishers — those cold, clear waters hold good numbers of fish, and the ice typically sets up solid by mid-winter. But this contest offers something beyond the usual solitary experience of sitting in a shanty waiting for a bite.

Tom Birchell himself participated in last year’s inaugural tournament, making this year’s memorial dimension especially poignant. You can imagine him out there, jigging for walleye, trading stories with other anglers, doing what Northwoods folks have done through countless winters. Ice fishing isn’t just a hobby up here — it’s a social institution, a way to break up the long stretches between deer season and spring opener.

Gunderson noted that the contest emerged partly from necessity. “We weren’t blessed with snow the last couple of years,” she explained, referring to the slim snowpack that kept snowmobile trails closed. When Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate with trail conditions, Northwoods communities adapt. If you can’t ride, you fish. The lakes become the main stage for winter activity, and contests like this one give people a reason to gather during months when cabin fever threatens.

Raising Funds for Safety Equipment

Beyond the fishing competition itself, The Big Dipper organized raffles to fund an important piece of equipment: an automatic external defibrillator (AED). The fundraising effort, which includes a 50-50 raffle, aims to install the life-saving device at the tavern — again in memory of Tom, Carol, and Stephanie Birchell. Once installed, a plaque will memorialize the family, ensuring their legacy extends beyond memory into practical protection for others.

In rural communities where emergency response times can stretch long, AEDs make a real difference. Taverns like The Big Dipper serve as community hubs where people gather year-round, making them logical locations for emergency equipment. The Birchell family’s connection to the fire department adds another layer of meaning — Tom volunteered to protect his neighbors, and now his memory will help safeguard them in a different way.

The cash prizes for contest winners came from the entry fees, keeping the event accessible while still offering meaningful rewards. It’s the Northwoods way — keep things simple, keep them local, and make sure everybody has a fair shot at taking home something for their effort.

Park Falls’ Deep Roots in Community Resilience

Park Falls has weathered change before. Founded in 1876 by French settlers along the North Fork of the Flambeau River — on land previously used by Ojibwe people — the town boomed after the Wisconsin Central Railway arrived in 1877. Logging and pulp mills drove rapid growth through the early 1900s, with the population peaking above 4,000 before settling into its current size. The forest industry shaped everything here, from the street layout to the community’s work ethic.

That history of adaptation shows up in events like this memorial ice fishing contest. When an industry declines, you find new economic engines. When tragedy strikes, you honor the lost by doing what you do best — gathering on the ice, supporting local businesses, and taking care of each other. The Big Dipper’s contest fits into a longer tradition of Northwoods taverns serving as gathering places where community gets reinforced through shared activity.

Winter Traditions in a Changing Climate

Ice fishing depends on reliable cold, something we can’t take for granted anymore. Gunderson’s comment about lack of snow in recent years echoes concerns you hear across the Northwoods. When winters don’t deliver consistent snowpack or ice doesn’t set up thick enough early enough, it threatens both recreation and the businesses built around it. The Pike Lake chain typically offers safe ice by January, but each winter brings uncertainty.

Contests like the Birchell Family Memorial competition help sustain winter tourism even when snowmobile trails stay closed. They give visitors and locals alike a reason to venture onto the ice, to spend money at local establishments, and to keep winter traditions alive. In a region where seasonal recreation drives significant economic activity, diversifying beyond just snowmobiling makes practical sense.

The event also highlights what makes the Northwoods special — our ability to turn hardship into connection. Whether it’s adapting to a snowless winter or memorializing beloved neighbors lost too soon, we find ways to gather, to fish, to remember. Tom Birchell would probably appreciate the simplicity of it: good people, cold beer, and a frozen lake full of possibilities. That’s about as Northwoods as it gets, ya know.