Lake of the Woods Fishing Reports & Ice Conditions by Lake of the Woods Tourism

[LOTW-WW]

“Fall fishing remains strong!” The big storm from last week that blew through here, stirred up the water and made fishing a bit more difficult. But Lake of the Woods isn’t called the “Walleye Capital of the World” for no reason, and it wasn’t hard for our guides to find the fish again!

Some charters headed up north between Stony Point and Garden Island and were productive there. 2-3 miles outside the Gap in 28-32’, anchored and jigging did the trick for some anglers. Brightly colored jigs (gold, pink, chartreuse, and orange) seemed to be the ticket. Jigging on the rock in front of Zippel in 14-16’ is better for walleyes, and 18-20’ better for sauger. The rocky areas by Long Point and Twin Islands are producing. Fishing in the rocky areas seems to do better with this dirty water.

“How about that Rainy River fishing?” The shiners are running now, and some big fish are following. 16-28’ of water depending on what time of day you are fishing. This last weekend, Borderview Lodge held a Rainy River fishing tournament, called the Chili Bowl. In this tournament you were only allowed to keep fish between 14 and 19.5 inches. This was not a problem for many tournament participants! Multiple boats brought in six fish in that 18’ range. Even if the wind is blowing, you can still catch some awesome fish in the Rainy River!

Heading up North to the Northwest Angle, fishing is good for all species! No matter what you are looking for, walleyes, crappies, northerns, muskies or smallmouth. Numbers and size are all coming in. The weather has been colder and this has dropped the water temperature down to around forty degrees, and the crappies really seem to like this! Crappies are being caught in 30-50’ feet of water. Jigging for walleyes has been all season, and still is doing well in around 30’ of water. That’s not to say that you can’t find them in many other depths! Muskie fishing is still doing well, and some big ones are being caught trolling large cranks in 20-40’ of water.

[NAMASafetyDirector]

Great report and WELCOME to the forums, I think you will enjoy everything there is to offer here!

[LOTW-WW]

Shiners running! Rainy River is hot, “Great Fall fishing”. Even with the recent rainy weather, the fish are still biting and there are limits coming in. Rainy River fishing continues to pick up as the shiners are on the run. From Four Mile Bay to the airport, to Baudette, all the way to Vidas has been great fishing.

Fishing near Frontier was hot but has since slowed down and it’s hard to get the fish to bite. Fishing near Birchdale is just starting to pick up. The Winter Road River in 18-30’ was doing well. While a lot of big fish haven’t moved into the River yet, there are trophies being caught. The number of eaters being caught is plentiful, and most anglers can have a fish fry and still go home with a limit!

Anchor up, jig and you will catch fish. With the runoff into the river, bright jig colors, orange, chartreuse and gold, were favored. Some anglers broke out the white glow-in-the-dark jigs this weekend, and had success. While jigging is the most popular right now, there are a few anglers that are still catching fish pulling cranks. Both frozen and live shiners were productive.

On the lake, folks were doing well along Pine Island in 16-19’ of water. Fishing was good at Archie’s in 26-33’ of water with some bigger walleyes and jumbo perch being caught. Some other areas where anglers were having success were Long Point, Twin Rocks, west of Garden Island and Knight and Bridges.

The hot spot this weekend seemed to be between the Morris Point Gap and the pine tree in 15-17’. Hundreds of boats anchored up and were fishing there on Saturday. Jigging with frozen shiners is still producing fish.

Up at the NW Angle. Walleye fishing is going still strong. Fishing in 24 - 40' on points into shallow bays where the shiners are spawning and current areas has been good. Musky trolling is in full gear with good numbers being caught. The crappie bite has turned on. Fishing in 30' of water over mud has been most productive.

[LOTW-WW]

Watch our director of tourism Joe Henry give a play by play walleye report from Lake of the Woods!

[hsoshow]http://hsoshow.com/video/828/Lake-of-the-Woods-Fall-Fishing-Report[/hsoshow,

[curt quesnell]

Very cool, Thanks!

[Topwater Scott]

Great Video! Makes me want to load up the boat and head up there again!

[Northlander]

Curt have you used them jigs I sent ya? I hope they catch you a 33"er.

[curt quesnell]

We had a couple of them on this weekend. Great jigs with bright colors and a longer hook to help get a better grip on a dead shiner. Thanks again, I love em

[LOTW-WW]

The walleyes are still eating well, but fishing was tougher this weekend with the cold snap that rolled through. Anglers fishing the Rainy River boated fish, but the walleyes were finicky. Even though it was tough, anglers still caught good fish! In the River, Birchdale seemed to be your best bet for finding the fish. Anglers also had good luck in Four Mile Bay and the holes in front of Adrian’s. The locals are saying it will will only get better from here on up to ice. Excellent fishing remains. This week's weather looks excellent.

Out on the lake, fishing was consistent. North to Garden Island, Knight and Bridges, Morris Point Gap and in front of Pine Island all producing. Anglers saying if you stay in one spot and let the fish come to you, you will have better luck than going out in search of them. The fish want the jigs vertical.

NW Angle. The report from the Angle is pretty much the same as it has been! Still catching walleyes in 20-30’ on points leading into bays. Muskies and northerns are active and being caught, and the crappie bite is still hot.

A number of resorts are pulling their charter fishing boats today and tomorrow, and preparing for the upcoming ice fishing season! Bostic Bay was frozen over this morning, so we know that it is coming at us fast! Get those augers ready, and those fish houses freshened up, because it will be here before you know it!

[LOTW-WW]

Fishing reports were few and far between as many anglers are out deer hunting.

The soft water season is winding down with a few anglers still after those walleyes. There is still good fishing to be had near Clementson and Frontier on the Rainy River! In addition, there were a few boats this weekend that caught some nice fish in front of Pine Island. These anglers found a cloud of shiners, dropped anchor and caught quite a few walleyes over 25".

Duck hunters are having a bonanza in 4 mile bay!

With the MN Deer opener, there were many reports of nice deer being brought in, and many more to come! Deer hunting is a big tradition for locals and visitors alike with thousands of acres of public hunting land.

NW Angle: Fishing still good. Fishing was good in 30 to 40 feet off points using jigs. Deer opener went well with some nice deer harvested. Big bucks being harvested both on the mainland and on islands. Duck hunters are still doing quite well, with a lot of birds moving through still. These birds are the much sought after "northern flight". Thousands of ducks on the main lake.

The majority of the resorts have pulled their charter boats for the season. Many of our small bays and ponds are already iced over, and ice fishing will be here before you know it!

[LOTW-WW]

It’s a winter wonderland out there today!

The snow is falling today, but the freezing rain was falling all weekend, covering our beautiful landscape in a thick, slippery layer of ice. According to various local reports, there were very few people that made their way out onto the water this weekend, and even fewer reported catching fish. The layer of ice covering everything, including the boat launches, docks, and roads, put a damper on fishing this weekend. “It’s that time of year”, is the common phrase right now.

But, with a scant fishing report to give you, this time of year brings out the next phase in reporting: The Ice Report! Ice is being reported around the area in bays, small river inlets, and even on the Rainy itself. Zippel Bay was frozen over last weekend, thawed, and has now frozen over again. Morris Bay is also frozen over, with one person braving the nasty weather and breaking through to get out fishing. The River is freezing on the edges in the weed beds and around the docks. Small river inlets like Winter Road River have both a layer of ice and snow on them this morning. Four Mile Bay is still wide open, because even with the super low temperatures we’ve been experiencing, we’ve had some pretty high winds that are keeping that water moving.

Some resorts are anticipating being able to get out spearing northerns by the end of the month, if the cold weather holds. The cold weather has arrived, and ready or not, here winter comes!

[pushbutton]

Thanks for the report! If you have the time to keep a ice report updated on HSO, myself and countless others would certainly appreciate it!!!

[LOTW-WW]

The weather was beautiful this week (if you prefer open water fishing)! We hit the fifties Sunday, and this brought out a few more anglers. There were a number of trucks and trailers at the landings getting in some late Fall fishing. The bite wasn't on fire, but those that stuck to it, came home with fish! A jig and minnow was the go to method.

Most of the ice that we had built during the last cold snap has melted away. Even the mud puddles weren’t icy this morning. There is a bit of ice in the Morris Bay, and Long Point’s harbor, but that will probably melt before the end of the day. The rest of the week, until Friday, will be warm with some chances of rain. After that, though, the weather cools off quite a bit. We will be getting down in the teens, hopefully, and then the ice can really start to build!

Ice anglers are encouraged to do their part and help each other out with removing garbage from the ice after fishing. A group of stakeholders from Lake of the Woods county is launching a campaign to "Keep it Clean". This campaign will include communications, signage and places to get rid of waste. This is a proactive move to keep Lake of the Woods pristine and truly the Walleye Capital of the World.

[Boar]

Thaats great, but it should have to come to that, if you bring it with you bring, bring it home.

[slammer]

Any ice forming yet up there?

[LOTW-WW]

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2 degrees BELOW zero right now, with a wind chill of 14 below zero. Brrr! But that means ice is being made as we speak!

Zippel Bay, Four Mile Bay Morris Bay and the NW Angle are all frozen over right now. Morris Point Lodge is expecting to allow foot traffic on the ice Wednesday and Adrians Resort is checking ice conditions daily. Word is that Four Mile Bay has approx. 2-4 inches of ice on it!

There were a few people tip up fishing on Four Mile Bay this weekend! The river is frozen over from Four Mile Bay all the way up to at least Birchdale. There was ice on the main lake this weekend, but the wind picked up last night and broke it up.

The weather forecast is not expected to go above freezing until Friday, so we will keep making ice and are getting closer to ice fishing!

[LOTW-WW]

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Zippel Bay, Four Mile Bay Morris Bay and the NW Angle are all frozen over right now. Morris Point Lodge is expecting to allow foot traffic on the ice Wednesday and Adrians Resort is checking ice conditions daily. Word is, there is approx. 2-4 inches on Four Mile Bay!

There were a few people tip up fishing on Four Mile Bay this weekend! The river is frozen over from Four Mile Bay all the way up to at least Birchdale. There was ice on the main lake this weekend, but the wind picked up last night and broke it up.

The weather forecast is not expected to go above freezing until Friday, so we will keep making ice and are getting closer to ice fishing!

[chris63]

Ever notice that walleye seems to be smiling no matter what the weather!Nice pictures keep 'em coming!c63

[magnum mike]

Any detailed or aerial reports of the broken ice (how bad, how far from shore, etc) would be appreciated. We are planning the first trip on the ice by airplane and that jumble ice is a big problem for the landing gear. Thanks

[fishNcrappie]

Driving up Thursday night with fingers crossed!

[LOTW-WW]

Ice conditions for Lake of the Woods are not cooperating with those of those are wanting to get out and ice fish! Here is a short ice report video from Wigwam Resort.

[schweady]

Nice way to illustrate the thicknesses. Gotta love guys who will go out and do that. and give you good video to boot.

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

Permanent houses are on the lake and others being pulled out. Fishing is very good. Good water clarity. The lake ice varies but is 9"+ in areas where resorts are fishing. There are spots with thin ice, thus, use a resort and stay on their trails. Light ice rigs only. Walleyes are being caught in 15' - 22' of water. Reports have come in of 50 - 100 fish per house. Resorts can transport you out and 4 wheeler traffic is being allowed, depending upon location. At the NW Angle, below zero again last night. 8"+ of ice in most spots with 4 wheeler traffic. Again, use a resort and follow their trail to be safe.

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

It is COLD out! Below zero temps this past week have been building ice which averages at 12" in most areas, but there are some spots with as little as 6". ATV’s and snowmobiles so far but no car traffic. Please use marked resort trails if you will be out on your own. The lake snowmobile trails to Warroad and to the NW Angle have been officially marked.

Houses are on the ice. Saugers and walleyes are biting in 19-25 feet of water. There is plenty of action and fish to bring home to eat, with an occasional trophy, eelpout, northern, jumbo perch, sturgeon and/or tulibee mixed in. Pink and gold have been hot with a plain hook and minnow in dead stick hole.

The NW Angle to the Islands has plowed roads with about 12" of ice. They have a solid 10" as far as Picture Rock on the Canadian side. Houses are out and many fish are caught in 20' south of Oak Island, crappies are biting in 35'.

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

Lots of fish being caught, all different sizes. Saugers are outnumbering walleyes on the south end. Most houses in 25' - 31'. Ice conditions are improving. Most resorts with access roads allowing 1/2 ton vehicles. 13" of ice on 4 Mile Bay, 16" of ice on lake where resorts are traveling. Use resort ice roads, safety first. Morning/evening bite in 15' - 20' for walleyes. Gold, red and glow red have been hot colors. Plain hook for deadstick.

Up at the NW Angle. Good numbers of nice sized walleyes/saugers. 20 - 30' of water out of permanent houses. Combo of mud and reef fishing. Whitefish, crappies and northerns active for the anglers on snowmobiles with collapsibles. 16" of ice on ice roads.

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

Still plenty of action on the lake this week. Saugers of all sizes have been biting with a good number of walleyes over 22" in the mix as well. Houses are moving out deeper to 27-30', or a little shallower to 18-22 feet. Electronics have been an advantage and are available to rent at many resorts. Jigging spoons in red/glow, gold, and pink/chartreuse are hot. Ice conditions are good with 16-18" of ice on plowed roads and 12-14" off roads.

NW Angle. Good walleyes still being caught in 22-27' of water with jumbo perch mixed in. Northerns, crappies and whitefish also consistent on outfitter day trips. Snowmobile trail open and ice transportation from south end now available.

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

Houses are still spread out this week, most in shallow water 14-16 feet, or deep at 26-30 feet. Resorts and guides are working hard to place houses on the fish, and a lot of moving has been happening. Walleye bite has been favorable in the afternoon and evenings, but saugers will bite all day. A dead stick has been the best with plain hooks, gold, and pink/glow all with a live minnow. Jumbo perch, northerns, tulibee and eelpout mixed in. There is now 22-25 inches of ice being fished on, and the Rainy River has 9 inches and up to 14 where trails are marked.

Those on the NW Angle are also fishing deep in 22-30 feet, also with a lot of action in the morning and evening. Houses are still placed south of Oak Island and north and west of Little Oak Island, but the last hour before dark is best in the shallow mud. Walleyes, sauger, jumbo perch.

[jerkbait]

I had 16" of ice on Sunday out in front of Sandy Shores.

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

Resorts are moving houses out to 6-17 miles off shore this week as deep water mud and reefs are producing the best. Fishing up and down, weather related. Some larger walleyes have been suspended, electronics helpful. Eelpout and tulibee have been reported in the deeper water. Some trophy northerns being caught in 12 - 20 feet. Rock reefs along the Canadian line are heating up. Sub zero temps, -27 earlier in week. 27-32 inches of ice and resorts are letting out all vehicles and wheeled houses. Gold and glow good with stained water. Plain hook or jig on dead stick.

Up at the NW Angle. Fish moving slightly deeper and with cold weather, need to be finessed. Combo of walleyes, sauger, perch, eelpout and tulibee. Much of the fishing around Crowduck and Little Oak Islands. Snowmobile trails on land and lake in good shape. NW Angle is 40 mile ride by ice from south end of lake by snowmobile or via resort ice rigs.

[LakeofthewoodsMN]

Fishing this week has been excellent for some and fair for others. The houses who were fair today are excellent tomorrow. Some resorts have moved houses to the reefs. More consistency at reefs, but bigger fish on south end. Houses are in 26-31'. Some walleyes suspended, electronics helpful. Jig in one hole, dead stick the other. Sleepers reporting some walleye action after dark. Saugers on south end with a mixture of sizes. Lots of tulibees with some anglers using wax worms getting half pail full. Northern pike active.

The NW Angle resorts are fishing 30-40 feet of water. Good numbers of eater and slot walleyes and nice saugers. Mixed bag. Crappie fishing has slowed to about a dozen a trip. Gold, glow red and pink hot colors.