WCCO 'goes to the lake': TV crew visits the community

SHELL LAKE — WCCO, the CBS network’s affiliate in the Twin Cities viewing market, continued its annual summer ritual, “Goin’ to the Lake,” with a visit to Shell Lake last week. It was clear from the comments of WCCO’s reporters they were impressed with what they found not only in Shell Lake, but in all of Washburn County.

“I love the lake and the charm Shell Lake offers, and the people are all so friendly. I live in the Twin Cities metro now and this is just great; I could easily live here,” said WCCO’s chief meteorologist Chris Schaffer.

Joseph Dames, the weekend meteorologist for WCCO, agreed with Shaffer.

“I grew up in Illinois, so I’m not a lake person; it just wasn’t something that was available to me, but it’s beautiful here. I just love it; the people have all been so welcoming,” said Dames while he pointed to the lake. “I could just float around out there all day long.”

According to Shaffer, WCCO’s “Goin’ to the Lake” feature has been a hit for many years.

“I think our first year was in 2012, although we had a break in there during the COVID years. We used to do five a year but have been doing three lately. We usually have six to eight people on-site, so it’s kind of heavy workload since we’re bringing the studio with us. ‘Goin’ to the Lake’ has always been one of the most popular segments of our programming,” said Shaffer. “It’s usually a three-day commitment because we try to feature other businesses and attractions in the area, too. Viewers enjoy the ‘Goin’ to the Lake’ events because some of them are looking for new places to visit, and for others it brings back fond memories of past trips.”

Besides a boat ride around the lake and a short fishing trip, there were visits to the Shell Lake Arts Center, the Potter’s Shed, Klopp’s 5th Avenue Bar and the Laughing Goat. The WCCO crew also visited the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum, the Washburn County Fair in Spooner and Louie’s Finer Meats in Cumberland.

“We try to cast a wide net around the area and especially love going into the small shops and meeting the friendly locals,” Shaffer said. “Our waitress Donna (Ness) at the Red Brick Café in Barronett was one of them; she was just great.”

The day’s activities ended with a live broadcast at Shell Lake’s Lakeview Bar and Grill, where a crowd of nearly 100, including Shell Lake Mayor Rowie Hansberger, greeted the WCCO duo, whose energy and love of their job was on full display.

“It was a delight to have WCCO here, as they highlighted our city and the treasures we have. The weather was perfect; we spent time on the lake around people sailing and waterskiing. Chris and Joseph even caught a couple fish,” said Hansberger. “A big thanks to all who helped put this together and made sure their experience was enjoyable. They commented several times about how beautiful and friendly the City of Shell Lake was.”