Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Lake of the Woods Fishing Reports by Wigwam Resort


Recommended Posts

Here is another video for those of you wondering how the ice is doing up here in the north! The ice that blew north a few days ago, supposedly blew back to us last night, and that is a good thing! Here at Wigwam, we are hoping to have our boys moving houses by the middle of next week! The ice conditions can, and do, change daily! Please be cautious and know the ice before you venture out. Yesterday, there was apparently a group of people that had to be rescued from the Graceton Beach area. Please be careful on this early ice, and any ice for that matter! Link to video is below:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 98
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • WigwamResort

    69

  • LOTW-WW

    3

  • Ballyhoo

    2

  • DaSwede

    1

Okay, hang on a sec. He introduces himself as 'The Rocket Man,' and then we hear The Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited"?? blush

Seriously, thanks for the info!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fishing/Ice Report

Greetings, from the Wigwam Resort on beautiful Lake of the Woods!

And…we’re rolling!! Today we are pulling our houses out to the lake! (Expect a video a little later of this exciting action!) I’m told there are at least 10 good inches of ice on the lake, with 12” in some spots! Please still use caution, common sense, and good judgment when you head out on the ice.

This past weekend there were some folks that were catching a whole lot of fish in 21’ of water! I know I’m excited to get out there are pull some monsters walleyes up, and I hope you are, too!

As always, ice conditions can change daily.

If you have questions or need an updated report ask right in this thread.

__________________________________

http://wigwamresortlow.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is another video for those of you wondering how the ice is doing up here in the north! The ice that blew north a few days ago, supposedly blew back to us last night, and that is a good thing! Here at Wigwam, we are hoping to have our boys moving houses by the middle of this week! The ice conditions can, and do, change daily!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Hey Liz & Tom,

Nice videos. Are the houses going out yet? How has the fishing been?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings fishermen!

We went out fishing yesterday in about 21 feet of water, and caught a bunch of fish. Yeah, they were not the biggest in the world, and there were a lot of sauger, but we still had fun! It's hopefully a good sign for the rest of the season!

Thanks for tuning in!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings!

As the weekend rolled by, fishing slowed a bit on Saturday after producing well on Thursday and Friday. We think this is due to the weather change and a whole bunch of people fishing on the lake. The fishing will pick up when the weather stabilizes and some of the people thin out of clustered areas.

We are starting to move some of our houses out to the 25 feet of water range right now, and this will be spreading wider.

The sauger bite, the evening bite, and for walleye, 16-18 feet of water bite, is doing really well. People have been using 'stoplights' (the new version of stop signs), hollographic lures, and the new glow paints, as well as the timeless standbys from Northland Tackle.

There are a lot of 2-3 year class fish to get through before you catch one to throw in your bucket, but this is only an indication of the awesome future of fishing we have here on Lake of the Woods!

Great fishing to everyone, and as always, please be safe when you are out on this early ice!

Pictures attached feature one of our ice guides Mike Rockis and his 28" walleye, as well as one of our guests, Kaelin Kyllo, and his 27.5" walleye. full-42980-27820-img957461.jpg

full-42980-27821-resizedimage95135543373

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out our latest fishing report video! We always love to hear your feedback on our videos, whether it be ideas for new videos, comments, or critiques! Let us know how we can make them better!

Happy viewing, and I wish you great fishing!

[video:youtube]http://youtu.be/zokfILC65Gk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings Fishermen!

Fresh from the ice today, one of our guides gave me the following report:

Fishing is best in 26-30' of water. You'll have to sort through the small sauger to get to the keepers. Fishing with a Vexilar (Watch our Vexilar tutorial video below) can be very beneficial as it seems some of the more sizeable fish are suspended. Pink and green Jig-O-Bits and Rappala Perch Live Forge are doing quite well right now. The ice is between 10-15" thick, and we are hoping to have trucks driving out on the ice sometime next week. (There are still some thin spots, so you MUST use caution and stay on marked trails!)

Thanks for reading, and I wish you great fishing!

[video:youtube]http://youtu.be/mn28pWLOITw

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Coming up Friday with a sled and porty. How is the snow cover on the lake? Hate to change another set of hyfax out! frown Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings Fishermen!

Happy New Year! May it bring your many monster walleye and freezers full of fish (legal amounts of course...)!

Today's fishing report isn't amazing and the fish aren't flying out of the holes, but a cold front came in and slowed the bite down a bit. Fish seem to be biting best in 28'+ of water, and on whole minnows. I asked one of my guides what lures were working best and he said "Any glow colors, Macho Minnows, Pink Charmer, Scoobie Snack, and some new JR's tackle lures". He also said that there are quite a few suspended walleye, and a few tulipees mixed in.

Hope this is helpful and that you catch many fish!

Thanks for reading!

full-42980-28386-sentfish.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Joined:

10/16/2012

Posts: 55

Greetings fishermen!!!

On Jan 2nd, it was announced that 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton pickups were being allowed on the road pulling up to 22 foot wheel houses. Adrian's road is plowed 5 miles beyond Pine Island and there are 16-18 inches of ice on the lake, some areas in the bay are less with only 13-14 inches. Please take caution when venturing out on your own. Trust the reports that come from the resorts, they have been out there and take notice of any cracks or unsafe areas.

Fish on!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings Fishermen!

Hopefully all of you are staying healthy during this flu season! (I wasn't quite so lucky!)

Fishing report from Doug "The Surgeon" Hagen:

We are fishing about 2 miles south of the 9 footer, in 35' of water. We are using macho minnows, demons with red eyes, plain books and bobbers. You will want to be using a Vexilar because we had a double suspended catch today using our electronics!

Picture included is of Mary Olson, who caught this 30" beast using a stop sign! Mary's companion who was bringing the fish up said "I didn't know how I was going to get it out of the hole! His head was so big I couldn't fit my hands down beside it!"

Congrats, Mary, on your awesome catch! It is definitely our Catch of the Day! full-42980-28623-img_0010.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings Fishermen!

Today is another cold day. Currently, we are sitting at 1 degree above zero. The wind chill is 11 below zero, and the wind is blowing SSW at 7 mph. The barometric pressure is sitting at 28.0, and it isn't expected to move much.

Fishing slowed down a bit with the extreme change in temperature we experienced the past few days. There was an 80 degree swing in a matter of a few days! Our houses are still out in deeper water, 34+ feet. People have been having luck with Macho Minnows, Jiggin' Raps, JR's Scoobie Snacks (pink and green were working for me), glow colors and just plain hooks. The fish aren't flying out the holes by any means, but we are expecting it to pick up with some stable weather. On that note, I have included a picture of a table that describes what can happen to fishing trends with barometric pressure changes. Remember, 30.0 inHg is a normal level, and a change of of just +/- 0.02 inHg can have an affect on the feeding habits of fish.

Hope it is helpful! (source: www.quickoneplus.com/fish/articles/page.asp?page=barometric)

Also included is a picture of my son, Addison, and one of the sauger he caught yesterday, as well as a picture Mike Thinesen sent me of the group of boys they brought up fishing to the Wigwam, posing with all of their fish. (From left to right: Tyler, Austin, Barret, and John Michael)

Thanks for reading full-42980-28868-barotable.jpg

full-42980-28869-addisonfish1sized.jpg

full-42980-28870-mikethinesensized.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the report! We are coming up on Wednesday to stay in one of your cabins and can't wait. How far out do you have yours houses? Will we be safe to take our trucks off the plowed road and drive out a little ways? We are planning on using Adrian's road to get out on the lake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Greetings Fishermen!

Even with the expected snow later, it's a beautiful day out there! 27 degrees ABOVE zero! The weather forecast for the rest of the week is looking to be really cold again though, and will dip down below zero again through the weekend.

We've recently moved some of our houses out to the reefs! Fishing on this structure was definitely beneficial to the bite! If our guests opt to pay the extra fuel charge to haul them the 24 miles out to the reefs, we will do that, and they will not be disappointed! Back in the mud flats, the fishing continues to be a bit slow. People are catching them, just not fast and furious. They seem to be sluggish, playing with the bait and biting soft. Be patient and persistent, and you will fill your bucket, but it won't be effortless! In both the reefs and the flats, glow colors are working the best, as well as whole, live minnows.

Pictures Included:

1. Our ice guide, AJ with his dog Rambo, and his 19" walleye.

2. Ashley Penatzer from Pennsylvania, holding her 22" walleye. She was on a fishing trip with her father.

3. Jeff Penatzer from Pennsylvania, holding his 22" walleye. Father to Ashley, on their father daughter fishing trip.

4. Kraig Lee, holding his 24" walleye. He said that this is the biggest fish he has caught through the ice. full-42980-29498-ajrambofishsized.jpg

full-42980-29499-ashleyfishsize.jpg

full-42980-29500-jeffpfishsized.jpg

full-42980-29501-kraigleefishsized.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings Fishermen!

It looks like we are heading towards a warm week! Right now it is only 3 degrees, but we will get up to at least 8 degrees today! 13 degree high tomorrow, with TWENTIES the rest of the week! Yes, twenties. Break out the shorts and tank tops because we are having a heat wave!

Fishing report:

The southend has been spotty the last week. There have been a few slot fish pulled up, as well as a few perch, but it has been slow overall.

The structure of the reefs farther up north has definitely given us a better opportunity to catch fish. Limits are being caught, as well as slot fish. Walleye, Sauger, Tulibee, Northern and Perch are all being caught up there. Dead sticking, bobber fishing, seems to be working the best, and small jigs (Jig-o-Bits, Demons) in rainbow, gold, or glow colors are all producing well.

We are pretty much booked up for the weekends through March, but we have room left to fish during the Midweek (Sunday-Wednesday). We have some great specials running for midweek in February, so give us a call, and book you fishing adventure, today!

1-800-448-9260

Photo is of our guest Jacob Barker, with his nice 26.5" walleye, and one of his group's catch from this past weekend! He said the biggest perch was a pound and a half. full-42980-29777-jacobbarkerfishsized.jp

full-42980-29778-jacobbarkerfishpilesize

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings Fishermen!

For the most part, we avoided the big winter blast that went through yesterday. We got a few inches of snow, but nothing too major!

Fishing in the flats is about the same as it has been for the past month or so. People are marking fish, but they are being finicky and not biting. Fish out deep, 30-34 feet, use gold, orange, pink, or any gold colors. If you have them, electronics can be very helpful in catching those suspended fish. Mixed bag of sauger, walleye, and tulibee. Some big northerns are being caught as well. Best bet is to go mobile and find the fish, instead of waiting for the fish to come to you. Some houses have great luck, catching up to 90+ a day, while others remain slow. Sometimes even moving your house a couple hundred yards deeper can do the trick!

The reefs are still producing good numbers of walleye and sauger. Our guests are limiting out and going home happy! The Lindy Flyer, Buckshots, Scoobie Snacks, and Stop Lights are doing well out there. Pink, orange, gold, and glow colors are the tried and true way to go! No question though, the reefs are the place to be right now.

Are you looking to get out on the ice this weekend? We would like to take you fishing! While we don't have any lodging left, we have many open spaces this weekend for fishing the reefs Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday!

full-42980-30018-vernsnitker24fish.jpg

Photo is of Vern Snitker holding his 24" walleye!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings fishermen!

We finally got a bunch of the white stuff! A winter storm is blowing through as we speak! Be careful if you plan on traveling!

Fishing picked up a little bit this past week. If you're fishing the mud flats, it seems to be more productive during the midday. Use gold, glow colors, white and the pink. Fish out deep (30-34'), and you may have to move your house around to find the fish. You will probably have to sift through some small fish to get to the keepers, but that is just a great sign for fishing next year! If you're fishing the reefs, find a spot 30-34 feet, on the gravel. Use a small presentation in gold or glow colors. The Lindy Flyer and small glow buckshots are also doing well. We have seen quite a number of nice northern pike. These can be caught right out in front of Wigwam in Four Mile Bay, and anywhere along the shore in five to eight feet of water. So bring along your tip ups and get ready to pull up some great pike!

We still have plenty of room during the midweek! We also have some great midweek specials you should check out on our website!

Picture is of the Jeff Scott group from this past week and one member holding a 15 inch perch.

full-42980-30258-15inchperch.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings Fishermen!

We've had a beautiful weekend and it's another beautiful day on Lake of the Woods, today! Many fish were caught this past weekend, and there are many more to be caught!

We are doing very well out on the reefs by Bridges. 26-33' of water seems to be the best depths to fish at. Pink and gold were the hot colors. There were also quite a few fish caught on green. Fishing next year seems to be on track to be amazing, as many small fish were caught. You will have to sift through those to catch your keepers, but it will be worth it! I will have a video up and running by the end of today with footage from the reefs this past weekend.

If you are fishing in the flats, they are still out deep, 28-32 feet of water. The mud flats have been spotty, but when they are biting, the action is good and the fish are of quality size. Gold, pink, and white jigs are working well, and small colored hooks and bobbers seem to be effective, as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings Fishermen!

On Wednesday a few of us went out to see how the bite was doing out at the reefs. While it had slowed a little bit because of some changing weather, we still walked out the door with 20 keepers!

Check out the latest video from Wigwam Resort!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fishing Report:

Greetings Fishermen!

We have had some weather changes the past couple of days, and the fishing has slowed a little bit, but we are still catching them! Your best bet is to find some structure to fish on. We are doing this with our houses out near the Bridges Island Reefs. We are at around 29-31 feet out there. Pink with gold seems to be the best colors, as does anything that glows! Minnow heads or whole minnows are doing the trick. If you have them, your electronics will prove very useful!

If you are fishing the mud flats, its still spotty, but there are fish out there! You just have to find them. Venture around and drill holes in a few spots until you find a good bite. Fishing deep seems to be the best right now, 30-32 feet of water. Whole minnows, small jigs, anything that glows. Again, your electronics will help in the search. You will probably catch quite a number of small ones, but remember that is a good sign for next year!

Good luck to all you anglers out there!

Don't forget our ice out contest:

"The ice on Lake of the Woods is still in great shape but would you venture to guess when it is going out? When Four Mile Bay goes out, Wigwam's houses will be coming off the lake in a hurry. Guess what day Wigwam will pull all their houses and you could be a winner! Know that we will leave them out for as long as it is safe. Just send your guess along with your name, address, and phone number to [email protected] and you could win one of 3 Wigwam gift cards- $100, $75 and $50 cards are being given away! Put "Ice Out" as the subject line. In the event of multiple guesses for the winning day, those names will go into a drawing for first, second and third place. Deadline for entries is March 10th, so send yours today!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • smurfy
      i cant help you with the weed thing, but i just came back form out that way......Regal, New London Hawick area. i dont no how big the swat of rain was but there is water standing everywhere. my buddy told me they had over 3 inches of rain yesterday/last night 
    • mulefarm
      With the early ice out, how is the curlyleaf pondweed doing?
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   The big basin, otherwise known as Big Traverse Bay, is ice free.  Zippel Bay and Four Mile Bay are ice free as well.  Everything is shaping up nicely for the MN Fishing Opener on May 11th. With the walleye / sauger season currently closed, most anglers are targeting sturgeon and pike.  Some sturgeon anglers are fishing at the mouth of the Rainy River, but most sturgeon are targeted in Four Mile Bay or the Rainy River.  Hence, pike are the targeted species on the south shore and various bays currently.   Pike fishing this time of year is a unique opportunity, as LOW is border water with Canada, the pike season is open year round. The limit is 3 pike per day with one being able to be more than 40 inches. All fish 30 - 40 inches must be released. Back bays hold pike as they go through the various stages of the spawn.  Deadbait under a bobber, spinners, spoons and shallow diving crankbaits are all viable options.   Four Mile Bay, Bostic Bay and Zippel Bay are all small water and boats of various sizes work well. On the Rainy River...  Great news this week as we learned sturgeon will not be placed on the endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.     The organization had to make a decision by June 30 and listing sturgeon could have ended sturgeon fishing.  Thankfully, after looking at the many success stories across the nation, including LOW and the Rainy River, sturgeon fishing and successful sturgeon management continues.   A good week sturgeon fishing on the Rainy River.  Speaking to some sturgeon aficionados, fishing will actually get even better as water temps rise.     Four Mile Bay at the mouth of the Rainy River near the Wheeler's Point Boat Ramp is still producing good numbers of fish, as are various holes along the 42 miles of navigable Rainy River from the mouth to Birchdale.   The sturgeon season continues through May 15th and resumes again July 1st.   Oct 1 - April 23, Catch and Release April 24 - May 7, Harvest Season May 8 - May 15, Catch and Release May 16 - June 30, Sturgeon Fishing Closed July 1 - Sep 30, Harvest Season If you fish during the sturgeon harvest season and you want to keep a sturgeon, you must purchase a sturgeon tag for $5 prior to fishing.    One sturgeon per calendar year (45 - 50" inclusive, or over 75"). Most sturgeon anglers are either a glob of crawlers or a combo of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners on a sturgeon rig, which is an 18" leader with a 4/0 circle hook combined with a no roll sinker.  Local bait shops have all of the gear and bait. Up at the NW Angle...  A few spots with rotten ice, but as a rule, most of the Angle is showing off open water.  In these parts, most are looking ahead to the MN Fishing Opener.  Based on late ice fishing success, it should be a good one.  
    • leech~~
      Nice fish. I moved to the Sartell area last summer and just thought it was windy like this everyday up here? 🤭
    • Rick G
      Crazy windy again today.... This is has been the norm this spring. Between the wind and the cold fronts, fishing has been more challenging for me than most years.  Panfish have been moving in and out of the shallows quite a bit. One day they are up in the slop, the next they are out relating to cabbage or the newly sprouting lilly pads.  Today eye guy and I found them in 4-5 ft of water, hanging close to any tree branches that happened to be laying in the water.  Bigger fish were liking a 1/32 head and a Bobby Garland baby shad.   Highlight of the day way this healthy 15incher
    • monstermoose78
    • monstermoose78
      As I typed that here came a hen.  IMG_7032.mov   IMG_7032.mov
    • monstermoose78
      So far this morning nothing but non turkeys. 
    • monstermoose78
      Well yesterday I got a little excited and let a turkey get to close and I hit the blind!!
    • smurfy
      good......you?? living the dream..in my basement playing internet thug right now!!!!!! 🤣 working on getting the boat ready.......bought a new cheatmaster locator for the boat so working on that.   waiting for warmer weather to start my garden!!!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.