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Posted

On the south end...  The ice is deteriorating and moving around on the big body of water called Big Traverse Bay.  Will it all be gone by the Saturday, May 14th Minnesota Fishing Opener?  Time will tell, but there is already plenty of prime open water to fish nonetheless.

Anticipation is high as past late springs have produced excellent walleye fishing.  Time will tell!

Pike fishing in back bays off of the lake is on fire.  This weekend's Zippel Bay Resort tournament produced 27 pike over 40 inches!  The big fish was 44.75". Lots of slot pike and eaters as well.  Some anglers are using dead bait.  Others are casting and trolling spoons or crankbaits.

The limit of pike on Lake of the Woods is 3 per day.  All pike 30 - 40 inches must be released.  One fish over 40 inches per day is allowed.  

Four Mile Bay, Bostic Bay, Zippel Bay, bays off of the Rainy River, bays up at the Angle are all fair game and most are holding fish. 

Pike season is open year round.  Walleye and sauger season is closed and opens again on the MN fishing opener May 14th.

On the Rainy River...   Sturgeon fishing has been very good this week.  The Rainy River is still running fast but the sturgeon are still feeding nicely.  

With heavy spring flow, some sturgeon anglers fishing deep holes in the main channel using 11 ounce weights to keep baits on the bottom.  Some anglers shifted to fishing eddys and current break areas using 5 - 6 ounce weights.  

Some reports of 30 fish per boat.  Most are finding some fish.  Lots of big fish.

The winning Sportsman's Lodge tournament winning fish... Day one top three. 69.5" x 27.5", 56.5" x 23", 56.25" x 18.5".  Day two top three. 65.7" x 26.5",  63" x 22", 3rd.  62" x 23.25".  

Remaining spring sturgeon season dates.

May 8 - May 15, 2022...   Catch and Release only, no tag needed

May 16 - June 30... Sturgeon fishing closed

There are a lot of walleyes in the Rainy River and will be there for the fishing opener this Saturday, May 14.  The river being small water allows boats of all sizes to experience great fishing.  Lodging is available.

Up at the NW Angle...  Open water areas are growing, some quickly deteriorating ice still floating around.  

Good numbers of walleyes should be active come this weekend's fishing opener.  There are various ways to travel to the Angle this summer.

1.  Drive through Canada to the Angle  (must be vaccinated, no covid test required)

2.  LOW Passenger Service (charter boat service across the lake avoiding customs) 

3.  Lake Country Air.(fly from various Midwest locations to LOW and NW Angle)

4.  Take your own boat.  (Safety first, this is a 40 mile ride over big water)

.  

Sportsman's Sturgeon Tournament_050622_69.5x27.5 sturgeon.jpg

Big pike, Zippel Bay Resort_050822.jpg

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    • SkunkedAgain
      If you fished with me more often, you'd never have to make this statement...   38" of ice - love it. I'm really going to have to dig around for my auger extension. I don't think that I've needed it in over a decade.   Too bad nobody has a locomotive chugging across the ice to do some logging, like the good old days.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Resorts and outfitters on some parts of the lake have ice roads extending over 16 miles staying on nice schools of walleyes and saugers.  Many fish houses are over deep mud.  Some are on structure.  It is always fishing of course, but overall, February has been very productive for most anglers.   Extensions are being used on ice augers as the ice continues to thicken.  The thick ice this year will be good for the extended ice fishing season Lake of the Woods enjoys with fish houses out through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14th and a pike season that never closes. Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with a good number of jumbo perch in the mix this year.  Some big eelpout are also showing up.  Anglers are reporting plenty of fish for fresh fish frys and usually extra fish to bring home.   The one-two punch of a jigging line and deadstick is the way to go.  On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.     Lures with a light have been working well in the stained water.  Please remember, in MN, lures with a light or water activated light can be used as long as the battery is mercury free and the hook is attached directly to the lure and not as a dropper line.     On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    Some days, mornings are better, other days, it's the afternoons.  There is no distinct pattern, they could come through at any time. On the Rainy River...  The start of the day and end of the day have been best for those targeting walleyes on the river. A jig and minnow or a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Some big sturgeon being iced by ice anglers targeting them.  It is a catch-and-release sturgeon season currently.   Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing has been strong in the islands area of Lake of the Woods. Resorts continue to move their fish houses around, staying on the best schools of walleyes.     Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch with an occasional pike or tullibee as well.     Big crappies are still being caught just over the border.  Fish houses are available, check with a NW Angle resort for info on crappie fishing.   Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.    
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    • JerkinLips
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