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Let's see your pics!!! 2020 Lake of the Woods Fishing Reports - Click Here Click Above for 2020 Fishing Reports↑↑↑↑ 2009-2020 Lake of the Woods Fishing Reports below↓↓↓↓ Go ahead and post your Lake of the Woods fishing reports and conditions in this thread. More current Fishing Reports - Click the >> link above to the right after the NEXT link. For 2019 LOTW Fishing Reports - Click here. Questions welcome too. Fishing Reports by the TOP Lake of the Woods Fishing Guides, Charter Captains & Resorts are in here - Click Here. Lot's of good info and our best members posting below already. Newer Reports are on pages that follow. Be sure to give back and share your fishing reports here as well Thanks.

We're still OPEN & fishing up at the NW Angle! Fishing on the Minnesota side continues to be best early morning and from sundown to dusk. Work deeper edges of the break line in the morning and afternoon, moving up to the flats and points for an evening flurry. With low pressure coming for the weekend expect fishing to be excellent. On the Ontario side, Crappie action was really good this past weekend in 30+ feet of water. Lots of fish over 14." Lake conditions have drastically improved as water making slush has receded below the ice or has frozen over in most areas. Caution should be used in areas of high current or between islands. Hard water fishing ends April 15th! Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Areas of slush on trails in Minnesota are refreezing overnight and are still in good condition if well-traveled. Walleye action is getting better every day, with mornings and late evening being best. Rippin’ raps and buckshots are enticing violent strikes; 18-22 ft of water is key. Big northern pike are hitting jiggin’ spoons and tip ups with large baits. Anglers venturing into Canada continue to find schooled Crappies and big walleye deeper into 30+ feet. A slow presentation is most effective for catching crappies. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Minnesota snowmobile trail conditions are in good shape. The Baudette trail is great north of Knight Island. Walleye action heats up in periods of stable weather. The best catching is happening in 21-25ft, with the most productive method being a dead-stick beside an actively jigged rattle bait such as a buckshot or rippin’ rap. Glow white/pink is out producing other colors. The late ice bite can be phenomenal on Lake of the Woods, ice permitting we will have houses out through the end of the month! Canadian fishing is recommended via snowmobile as they are light enough not to drop into the slush as easy as other track vehicles. Crappies are still filling buckets and walleye are actively feeding on reef break lines and points. Walleye season is open through April 14th. Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Fishing is really starting to pick up, which usually means Spring is on the way! Fishing on the Minnesota side has been best at first and last light, which can make for long days on the ice this time of year. The Sauger bite has really picked up with a lot good sized eaters coming out of 21-25 ft. The most effective colors for both Walleye and Sauger have been Chartreuse, White, any Glow/lighted/UV (specifically red) and hammered gold. When fishing at depths less than 20 feet, keep an active presentation. Northerns tend to be most active in the early afternoon which is a good time to take a break from jigging and put out a tip-up. Fishing on the Canadian side has been good since the last snow storm and continues to produce Crappie and Walleye. A light setup for crappies with plastics or larvae has been productive. Slush is still frozen in well-traveled areas but it plentiful off trail. Fishing will continue to improve as the weather does, there is still a lot of time to fit in a last minute ice fishing trip!! Sunset Lodge

South End Great reports continue to come in for walleyes and saugers. Fish being caught in a variety of depths from 24-34' of water. Morning/evening bite in 15-20'. Some suspended fish. Keep jigging lines moving. Gold, glow red and other glow colors effective. Try rattles to draw fish in. Deadstick with a plain hook and live minnow. Fish houses on ice through March 31, walleyes open through April 14, pike season open continuous. Thick ice, extensions needed. Resort houses available with good ice. Ice roads open. Rainy River A strong current in the river this year and a lot of snow. Snowmobile trail on a river is open and marked from Baudette (downstream from the bridge) to the lake. Stay on the trail for safety. NW Angle Excellent reports across the Angle. Walleyes coming from 22-30'. Saugers and jumbo perch mixed in. Jig one line, second line dead stick with a plain hook with a live minnow. Snowmobile trails from south shore across the lake to Angle are marked with fresh snow. Lots of slush off of the trail.

Hello from the NW Angle! Minnesota Walleye can be found in 19-23ft early and late in the day. Rattle baits will call these actively feeding fish to the hole. Midday action is best adjacent to the break line at 25-29ft. These fish are preferring a more subtle presentation such as a minnow and plain hook or a spoon with a whole minnow on a dead-stick. It remains important to constantly re-charge glow baits to keep them productive in the deeper water. In Canada, walleye and crappie fishing is good in typical spots. Travel can become difficult in slushy areas, solo travel is not advised. Try to run on previous tracks laid as areas of slush will have frozen over night where machines have packed the trail. We are no longer running day houses on the Canadian side, however now is your chance to bring snowmobiles, hire a local guide and limit out on the hot March bite! We are still offering 50% off mid-week lodging through March! (Sun-Wed nights) Until next week, Sunset Lodge

A group of us recently made it up to Flag Island Resort for 3 days of multispecies ice fishing on Lake of the Woods. The accommodations and folks who worked at the Resort were top notch! Bending over backwards to put you on fish and make your trip one to remember. The Fishing - Day 1 it was decided to stay, somewhat, close to the Resort in the MN side of LOTW to target Walleye, Sauger and Perch due to 24+ hours of snow. We got into pretty good numbers of fish and some quality fished showed up as well! Below is a video of that action from Day 1.

Hello from the NW Angle! Minnesota walleye are being caught at a variety of depths with 24-27’ being the most consistent. Glow red with gold has been a hot combo this week. Rattle baits continue to draw active fish to our houses. Sauger activity has been very strong, providing Anglers the opportunity for full limits before new regulations take effect on March 1st. New limit regulations give a combination of six walleye/sauger with no more than 4 walleye. The slot of 19.5”-28 must be immediately release with one walleye over 28’ to be allowed in possession. Canadian crappies are still filling buckets and freezers, they can be found near the bottom in 32-35ft. Super light tackle and willingness to keep trying different jig combinations is producing the most fish. Many tulibee are being seen this week, which make for a tasty treat out of the smoker. Walleye fishing continues to be very good in traditional areas, depth at 23-28ft. Snow depth in our areas is between 2 and 2.5 ft. Trails are in great condition after last weeks snow and wind conditions. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! On the Minnesota side, we are finding Perch, Walleye and Sauger, with 23-25 ft in the gravel being the most succesful. A lot of fish pulled from these areas were found to be preying on crawfish and spitting them up upon surfacing. Pink and white has been the top producing color combo once again. It is equally important to keep charging your glow lures. During periods of extreme cold the Dead-stick was most effective. Very nice Saugers are still being caught out of 28-29 ft. The best action has been early and late in the day. Canada has been providing mixed bags, seeing Perch, Crappie, Walleye and big Northerns. A couple of limits of big crappies again this week, 30-33ft being the most successful depth. Big walleye and northern found in Little Traverse on rock reefs. We received 8+ inches of snow within the past few days, trails have large drifts that are hard to see, take caution in low light conditions until trail can be groomed. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Fishing remains consistently strong on the Minnesota side this week. Many species are quick to bite leaving anglers with a very mixed bag at the end of the day. We saw multiple 40+ inch Northern, many Perch, even a Lake Trout among an already strong Walleye bite. 22-24 ft on gravel bottom surrounded by mud has been our best spots. Be sure to charge up any Glow tackle in use, with the increasing snow cover, glow or lighted lures have been hot. Pink/white and gold are also very effective on sunny days. The Canadian bite just keeps getting better! Crappies can be found in 30 foot holes while 22-26 ft flats on break lines have been hot for a Sauger/Walleye mix. Remember to stick to well-traveled trails as most have not been staked/marked as of yet. Until next week! Sunset Lodge

On the main basin Good numbers of walleyes and saugers being caught of all sizes. Jig one line, deadstick second. Most anglers focused in 25-31' of water. During the morning and evenings, shallow water bite in 13-18'. Electronics very helpful with some larger fish suspended. Every resort ice road is different but pickups and wheelhouses of varying sizes allowed on various ice roads. Gold, glow red, yellow and orange hot colors. Ice ranges from 12-20" where resorts are fishing. Snowmobile trails on lake staked from south shore up to NW angle. Please stay on marked trails, don't go off on your own and exercise safety precautions as ice conditions vary. On the Rainy River Stretches of the river and bay ice unsafe with heavier than normal current. Some walleye action in Four Mile Bay early and late in the day. Most river fishing currently being done by locals who know ice. The NW Angle Ice road is open from Young's Bay to Flag Island, no further as of yet. Snowmobile trails from south shore across the lake to Angle are marked and are open. Stay on the trail for safety! Excellent fishing with good numbers of walleyes being caught. Most fish coming from 18-24'. Crappies being caught on Ontario side. Work through resorts and stay on staked resort ice trails.

Hello from the NW Angle! Water temperatures are holding in the low 50's but expect them to continue to drop this week with temperatures in the high 30's and even snow in the forecast. Both Minnesota and Canadian walleye fishing are on fire with only a jig and shiner or minnow needed. Look for Walleye in areas of current, pinch points between islands or rocky bays. Fish are currently shiner dependent in 17-25 feet. Crappies are being found away from the rocks suspended over mud bottoms in 24-28 feet. Perch can be found on deeper reefs topping out at 28 feet. Muskie trolling is off to a great start and will only continue to get better as the water temperature reaches into the high 40's. We will be closing down for ice in October 22nd - we hope to see you before then for some late fall fantastic fishing! Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Lake of the Woods water temps are steadily falling into the mid to low 50’s. This past week cold fronts and strong winds have fish schooling up and feeding heavily. In Minnesota, look to rocky bays and adjacent reefs in 15-22ft. of water. A jig and minnow is all that is needed to catch a limit in a short period of time. Bottle necks between islands in the NW Angle are also worth fishing in the evenings. In Canada, the fishing has been excellent. Crappie, walleye and perch are all schooling up and taking a jig and minnow. With the water temperatures dropping, expect to see the muskie bite increase while trolling. We will be closing October 22nd for ice in! Contact us for availability for your fall fishing trip! We hope to see you soon, Sunset Lodge

On the main basin... Very strong walleye fishing continues with the jig bite picking up. Charters finding limits of eater walleyes with big fish mixed in. Crankbaits, spinners / crawlers and jigs with frozen shiners in main basin successful. 15-31 feet of water producing good numbers of walleyes across south shore with very good numbers in front of gap. Shiners showing up at mouth of Rainy River as well as up the Rainy River. On the Rainy River... With shiners entering the river, eater walleyes showing up as well. Anglers reporting success both jigging and pulling crankbaits. Walleye activity will be increasing as shiner run continues. Up at the NW Angle... Strong numbers of walleyes being caught on mud flats and around Garden Island. 15 - 25' is a good start. Spinners, crankbaits and jigging all producing. Some nice jumbo perch mixed with walleyes. Muskie activity picking up as water is cooling. Next full moon, Sep 24. Crappie anglers are producing big black slabs.

Hello from the NW Angle! Minnesota walleye action remains strong with spinners in mud bottomed areas near reefs using both minnows and crawlers. Fish can also be found in shallower water (15ft. or less) around Garden Island. Crankbaits seem to be the most effective at enticing larger fish. Canadian walleye fishing has been fabulous this past week. The jig and minnow bite is on! Multiple boats ran out of bait and had just as much success switching to plastics. Bottom bouncing with crawlers remains effective in soft bottom areas as well. Crappies continue to school up on deep water points. Hot windows of muskie bites have become shorter but still with good success. Plenty of fish in the 4ft plus range and even a couple over 50! Water temps remain stable between 64-67 degrees. See you soon! Sunset Lodge

9.4.18 Sunset Lodge Fishing Report Hello from the NW Angle! In Minnesota, walleye fishing remains best with deep trolling minnow baits in 22-27 feet of water. These same areas will provide action with a spinner and a minnow, however crawlers are still producing fish. In the coming weeks, jig and minnow fishing will be the go to with fish stacking themselves on points and current areas. Canadian walleye action remains strong on bottom bouncer and spinner rigs with either a crawler or minnow. Walleye are starting to school tighter making jig and minnow fishing very effective. Fall fishing is starting to heat up and we are seeing crappies schooled up on deep points. Surface water temps are currently in the low 70’s throughout the day. We hope to see you soon! Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Minnesota walleye fishing has been great using bottom bouncers and a night crawler. Anglers are being selective to fill limits with 16-18” fish as well as a few over 28 released. Most success has been in the mud, off of structure in 21-23 feet and 26-30 feet. The largest fish seem to come from South of Garden Island on crank-baits. Canadian walleye are also most effectively targeted with bottom bouncers and spinners. Depth has not been as important as being at the bottom of a break line in the flat. Gold with chartreuse has been best as of late. Musky activity has slowed from the prior weeks but expect it to ramp up with the full moon approaching. Perch have been schooled up on and around reefs topping out around 30 feet. Water temps remain consistently in the low to mid 70’s. Remember - fall is the time for trophy fish up at the NW Angle! Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! On the Minnesota side, spinners and crawler harnesses are still the preferred method of walleye fishing, with the hot colors being pink/gold, orange/gold and orange/chartreuse. Walleye are being caught off of structure scattered in the mud between 20 and 30 feet. Down riggers and deep running crank baits have also been productive. Canadian walleye are being caught in channels off of islands and along reefs in 18 to 25 feet of water. Both bottom bouncers with a crawler harness and a jig with minnow or shiner have both been successful in Canadian waters. Musky fishing success has increased in the past week. Fish are being caught on crank baits and blade baits. With water temps in the low 70’s muskies are favoring rocks near weeds. Our very own, Travis Palmquist, released a 54.5" musky yesterday! Fall is a great time for trophy fishing! We hope to see you soon, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! In Minnesota, walleye are still scattered through out the main lake basin. Night crawlers on a spinner remains most effective. Make drifts/passes parallel but off of structure including islands and reef break lines in 24-30 feet. Hot colors have been gold/pink, gold/orange or hammered gold. Deep running crank baits are another good option, often producing bigger fish and large northern pike. On the Canadian side of the lake, fish can be schooled on humps and reefs. Once located, fish these areas with a jig and minnow or shiner. Pulling spinners in 25-30 feet of water is most productive in covering ground to locate feeding and roaming walleye. Muskie action continues to improve through out the week. Multiple big fish were caught on Sunday with many others boated as well as, a lot of lookers. As activity levels rise, blade baits have been triggering positive reactions. Water temperatures remain consistent in the low 70's. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Water temps are consitently in the mid to high 70’s. Walleye in Minnesota can be caught on reefs with a jig and minnow. More productive methods currently are bottom bouncers and crank-baits in 24-28 feet of water. Covering a lot of ground is key when the fish arent schooled together. We have had many 40”+ Pike caught while trolling, reports of large Muskie also. Candian walleye are spread out as well, making bottom bouncing and deep cranks the ticket to success. Fish mud bottomed areas deeper than 25ft for best results. Many nice jumbo perch limits have been coming in recently. They are biting on a jig and fathead and are concentrated at 28-30ft. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Water temperatures are starting in the low 70’s in the morning, reaching mid to upper 70’s in the evening. Minnesota walleye action can be hot running deep diving crank-baits straight, down rigging or lead core. Soft bottom areas can also be worked with spinners and a night crawler. Fish have been favoring gold on bright days and orange, chartreus or pink in low light. Many larger northern pike this last week in the boat via crank-baits just outside of rock reefs and points. Canadian walleye fishing has been more productive away from reefs and points in soft bottomed areas. The best method is to pull a spinner to find concentrations along the bottom and switch to jigging to fill out limits. Musky attitude in Canada varies day to day. Plenty of fish are still being caught in shallow weeds including a couple of 50+ giants this past week. Fish are also being caught in more traditional mid-summer spots such as rock reefs and points. The most productive baits this week were crane baits or other flat baits, buck tails and top waters. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from Sunset Lodge! In Minnesota, walleyes and pike have been found using crank-baits on the south side of Oak Island. Walleye have also been caught pulling spinners in 26-30 feet using gold and green. In Ontario, walleye have been very active using pink and orange jigs on the breaks of reefs or casting shallow crank-baits in 8-12 feet by rocky shoreline points. A good mixed bag of smallmouth and pike have been found with the walleye as well. Musky fishing has really picked up with lots of fish over 40+ inches. Fishing sand and weedy bays near rock reefs have produced well using buck-tails, small crank-baits and top-water baits. Until next week! Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Water temperatures are currently hovering in the mid 70’s. Minnesota walleye action has been really good with bottom bouncers and a night crawler. Gold spinners with hints of chartreuse, orange or just hammered gold are favored. Walleye and occasional large pike can be had trolling deep diving crank baits around shoreline breaks and reefs. Canadian walleye fishing continues to excite anglers via jigs and minnows. Pink or white jigs tipped with shiners will put fish in the boat. Night crawlers on spinners will produce fish in the mud deeper than 25 feet. Musky action has been all over the place, fish are still being found in sandy, weedy bays, rock points and reefs. The nearing new moon should have fish on the prowl this week. Congratulations to our neighbor and local guide, Forrest Huset and his dad Sean on their victory at the Lake of the Woods Musky Bowl this weekend! Another neighbor, Jerry Klema, landed a 29 1/2 inch trophy walleye last week! Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from Sunset Lodge! In Minnesota, walleye have been found using green, gold and orange spinners in 24-30 ft. Jigging in the morning on tops of the reef has been the most productive. In Ontario, walleye fishing has been very good jigging on top of reefs as well, with gold and orange being the hot colors. Musky fishing has been heating up as muskies are moving to the reefs and windblown points. Multiple muskies have been caught over 50 inches within the last week. Happy Independence Day! Sunset Lodge