fishing reports 2020 Lake of the Woods Fishing Reports & Info

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  The traditional fall pattern of a jig bite for walleyes continues on the big lake.  There are various schools of walleyes located across the south shore.  A good place to start is 9-15' or 22-29' adjacent to rivers, creeks and bays.  Anchor up, jig over the side of the boat with a frozen shiner or fathead.  Anglers reporting going through numbers of small walleyes and saugers to catch nicer eaters.  Decent walleye reports also from Four Mile Bay in 10-15'.  Pike are active in bays and along shorelines.

On the Rainy River...   Anglers catching nice walleyes in the river, not the big numbers yet.  Current on the river and the river itself is low.  Most anglers are jigging with frozen shiners, although trolling crankbaits to find fish still effective for some.  Sturgeon anglers focusing on deeper holes with current.  Good reports of smallmouth bass this week.

Up at the NW Angle...  Until the US / Canada border opens, guests can travel across the lake staying and fishing in MN waters.  There are boat shuttle / passenger services available to the Angle.  Check with your favorite NW Angle resort for options.  

Jigging with a minnow on structure with a bit of current in 8-24' effective for walleyes.  Gold, pink, chartreuse and glow colors great choices.  Some crappies in 15-30' adjacent to structure.  Muskie anglers reporting action trolling cranks or casting jerkbaits in cabbage weed bays.  Water temps in the mid 50's. 

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  Great fall fishing this past week.  Walleyes were active with most anglers anchored up and jigging with a minnow.  No surprise walleyes are relating to bait in anywhere from 9' - 27' of water.  Good reports around the lake.  Structure and current areas holding good numbers of fish. Good walleye reports from Four Mile Bay in 10-15'.  Pike continue to be active in bays and along shorelines.  Trolling crankbaits will catch you a mixed bag.

On the Rainy River...   A strong run of emerald shiners this past week brought more walleyes into the river.  The river is low, current slow.  Anglers reporting groups of fish from Wheeler's Point to Birchdale.  Most anglers are jigging with live or frozen shiners.  Pink, glow and gold combo effective.  Try moving hole to hole until you find fish.  Change the angle of your jigging using different weight jigs.  Pull the jig forward against current, let it fall back and bang bottom.  Trolling crankbaits over flats where fish are spread out also effective.  Sturgeon anglers focusing on deeper holes with current.  Good reports of smallmouth bass again this week.

Up at the NW Angle...  Until the US / Canada border opens, guests can travel across the lake staying and fishing in MN waters.  There are boat shuttle / passenger services available to the Angle.  Check with your favorite NW Angle resort for options.  

Walleyes active this week up at the Angle.  Jig and a minnow on points, areas with current, and bay mouths where there is bait all good places to start in 8'-24'.  With the many islands, lots of spots to fish.  Gold, pink, chartreuse and glow colors great choices.  Crappies in mix, 15-30' adjacent to structure.  Pike are active.  Muskie anglers reporting action trolling cranks or casting jerkbaits in cabbage weed bays.  

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  It's fall in Minnesota.  Dress warm and catch walleyes!  That is the theme with good fall fishing this past week.  The colder weather has walleyes snapping.  Most anglers anchored up and jigging with an emerald shiner.  Walleyes are relating to bait in anywhere from 15' - 23' of water.  Structure, areas of the lake adjacent rivers / streams and areas in front of bays holding good numbers of fish.  Pike continue to be active in bays and along shorelines.  Trolling crankbaits continues to catch anglers a mixed bag.

On the Rainy River...   Some commenting this is one of the best runs of emerald shiners up the river in years.  The river is still low, current slow.  More and more walleyes are coming into the river each day.  Best depths anywhere from 7-24'.  Most anglers are jigging with live or frozen shiners.  Pink, glow and gold combo effective.  The fish are moving often, try different current seams, flats or holes until you find them.   When you find them, action can be fast.  Don't be afraid to pull crankbaits over flats where fish are spread out and you can cover water.  Four Mile Bay holding walleyes in 10-15'.  Sturgeon anglers focusing on deeper holes with current.  Nice smallmouth bass being caught by walleye anglers.

Up at the NW Angle...  Until the US / Canada border opens, guests can travel across the lake staying and fishing in MN waters.  There are boat shuttle / passenger services available to the Angle.  Check with your favorite NW Angle resort for options.  

A nice walleye bite this week up at the Angle.  Jig and a minnow on points and areas with current all good places to start in 13'-26'.  Gold, pink, and glow colors great choices.  Some big pike caught by walleye anglers jigging.  Pike and muskies in bays and off of rock points. 

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  Dress warm and catch walleyes!  Some even bring their Mr. Heater in the boat.  High temps this week in the low 40's.  The water temps are in the 30's and the walleyes are staged in many early ice areas.  Good reports on the lake with a mix of small fish, eaters and some big fish.  Consider areas on the lake such as the Lighthouse Gap, Morris Point Gap, Zippel Bay and Long Point.  Good reports in all of those areas.  Walleyes in 7 - 26' of water.  Most anglers anchored up and jigging with an emerald shiner.  Pink, gold, glow and green jigs working well.  Pike are active in bays and along shorelines.  Trolling crankbaits for some anglers is still effective, but jigging by far the chosen technique this time of year.

On the Rainy River...   Anglers seeing good numbers of walleyes on electronics as well as a lot of bait.  With so many shiners in the river, catching walleyes has been tougher than normal.  The river is still low, current slow.  Best depths anywhere from 7-24'.  Most anglers are jigging with live or frozen shiners.  Pink, glow and gold combo effective.  Trolling crankbaits over flats where fish are spread still pulling some fish.  Walleyes in Four Mile Bay 10-15'.  Sturgeon anglers focusing on deeper holes with current.  A sturgeon rig with crawlers and shiners.

Up at the NW Angle...  

Nice walleyes being caught up at the Angle for anglers braving some colder than normal temps.  Jig and a minnow on points and areas with current all good places to start in 13'-26'.  Gold, pink, and glow colors great choices.  Some big pike being caught by walleye anglers as well as those trolling shorelines.  Pike and muskies in bays and off of rock points.  

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  Good walleye reports from a variety of different areas of the lake.  Most anglers report sorting through walleyes in a variety of sizes to catch eaters and big fish.  Anchored up and jigging with a minnow in 7 - 26' of water has been the goto.  Pink, gold, glow and orange jigs working well.  Lighthouse gap, Morris Point Gap, Zippel Bay, Long Point and Knight and Bridges Islands are some areas reporting nice walleyes.  Pike being caught by walleye anglers but also active in bays and shallow shorelines for those targeting them. 

On the Rainy River...   An interesting fall on the river.  Good shiner run but low current.  Some anglers say slow fishing compared to past falls.  Others report excellent fishing but you have to work for them.  Move around to different spots or even trailer to different sections of the river until you find fish.  Best depths range from 7-24'.  Jigging with shiners on current breaks and in holes or trolling crankbaits over flats where fish are spread still pulling some fish.  A sturgeon rig with crawlers and shiners in deep holes still catching lake sturgeon.

Up at the NW Angle...  

Parts of the Angle are icing up.  For those still fishing on the open water, a jig and a minnow on points and areas with current in 13'-26' has fared well.  Gold, pink, and glow colors great choices.  Reports of some big predators (pike and muskies) being caught as ice up is close.  

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  As we roll into mid November, thin ice conditions on back bays as well as the Rainy River have put an end to the open water fishing season.  Big Traverse Bay is still open water.  The hope each year is to have cold nights combined with low wind and no snow early in the season to create a good early sheet of ice.  Every year is different based on Mother Nature of course, but normally resorts will be able to get their smaller fish houses, called day houses, out around December 10th.  A couple of resorts who provide spearing for pike in back bays of course earlier.  Again, this is just an average.  This year could be earlier or later, time will tell, but everyone is watching.

On the Rainy River...   The river is covered in most places with a layer of thin ice.  The fall season ended up with a good number of shiners in the river from the fall run.  The few anglers who fished this past week had some good reports.  We believe there are a good number of walleyes in the river despite mixed fishing reports this fall.  Some anglers believe the sheer numbers of shiners in the river made the bite more difficult.  

Up at the NW Angle...  The Angle has a mix of iced over areas and open water.  That is quite typical this time of year.  The ice is forming nicely and the hopes are for colder weather to keep things moving along positively.  

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  As we approach Thanksgiving, thin ice covers back bays and a portion of the big lake, otherwise known as Big Traverse Bay.   Roughly half of the lake is covered in ice with the rest open water.  Ice anglers are hoping for cold nights combined with low wind and no snow to create a good early sheet of ice.  Every year is different based on Mother Nature of course, but normally resorts will be able to get their smaller fish houses, called day houses, out around December 10th.  When the ice thickens, resorts will begin marking trails where there is the best ice.  Stay tuned...

On the Rainy River...   The river is covered in most places with a layer of thin ice.  Most ice fishing is done on the main lake during the ice season where there isn't current.  With current in the river, most visitors will work through a resort for safety.

Up at the NW Angle...  The Angle has a mix of iced over areas with open water in neck down areas.  The ice is forming nicely and the hopes are for colder weather to keep things moving along positively.  Resorts are ready for ice fishing!  A complete list of lodging and ice fishing packages available at www.fishingminnesota.com/Lodging

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  It's a waiting game.  Hoping for cold temps and calm winds.  This past week saw some strong winds blow ice around the basin, eating up some of the thinner ice that had formed.  Forecast looks promising to lock things up in the very near future.  Resorts are monitoring ice conditions on Four Mile Bay, Zippel Bay and various areas of the shoreline.  It's important to wait until they say it's good to go and stay on their marked trails when it is time.  Resorts and outfitters monitor ice conditions now and throughout the season daily.  Some spearing and angling for pike in back bays.  

On the Rainy River...   The river is covered in most places with a layer of ice.  Most ice fishing is done on the main lake during the ice season where there isn't current.  There can be some good ice fishing on the Rainy, but with current in the river, work through a resort for safety.

Up at the NW Angle...  With the border closure, NW Angle Resorts and Community have pulled together and will have an ice road up to the Angle so anglers can access resorts.  The NW Angle Guest Ice Road ice access on the south end will be at Springsteel Resort.  More info on Facebook @nwaiceroad.  

The Angle is iced over and resorts are monitoring ice thickness.  Some resorts have been checking for walleyes in a few spots having good success.  It's not ready yet, but the ice is coming along nicely.  

 

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  Ice is thickening and making progress.  With safety in mind, resorts have been out checking ice thickness, ice conditions, cracks, and in some cases starting to mark trails.  Each resort fishes a different part of the lake with varying ice conditions and will make the decision when ice fishing can begin.  Some areas have decent ice, other areas still need more time.  As some ice fishing will begin this week for some resorts and not for others, it is important to check with each resort as to when they will start fishing, what is allowed on their ice trail (ATV's, snowmobiles, etc) and if they have fish houses to rent or only a marked trail in which you would bring your own ice transportation, collapsible fish house, etc.  Resorts and outfitters monitor ice conditions throughout the season daily.  Please stay on their marked trails when it is time.  Trails are marked for good reasons, please stay on them for safety.

On the Rainy River...   The river is covered with ice.  Most ice fishing is done on the main lake during the ice fishing season where there isn't current.  There can be some good ice fishing on the Rainy, but with current in the river, work through a resort for safety.  Some locals have been ice fishing certain areas where ice conditions allow.  No snowmobile trail yet.

Up at the NW Angle...  With the border closure, NW Angle Resorts and Community have pulled together and will have a guest ice road up to the Angle so anglers can access resorts while staying in the U.S. and not crossing the border.  The NW Angle Guest Ice Road ice access on the south end will be at Springsteel Resort.  Anticipated start, January.  More info on Facebook at Northwest Angle Guest Ice Road.

The Angle is iced over and resorts are monitoring ice thickness.  Initial fishing reports by resort guides checking have been good.  It's not ready yet, but the ice is coming along nicely.  

 

[pikeandchester]

Heard Morris Point and Wigwam are allowing ATVs pulling portables this weekend. 

[ANYFISH2]

Fished out of and stay at Cyrus resort this past weekend.  Cyrus is hard at work creating their on the main lake through huge fields of busted up ice.  This limiting some fishing area at this time.  They are not yet open to the public (as of 12/3/2020).  Very nice cabins and friendly staff and guides.

 

We fished Saturday in 19-20 feet of water.  Fishing was less than stellar by my experience in LOW.  I blame this on our poor choice of location.  We set up in morning and ended up placing ourselves in a spot that ended up having 2 roads being built through the rough ice on both sides of us.  A ton of commotion late morning and all afternoon, chainsaws, chisels, plows and all sorts of atv traffic.

We ended up catching 40ish fish for the day.  Catch was 60% walleye 40% sauger.  Biggest walleyes being 27.5 and 25 inches.  And keeping 15 walleye and Sauger between 13-17 inches. 

Sunday we ventured out farther through the piled ice and set up farther away from the road.  It was kinda slow going checking the ice in piled up areas.  Ice we found was 8-10 inches.  We ended up fishing in 22-23 ft of water.  This few feet changed the make up of our catch.  Resulting in a 5 to 1 Sauger to walleye catch.  Bit the action was much better.  Catching 150 ish from 8am-noon.  Of course the typical 11inch Sauger ruled the catch. With each house being able to keep 5 or 6 fish between 13-18 inches.  Biggest Sauger coming in at 17.5", walleye at 18" and perch at 12". 

 

Jigging and bobber set ups produced about evenly for numbers.  Bobber line produced the bigger fish.  Forage minnows, Rattling flyers, and Leech spoons were the best jigging presentations for us.  Fatheads and rainbows both good choices for minnows.

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

On the south end...  Ice fishing has begun on The Walleye Capital of the World.  It actually started last week for some resorts, this week for others.  Below zero temps this week.  This is still considered early ice so safety is #1 priority.  Work through a resort and stay on their marked trail.  Resorts are using light ice rigs to transport guests to fish houses.  Anglers fishing on their own are using ATV / snowmobiles / side by sides.  Fishing has been good with a mix of walleyes and saugers in 15-24'.  Now is traditionally a great time to catch fish.  Some big pike and eelpout keeping walleye anglers on their toes.

On the Rainy River...   Ice fishing is taking place on the river mainly by locals.  The majority of ice fishing is done on the main lake during the ice fishing season where there isn't current.  There can be some good ice fishing on the Rainy, but with current in the river, work through a resort for safety.  No snowmobile trail yet, stay tuned.

Up at the NW Angle...  With the border closure, NW Angle Resorts and Community have pulled together and will have a guest ice road across the lake up to the Angle so anglers can drive to resorts.  The NW Angle Guest Ice Road will begin when ice conditions allow, most likely early January.  The snowmobile trail will be staked soon across the lake.  There is also a flying service serving the Angle.  More info on Facebook at Northwest Angle Guest Ice Road 2020.

Ice fishing has started up at the Angle with very good reports.  A mix of walleyes, sauger and jumbo perch.  Communicate with your favorite NW Angle resort for specifics and safety. 

 

[geliason]

Just back from Sportsman's. Fished Monday and Tuesday in 18-20 FOW. Monday was a little tough, due to the cold snap, but things picked up on Tuesday, with a nice limit of 15-17" fish. 5 Sauger and 7 Walleye. Lot's of action most of the day, especially with a bratty mink that was under our house! As quickly as you'd try to return a small fish down the hole, the mink would dunk into the water, grab the fish by the tail and drag it back out.....I think he ended up with his limit too! My wife hauled in a real nice 28.5". All in all a memorable trip.

[opsirc]

Heading up tomorrow for 3 days, first time this year. Any reports of now the fishing is?

Thanks