Sportsman’s Lodge
1/3/2019

Happy New Year Everyone!
From the Sportsman’s family to your family, we wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! We hope you can visit us in 2019!

The Bite
The bite remains active. Guests have been reeling in a nice mix of walleye and saugers in a variety of sizes. Check out this week’s video of some of the fish caught this week.

The best depth has been found in 18’-28’.  Some note able tackle that has been working well is gold/pink or pink/white buckshots, gold and glow jigs, plain hooks with a few split shots and demon jigs. The guides are working hard at keeping you on the fish and making sure you have a good time. Come have some fun with us this winter! Ice fishing trips available through March 31.
 
Ice Conditions
We have 16-20 inches of ice and 3-5 inches of snow in the areas we fish and travel at this time.  Slow but sure, we are making more ice daily. We now have the bombardiers out to transport you to the fish houses. The ride out is about 20 minutes from the lodge right now.


Trail Conditions
The trails from the south shore to Oak Island and NW Angle, south shore to Warroad and Warroad to Oak Island/NW Angle are all marked.  Average snow is anywhere from 3”-12”on the lake. More on the north side than south side of the lake.  For more information about the trails and latest on the land trails, check out Lake of the Wood’s Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Facebook pages.

Plowed Roads
We do not maintain a plowed road ourselves as we supply the transportation for all of our trips to our houses via a groomed trail, but if you are interested in venturing out on your own, there are several roads in the area.  Be sure to always check with the outfitter for current conditions before heading out as conditions can change and always be sure to stay on marked trails. Be sure to especially exercise caution in areas with current. The entire lake never freezes equally. No travel is advised on the Rainy River at this time.

Here is the latest from a few roads near the lodge.
Adrian’s Road out of Four Mile Bay/Wheeler’s Point
Allowing up to 1/2 ton trucks pulling up to 17 foot wheel houses and small/midsize vehicles (not ½ ton trucks or larger)  pulling up to 21 foot houses. The road currently goes out 3 ½+ miles past Pine Island.

Morris Point Road out of Morris Point
Ice Road is open to all vehicles and all size wheel houses. They report the road is in excellent shape. Be sure to stop by the lodge for a road pass.

Limits? Regulations? Questions? Possession of fillets on the lake?
Click here for this handy guide about ice fishing on the Minnesota side of Lake of the Woods.

New Year, New Vacation Plans
Check us out winter, spring, summer or fall. We have a vacation package just for you!

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge
1/3/2019

Good fishing going on!
The New Year is starting off well! Good action! Guests are reeling in mostly walleyes with a mix of a few saugers, perch and pike this week. Gold, glow and pink jigs and spoons tipped with a minnow have been working the best in 23-26 feet. It hasn’t seemed to matter if you are on soft or hard bottom; the bite has been consistent in both areas.  We are seeing a mix of sizes along with some nice trophies.

Ice Conditions
We currently have 13”-20” of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We have a lot of safe ice and we are making more ice by the day but, the high water and current this year has posed a challenge in the areas with current so far this year so if you are venturing out on your own, be sure to check with resorts and outfitters before venturing out. Many current areas you may be used to traveling are not quite ready for travel yet so alternative routes are advised.

Trail Conditions
The trails from the south shore to Oak Island and NW Angle, south shore to Warroad and Warroad to Oak Island/NW Angle are all marked.  Average snow is anywhere from 3”-12”on the lake. More snow is currently on the north side of the lake compared to the south side.  For more information about the trails and latest on the land trails, check out Lake of the Wood’s Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Facebook pages.    The lake trails are marked with black stakes. For your safety, please stay on the marked trail and exercise safety precautions.

Plowed Road
The regular plowed road from Young’s Bay at the Northwest Angle around Flag Island that normally follows along the east side of Oak Island is currently only plowed out to Flag and Brush Islands at this time due to ice conditions in the current areas on this route. We are plowing an alternative route today for our guests to use from Young’s Bay around the south side of Oak Island until we can gain more ice in the areas with current in the normal route. This temporary route will not be marked, so please give us a call prior to visiting so we can lead you out.

Come have some fun this winter!
Weekend trips are available February and March and midweek trips available now through March.
It’s ice fishing time! Click here to learn more about our ice fishing packages.