Category Archives: Weekly South Shore Fishing Report

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 2-25-2022

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Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River

Fishing Away
Check out the pictures of the week! Guests have been fishing away this week. They have been catching mainly walleyes and saugers and an occasional perch, pike, eelpout and sturgeon. Average size has been between 10”-18”along with a few trophies. A 30.5” walleye caught by Corey. What a catch!

We have houses scattered between 20’-32’ to give you the best fishing experience. Pink jigs and small spoons have been hot for jigging tipped with a minnow. On a dead stick, a plain hook has been the way to go with the minnow hooked through the tail. Anglers have been marking lots of fish. For your best shot at catching some nice fish, every day is a little different, try some different techniques, dead stick and jigging. Try different jigs and spoons.A little rattle or glow on your lure can really help too. Talk with the guides, they are always happy to give some tips. We currently have over 3 feet of ice and snow in the areas we fish and travel. February has been a very cold month, many days below zero, but it looks like that is changing this weekend. We are moving into more comfortable weather with highs in the teens and lower twenties. Perfect for March fishing! Remember, unlike many lakes in Minnesota, we ice fish until late March and our walleye season runs through April 14.

Time to renew your fishing license
Minnesota Licenses expire Feb 28.

Licenses are available 24 hours a day on the DNR website or by calling 888-665-4236.

March openings available

Come for one last blast. www.sportsmanslodges.com

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge & Eagle Ridge

Good Bite

The walleye and sauger bite has been good in the islands. Gold, pink/white and chartreuse jigs and the slab rap have been good tackle along with a minnow. It has been about a 60% walleye and 40% sauger catch mix along with some nice jumbo perch and tullibee. Anglers have been having good luck stirring the bottom up with their lure by slapping or moving it to get the attention of the passing fish. The best depth has been 22’-25. Come try your luck. Give us a call to make your March reservations 800-772-8411. Our island location will be open for the winter season through March 20.

Ice & Snow
We currently have over 3’ feet of ice and 3-4’ of snow in the areas we fish and travel.

Trails & Ice Road

The snowmobile trails are open and marked in the area and the ice road is in good shape from Young’s Bay at the Northwest Angle to the lodge. Take a cruise right to our front door.

Northwest Angle Edge Riders Snowmobile Rally is this weekend

Take a ride on the trails and stop by before and after the rally for food, drinks and gas. Click here to learn more about this year’s rally

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 2-15-2022

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Rainy River

Wonderbread, Rattle, Days are Getting Longer
Hey anglers, how is everyone doing this week? Here on Lake of the Woods we are doing well. Catching fish, enjoying more sunlight, good company and taking nature’s beauty all in. What a great way to enjoy the winter.

The Bite – Those crazy wonderbread jigs coated in white and dotted with red, yellow and blue have been bringing in walleyes and saugers. Jigs and spoons with a rattle as well as plain hooks are also worth having in your tackle box too. The best depth has been 24’-33’. The best approach is to deadstick with a bobber and small presentation on one rod and use the noisy lure on the jigging line. Electronics are very helpful to have. If you don’t have one of these gadgets, give us a call to reserve one. They go fast, so we recommend calling ahead. We have around 3 feet of ice right now and we plan to continue to ice fish through late March, mother nature willing. Unlike many lakes in Minnesota, we can have our houses out through March 31 and walleye season is open through April 14.

Friendly Reminder to Keep it Clean
We all love this incredible resource and to continue to make it a great place to enjoy we need to keep it clean. Let’s all work together and Keep it Clean by not leaving any garbage on the lake or disposing of any down the ice holes. Thank you for yoir cooperation.

Snowmobile Trails
Trails are marked and grooming is in progress. For more information about the trails and the latest on the land trails, check out Lake of the Wood’s Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Face book pages.

Oak Island

Island Time
Slower paced and great fishing is what island time is like. When you want to get away from it all, this is the place to be.

Glow Shot Spoons have been hot this week in enticing the walleyes and saugers to take a chomp at the line. A few suspended fish are showing up on the electronics. The best approach to lure one of those in is to stay on bottom and reel up to it. If you hang more than a few inches off bottom too long, you will miss out on most of the fish. If you are seeing lots of fish on the electronics but they aren’t biting, try downsizing your presentation, do some dead sticking or jigging. Average jig size we use is 3/8 oz but many times something less can really work well. The best depth continues to be 25’-33’. Walleyes and saugers are biting. Variety of sizes. Jumbo perch and pike are nibbling a bit too.

We have 3 feet of ice on average. We plan on fishing through most of March.

Have you visited lately and have a picture to share? We love seeing and sharing your photos. Email or Facebook message us and tell us about your adventure.

Many ways to get to us!
Lake Country Air can get you here quickly by plane. Lake of the Woods Passenger Service is currently booked for February but taking reservations for March and throughout the summer for bombardier and boat transportation. The snowmobile trails from Baudette, Warroad and the Northwest Angle as well as the ice road from Young’s Bay are all open too. Click here to learn more.

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 2-9-2022

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Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River

Mild temps and Good Fishing

Gold, pink, yellow, orange, glow jigs, buckshots and charmers as well as green and red hooks tipped with a minnow have been noted as catching some nice fish this week. Temps have come above the donut and it looks like we are going to get more nice weather this week too.

A variety of sizes, mostly walleye and sauger, are being caught by guests. Some real nice jumbo perch have been in the mix this week too. A sure sign we are sliding into February. The best bite has been in 26’-33’ of water. We currently have 33-36 inches of ice and a few feet of snow or better with another shot in the forecast for Thursday. Electronics are helping catch rates. We have houses scattered to give you the best experience. Lots of good fishing and good times are going on around here.

Snowmobile Trails

Trails are marked and grooming is in progress. For more information about the trails and the latest on the land trails, check out Lake of the Wood’s Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Face book pages.

Valentines Day Specials & the Big Game Party is Coming Up
Join us for the Big Game on Sunday, Feb 13 in the Sandbar on our 14 TV’s. We will be having food and drink specials like $8 pitchers of Coors Light, Appetizer Platter and more along with giveaways throughout the game. Monday, make plans to treat your sweetie to a delicious dinner, $5 house wine specials and delectable desserts. Reservations suggested. Call 218-634-1342 to make yours.

Oak Island

Work that Lure

A popular Lake of the Woods ice fishing method has always been a mix of dead sticking and vertical jigging. Sometimes working the jig or lure can really be successful. Use something with some noise or flash and give the bottom some good slaps. With the other rod, take a more subtle approach. A smaller lure like a light spoon or even just a hook tipped with a minnow. Let it sit, add a bobber if you wish and get ready to set the hook. We currently have 30-35 inches of ice and 15-20 inches of snow or better. Best fishing depths have been in 25’-32’ of water. Come wet a line.

Many ways to get to us!

Lake Country Air can get you here quickly by plane. Lake of the Woods Passenger Service is currently booked for February but taking reservations for March and throughout summer for bombardier and boat transportation. The snowmobile trails from Baudette, Warroad and the Northwest Angle as well as the ice road from Young’s Bay are all open too. Click here to learn more.

Valentine’s Day Dinner Special

Make reservations for dinner. We will be featuring a Flat Iron Steak with 3 Deep Fried Shrimp served with a baked potato, choice of soup or salad, fresh baked bread and turtle cheesecake for dessert for $37.95 along with our dinner menu. Your night won’t be complete without one of our tasty drink specials. Blushing Rose, Love Potion #9 and Cherry Crush. Reservations suggested 218-223-8411. Give us a call. 

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 2-1-2022

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Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River Fishing Report

Mid Season
Here we are already at the mid-season mark. Two months of ice fishing left. Unlike many lakes due to our location and since we are a border water lake,  we ice fish until late March. If you haven’t had a chance to get out this year or are looking to get out for the first time, we have some midweek openings in February and midweek and weekends open in March right now. Give us a call at 800-862-8602 to plan your trip.

Mother Nature continues to make ice. It has been a cold winter here. We currently have 32-34 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel and a good base of 18-24”+ of snow.

Guests have been catching some nice fish. Check out the pictures of the week!

A mix of throwbacks, good eating size, and a few trophies for walleyes. Saugers, lots of throwbacks, and good eating size. Few perch being caught, most nice jumbos. Pike 20”+ and an occasional eelpout and sturgeon 20”+. We have houses in a range of depths and areas right now 26’-32’. The ride out is anywhere from a half-hour to an hour ride dashing through the snow. Orange, green, gold, and pink have been hot colors. Buckshots, gumball jigs, and macho minnows have been working well as well as plain hooks all tipped with a minnow or minnow head. Electronics are helpful in reeling in more fish and especially pinpointing the suspended fish.

Snowmobile Trails
Black stakes mark the trails from the south shore of the lake to Oak Island and NW Angle and south shore to Warroad as well as Wheeler’s Point to Baudette. For more information about the trails and the latest on the land trails, check out Lake of the Wood’s Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Facebook pages.

Spend Spring Break at the Lake
March openings are available! We ice fish through late March and great kids rates too! Free lodging for kids 17 and younger when they stay with 2 adults in lodge rooms and fishing only $55 per kid per day plus tax includes a ride in the giant snowmobile (an adventure in itself!) to and from the house, bait, use of jig sticks or rods/reels, jigs and fish cleaning. Give us a jingle at 800-862-8602 or find us online here.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

On the hunt for Willie the Walleye
Guests have been catching some nice walleye and saugers this week. Some looking for a nice fish fry and others seeking out a trophy, Willie the Walleye. Gold and green jigs, jigs and lures with a rattle, stop signs, and slab raps have been hot tackle. Chubs have been the preferred bait.  The average depth to find them has been in sandy areas and along reefs in 24’-30’. Electronics help and it is important to have sharp hooks. The jig that really worked last year, may not be a good idea this year. A new purchase may be the best approach. A good thing to check before dropping a line.

Ice
We now have 29-33 inches of ice and 14-16 inches of snow in the areas we fish and travel.

Many ways to get to the island.
The ice road from Young’s Bay (approx 9 miles)
Bombardier passenger service with Lake of the Woods Passenger Service by plane with Lake Country Airand snowmobile via the staked trails from Warroad and Baudette are available.

Unfortunately, the ice road planned from Warroad halted operations last week due to the weather making it difficult to keep the road open. Click on the links to learn more and schedule your trip to experience Oak Island.

Winter Openings Available
Openings at Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge are available now through March 20. Openings at Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge midweek now and the weekend of March 17-20. Give us a call to book your Oak Island adventure at 800-772-8411 or click here to find us online.

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 1-25-2022

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Sportsman’s Rainy River

Cold Front Moving through Today, Warm Weather on its Way

Very cold today, but much warmer tomorrow, and for the most part the week ahead it looks like.

Guests have been catching a mix of walleyes, saugers, and a pike, sturgeon, perch, and eelpout once in a while. Plain single or treble hook or small spoon with a minnow on a dead stick continues to be hot. For jigging, a macho minnow, gold, pink and green jigs, and wonderbread glow jigging rap have been hot. We are fishing in varying depths, 26’-33’.

Ice Conditions
Currently, we have 25-29 inches of ice and about 14- 18 inches of snow in the areas we fish and travel.

Snowmobile Trails

Black stakes mark the trails from the south shore of the lake to Oak Island and NW Angle and south shore to Warroad as well as Wheeler’s Point to Baudette. For more information about the trails and the latest on the land trails, check out Lake of the Wood’s Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Facebook pages

Spend Spring Break at the Lake

March openings are available! We ice fish through late March and great kids rates too!
Free lodging for kids 17 and younger when they stay with 2 adults in lodge rooms and fishing only $55 per kid per day plus tax includes a ride in the giant snowmobile (an adventure in itself!) to and from the house, bait, use of jig sticks or rods/reels, jigs and fish cleaning. Give us a jingle at 800-862-8602 or find us online here.

Oak Island

The Bite
Hello from Oak Island at the top of the Nation! Walleyes are being caught along with a few sauger and jumbo perch.Plain hook and chartreuse jigs tipped with a minnow or minnow head has been working well in the sandy bottom in 25-30 feet. The extreme cold blasts can be challenging for the bite but if you keep working at it, anglers are getting success. Warmer weather is coming tomorrow along with a more consistent temp for a stretch of days, that should help! The fish have been nibbling light rather than aggressive lately so watching electronics, using medium-light or medium action rods, trying a mix of dead sticking and jigging, and even some hard jigging smacking the bottom to really stir things up sometimes really can help. And don’t forget the most important tip of all. Relax and have fun!

Ice
We now have 28-32 inches of ice and 10-13 inches of snow in the areas we fish and travel.

Many ways to get to the island.
The ice road from Young’s Bay (approx 9 miles)Bombardier passenger service with Lake of the Woods Passenger Service by plane with Lake Country Air, snowmobile via the staked trails from Warroad and Baudette, and ice road from Warroad (40-45 miles). Click on the links to learn more and come experience Oak Island!

Winter Openings Available
Our 3 Bedroom Cedar cabin has openings on some weekends and midweek now through the end of the season. This cabin is just a 1/4 mile ice road jaunt, walk, or snowmobile ride away from the lodge. It is great for groups of 4-10 and has two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living area, and an awesome view. Our season runs through late March. We also have openings midweek February and March at our condos and villas. Fish house rentals are available for all accommodations. Our rentals include a warm and ready-to-go fish house, transportation to and from the fish house, bait, fish cleaning and we have some rods available too to use if you would like. Give us a call to book your Oak Island adventure at 800-772-8411 or click here to find us online.

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 1-18-2022

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Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River

Young anglers have been reeling in some nice fish!

We enjoyed seeing lots of families visit over the holiday weekend. Check out the pictures of the week.

The best bite continues to go deep, 30’-32’ this week. Plain hook on the dead stick tipped with a minnow or minnow head and gold, glow, orange, and pink have been good tackle colors for the jigging rod. 3/8 oz jigs, spoons with some flash and noise to them have been working well tipped with a minnow. Afternoons have been the better bite lately. We had some mild temps over the weekend but starting tomorrow it looks like it is going to dip down again for a few weeks. If the bite dips, t might take a few days but usually comes back once we have a few days of consistent temperatures. The cold temps will be ideal to make more ice for great March fishing.

Ice Conditions
Currently, we have 24-27 inches of ice and about a foot to 18 inches of snow in the areas we fish and travel. We are supposed to get up to a couple of inches of fresh snow today.

Snowmobile Trails

Black stakes mark the trails from the south shore of the lake to Oak Island and NW Angle and south shore to Warroad as well as Wheeler’s Point to Baudette. For more information about the trails and the latest on the land trails, check out Lake of the Wood’s Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Facebook pages.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge & Eagle Ridge

Gold & Green
Gold jigs tipped with a minnow on your jigging rod and green bare hook tipped with a half or full minnow for your deadsticking rod has been working well this week to entice the walleyes to bite. It has been a pretty good bite this week. The best depth has been in 24’-28’ of water and anglers have been reeling in a 75% walleye to 25% sauger mix on average.

We have 22-24 inches of ice and 9-12 inches of snow in the areas we fish and travel. The ice road from Young’s Bay to the island is in good shape. For updates and current conditions on the ice road from Warroad to the islands click here.

Snowmobile Trails
The lake trails are all marked. For trail conditions, check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club  pages. Save the Date! The Northwest Angle Edge Riders Snowmobile Rally is on February 26. Raffle tickets for a 2022 Polaris Titan Snowmobile and many other great prizes are now being sold at Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and local businesses.

Other Ways to get to the Island
The Lake of the Woods Passenger Service has started making runs from Sportsman’s Lodge to the islands and Lake Country Air is also taking reservations now for flights throughout the winter too.

Don’t let winter pass you by! We have midweek February and March openings and some weekends open at our Cedar vacation home at Eagle Ridge just a hop, skip, and 5 minute ice road or snowmobile ride away. Give us a call to book your winter getaway! 800-772-8411 or request online www.oakislandlodge.com.

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 1-12-2022

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Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River Fishing Report

Fishing Away
Catching a mix of walleyes and saugers with an occasional eelpout, pike, and perch this week. The best bite continues to be in 25’-30’. The best approach is to jig one pole and dead stick with the other, see what works best for you and take it from there. The best jig colors have been glow, pink/gold, gold, orange/gold 1/8-1/4 oz., or just a plain hook on a dead stick. Stop signs, buck shots, flutter spoons, and Swedish pimples have also been working well. Whichever presentation you choose, tip it with a chub or shiner minnow or even just a half a minnow. Fish finders such as vexilars time and time again help catch rates, especially when targetting the suspended fish. When targetting a suspended fish, always start on the bottom and reel up to it when you see it on your electronics for best results.

The ride out right now is about a 15-20 minute ride. When you fish with us, we take care of the transportation to and from the fish house, bait, we have some jigs and jig sticks or rods/reels for you to use (be sure to pick up your rods at the front desk) as well as clean your fish for you. We will even bring you a hot lunch if you ordered one the day before.

Ice Conditions
Currently, we have 24-26 inches of ice and up to 30 inches in areas with shelf ice in the areas we fish and travel.

Trail Conditions
The lake trails are all marked. For trail conditions, check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club pages. Save the Date! The Northwest Angle Edge Riders Snowmobile Rally is on February 26. Raffle tickets for a 2022 Polaris Titan Snowmobile and many other great prizes are now being sold at Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and local businesses.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Jigging and Dead Sticking
Anglers are getting some nice eater-size walleyes and saugers as well as plenty of throwbacks this week. The best bite has been in 21-24 feet of water. Set up your jig or spoon just 3-5 inches off the bottom and do some jigging. With the other rod, set it up with a plain hook or smaller presentation and try some dead sticking to see what lures them in. Gold, pink and bright glow green have been good colors, and bait of choice is chubs and shiner minnows.

Ice Conditions
Currently, we have 18-20 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel.

Trail Conditions
The lake trails are all marked. For trail conditions, check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club pages. Save the Date! The Northwest Angle Edge Riders Snowmobile Rally is on February 26. Raffle tickets for a 2022 Polaris Titan Snowmobile and many other great prizes are now being sold. Stop into the lodge to purchase your tickets.

The plowed road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island
The road is ready for you. Take a ride out!

Other Ways to get to the Island
The Lake of the Woods Passenger Service has started making runs from Sportsman’s Lodge to the islands and Lake Country Air is also taking reservations now for flights throughout the winter too. The ice road from Warroad is back for a second year. The road is being worked on this week.  Check out this Facebook page for updates and fees.


Don’t let winter pass you by! We have midweek February and March openings and some weekends open at our Cedar vacation home at Eagle Ridge just a hop, skip, and 5 minute ice road or snowmobile ride away. Give us a call to book your winter getaway! 800-772-8411 or request online www.oakislandlodge.com

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 1-7-2022

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Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River Fishing Report

Happy New Year!
We hope everyone had a nice holiday. Lots of families and groups of friends joined us over the holiday. So many great memories were made and nice fish were caught. Check out some of the highlights in our video.

The best bite currently has been moving deeper this week, 25’-30’. Orange, gold, yellow, green, and glow in the dark have been good colors for tackle as well as a plain hook. Gumball jigs, macho minnows, stop signs, Rippin Raps, and small spoons have been popular tackle tipped with a minnow or minnow head. Fish Finders such as Vexilars really seem to help catch rates too. We have a few to rent if you are interested in trying one but be sure to call ahead. They go fast. Mostly walleyes and saugers are being caught with an occasional pike, perch, sturgeon, and eelpout. Variety of sizes, lots of small ones, good eaters, and a trophy once in a while.

Ice Conditions
We have 22-24 inches right now and up to 30 in areas with shelf ice. The shelf ice was created during freeze-up when the wind blew some thin sheets of ice around.

Trails
We received 4-5 inches of fresh snow this week. The lake trails are all marked. For trail conditions, check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club pages.

Going out on your own? 
All of our rentals include transportation to and from the fish house. If you are looking to venture out on your own, there are several ice roads in the area you can choose from that other resorts and outfitters maintain and offer for a fee to use. We encourage you to check with them on their ice conditions before venturing out and stay on the marked areas only. The lake never freezes equally and they have the most up-to-date information on conditions in their area. 

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Gaining ice and catching fish
We are up to 17-18 inches of ice now in the areas we fish and travel and about 12 inches of snow on the lake and 9 inches on land. Anglers have been catching about 70% walleye and 30% sauger mix. The best depth has been around the 21 to 22-foot mark. Chartreuse jigs tipped with a minnow have been working well. The bite overall has been good.

Transportation 
The Lake of the Woods Passenger Service has started making runs from Sportsman’s Lodge to the islands and Lake Country Air is also taking reservations now for flights throughout the winter too. The ice road from Young’s Bay at the Northwest Angle is plowed out to the lodge. Road passes can be purchased at Jerry’s Restaurant at Young’s Bay. NEW! It sounds like the ice road from Warroad to the Northwest Angle and Islands is coming back for a second year. Check out this Facebook page for updates and fees.

Driving to the Northwest Angle
Americans who are fully vaccinated and have a 72-hour negative covid test are welcome to come across the border now. Download and fill out the ArriveCAN app and fill out the information to cross. For more information click here.

Trail Update
The trails from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island, south shore to Warroad, and Warroad to Oak Island are all staked. For updates on the trail conditions, check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club pages.


Cedar Cabin Openings!
We have some openings at our Cedar cabin at Eagle Ridge in January and throughout the winter. Great for groups of 4-10. Check out more about this cabin here and give us a call to book your trip at 800-772-8411.

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 12-28-2021

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Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River

Catching Fish
We have had an active bite so far. Check out the pictures of the week!


The best bite has been in the mud this week, 18’-26’ using good old Lake of the Woods gold 3/8 oz jigs, glow and pink. Buckshots, Rippin Raps, and small spoons have also been working well tipped with a chub or shiner minnow. A wide variety of walleye and sauger sizes continue to be caught from throwbacks to trophies. You just never know what will be biting next. Fish finders such as vexilars always seem to help the catch rate and jigging one rod and dead sticking the other until you find your rhythm. If you are interested in trying out a Vexilar, give us a call to reserve one at 800-862-8602. The ice is coming along well, we have 12-18 inches in the areas we fish and travel. Sounds like the temperature is going to drop starting tomorrow for a stretch of days below the donut. This should help in the ice making. We received 5-7 inches of fresh snow yesterday. We didn’t have much more than an inch or so on the ice prior so this is a welcome amount to help pack the trails and fish houses. Still some bare spots here and there.

Trail Update
The trails from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island, south shore to Warroad, and Warroad to Oak Island are all staked. For more information on the trails check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club pages.

Going out on your own? 
All of our rentals include transportation to and from the fish house. If you are looking to venture out on your own, there are several ice roads in the area you can choose from that other resorts and outfitters maintain and offer for a fee to use. We encourage you to check with them on their ice conditions before venturing out and stay on the marked areas only. The lake never freezes equally and they have the most up-to-date information on conditions in their area. 

Join us for our New Year’s Eve Party
Dec 31 Dinner and drink specials, party favors, live entertainment by the classic rock band, Cold Shot, and a champagne toast at midnight. Give us a call to make your dinner reservations at 800-862-8602 and check out our specials on our Facebook page.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Ice fishing at the island has begun. We started our season on Sunday. Guests have been catching some nice fish on the rocks and reefs in 19’-24’ so far. Acme Hyper Hammer purple and orange jigs, Slab Raps, and vertical jigs tipped with a chub or shiner have been good tackle. Be patient, watch your vexilar, and set the hook!

Where we fish we have 15-16 inches of ice, about 9 inches of snow on the lake, and 6 inches on land. We received a fresh 4 or so inches of snow yesterday.

Transportation The Lake of the Woods Passenger Service has started making runs from Sportsman’s Lodge to the islands and Lake Country Air is also taking reservations now for flights throughout the winter too. The ice road from Young’s Bay at the Northwest Angle is plowed out to the lodge. Resort stays are $35, daily passes $20 and season passes are $225. Road passes can be purchased at Jerry’s Restarurant at Young’s Bay.

Driving to the Northwest Angle
Americans who are fully vaccinated and have a 72-hour negative covid test are welcome to come across the border now. Download and fill out the ArriveCAN app and fill out the information to cross. For more information click here.

Trail Update
The trails from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island, south shore to Warroad, and Warroad to Oak Island are all staked. For more information on the trails check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club pages.

Join us for New Year’s Eve Dinner
We are planning food and drinks specials! Check out our Facebook page for our specials and menus. Give us a call to make your reservation at 800-772-8411.

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 12-22-2021

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Walleye Lake of the Woods

Sportsman’s Lodges Fishing & Ice Report 12-22-2021

12/22/2021

Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River Fishing Report

Merry Christmas from the Sportsman’s Crew!
We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you soon.

We are now 11 days into our ice fishing season. The season is kicking off well. Day houses started on the 11th and sleepers last weekend. We currently have 11-18 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel and guests have been catching nice fish. On the ice, we just have an inch or so of snow. As for hot tackle, gold, glow red, glow green, and bigger baits to get the fish worked off the bottom such as Rippin’ Raps are working the best. Bait of choice is chubs or shiner minnows. The best approach for a successful day of fishing is to jig with one rod and dead stick with the other until you find what works best for you. Anglers have been sorting small walleyes and saugers for keepers with a few big guns in the mix as well as an occasional sturgeon and pike. The best depth has been 18’-23’. We now have rods/reels available to use in our rental houses. Contact the front desk to check them out.

Trail Update

The trail from the south shore to Oak Island was marked last Friday. The trail from the south shore to Warroad is being marked today and the trail from Warroad to the island was marked last week. We have a light base of snow with some drifting, areas of bare ice. Could use more snow. For more information on the trails check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club pages.

Going out on your own? 

All of our rentals include transportation to and from the fish house. If you are looking to venture out on your own, there are several ice roads in the area you can choose from that other resorts and outfitters maintain and offer for a fee to use. We encourage you to check with them on their ice conditions before venturing out and stay on the marked areas only. The lake never freezes equally and they have the most up-to-date information on conditions in their area. 

Join us for our New Year’s Eve Party

Dec 31 Dinner and drink specials, party favors, live entertainment by the classic rock band, Cold Shot, and a champagne toast at midnight. Give us a call to make your dinner reservations at 800-862-8602.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

The houses are out and we are ready to open up for our winter season! The lodge opens at noon on the 26th.
We currently have 12 inches of ice, 3 inches of snow on the lake, and 5-6 inches on land in the areas we fish and travel. What to stock your tackle box with? Gold and glow-in-the-dark 3/8 oz jigs and small spoons are always popular early-season tipped with a chub or shiner minnow. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Transportation The Lake of the Woods Passenger Service will start making trips across the lake from Sportsman’s Lodge to the islands after Christmas and Lake Country Air is also taking reservations now for flights throughout the winter too. The ice road is plowed out a few miles fromYoung’s Bay now with plans to plow to the island soon. We should have another update on the ice road today. Check back on our website here for updates.

Driving to the Northwest Angle
Americans who are fully vaccinated and have a 72 hour negative covid test are welcome to come across the border now. Download and fill out the ArriveCAN app and fill out the information to cross. For more information click here.

Trail Update

The trail from the south shore to Oak Island was marked last Friday. The trail from the south shore to Warroad is being marked today and the trail from Warroad to the island was marked last week. We have a light base of snow with some drifting, areas of bare ice. Could use more snow. For more information on the trails check out the Drifter’s Snowmobile Club and Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club pages.

Join us for New Year’s Eve Dinner
We are planning food and drinks specials! Give us a call to make your reservation at 800-772-8411.