Tag Archives: ice fishing

Making ice for March

February 7, 2018 by Sportsman's Lodges

Check out these pictures!

Making ice for March ice fishing
Cold temperatures have once again blown in this week. The good news is we are making more ice to allow ice fishing to run right through the end of March. Lake of the Woods has a unique season most other lakes in Minnesota do not have, an extended walleye season through April 14 and due to it’s location a much better chance at cold temps to keep good ice right until March 31. The DNR also allows anglers to have houses on the lake overnight through March 31. We have both weekends and midweek trips available in March. Make your spring break ice fishing plans today.

The bite this week has been a finicky this week. Some anglers doing better than others in varied shallow and deep depths 16’-30’. Warm temps coming in this weekend should help. Successful anglers have been using a light jigging technique using pink and glow jigs or a plain hook tipped with a minnow. Sometimes a minnow head has been successful too. Vexilars and Fish Finders of your choice help. Anglers have been seeing lots of fish on electronics. Mix of varied sized walleye and sauger mainly with a few big pike, sturgeon and a guest this past week even caught a crappie, not something we usually see in our area in the winter.

Ice Conditions
We have 32-36 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel at this time.

You still have time! Ice Fishing trips available through March 31!
Walleye season is open through April 14 on Lake of the Woods and we ice fish until March 31. Come see us! We have weekend openings in March and midweek openings in February and March.

Trail Report
Trails are groomed and staked. For more information check out these links.
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Snuggle up with our sweetie this Valentine’s Day at Sportsman’s!
Lodging & Fishing Packages starting at $215 per person and two nights of dining specials Feb 14 & 15.
Sportsman’s gift cards make great gifts!
Click here

The bite picked up this week!

February 2, 2018 by Sportsman's Lodges

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Bobber Down!
Nice mix of varied sized saugers and walleyes have been coming up through the holes this week along with some nice big walleyes 22”-30” in length and a few pike too. Pink and glow have been hot! Pink and glow 1/8-1/4 jigs, Northland Tackle Glo Shot Spoon and Buck shot spoon as well as some anglers noting just a red hook tipped with a minnow. Some anglers have found the best luck using just a minnow head and light jigging or a full minnow when dead sticking. Depths have been all over the map the past few weeks, varying by day, 16’-30’. Don’t count out the afternoon bite. 2-4pm have been one of the best times lately. Bonus ~ Wow have we had some cool sunrises and sunsets lately. Be sure to check it out!

Ice Conditions
We have 30-34 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel at this time.

Trail Report
Trail grooming is in full swing. We could use another shot of snow or two. We have varied amounts of snow on the lake between 0”-8” on the south end and 10-12 inches up past Garden Island and around Oak Island and the Northwest Angle. More snow on the land. Not much for bare spots on the groomed trails as of today. For more information about the trails on these links.
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Big Game Party!
14 TV’s, Drink Specials, Food Specials, Free Apps 5-6 and over $1,000 in prizes to be given away! Join us!

Here Fishy Fishy…..

January 11, 2018 by Sportsman's Lodges

Decent bite this week, morning and late afternoon bite continues to be the strongest. We are seeing mainly walleyes coming through the holes along with some sauger and the occasional perch and pike. Jigging and dead sticking with gold and/or pink jigs, plain hook or macho minnow #29 has been working well in 20’-26’ of water. Electronics help too! Rentals available, call to reserve ahead of time.

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-24 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. If you venture out on your own, be sure to stay on marked trails and roads. The ice is rough this year! Lots of ice chunks sticking up.

Ice Road
The ice road from Young’s Bay to the resort is plowed and it good shape! Come on out!

Snowmobile Trail Conditions
The trails are marked and grooming is in full swing. We received a few inches of snow last night. Windy day today but it sounds like it is going to start settling down later in the day. The south shore has several spots of bare ice and anywhere from 0”-10” of snow on the ice, more snow in our area of the lake. The lake froze pretty rough this year so we strongly encourage riders to stay on the trails, go slow and use caution. Lots of ice chunks sticking up off the trails. For more information about the trails click here or contact: Lake of the Woods Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders.

We ice fish until late March!
Make your reservations today 800-772-8411 www.oakislandlodge.com

Hey Ice Fishing Fans!

December 6, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The weather forecast looks great and we expect to start our ice fishing season soon. We are unable to get out on the lake right now to check the ice due to wind conditions and poor visibility. It sounds like the wind is going to settle down tonight and we should be able to get out tomorrow to see how things are coming along. We will post a report tomorrow as soon as we can! Stay tuned! We have trips available December through March. Make plans to join us for some winter fun today.

11/27 Ice Report – Rainy River

November 27, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

We have found inconsistent ice conditions on the lake, 4-mile bay (the bay we use to get out to the lake) and Rainy River along with some open water spots. Based on the conditions and forecast for the week we won’t be starting the ice fishing season this week. It looks like colder temps are in store for next week. We will update you as soon as we make some progress! Safety first! It will be here soon!

Get your reservations in! An average ice fishing season starts between 8th and 15th of December and runs through late March. Lots of time to get into some good fishing!

Last week of ice fishing

March 15, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Fish house rentals available for 6 more days! Give us a call! Relax in a warm fish house and get in on the late season bite. March 21 will be the last day we will have houses out for the winter season.

What’s hot
Walleye and sauger bite has been good jigging gold and pink jigs, plain hooks and spoons tipped with a chub or shiner in 25’-33’ outside of Pine Island. An early morning and late afternoon bite has been best.

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 27-30 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. For conditions in other areas check with local resorts and outfitters as conditions may be different.

Trail Conditions
We have minimal snow on land and the lake. Grooming is done for the year.

Ice Fishing beyond March 21
Will there be good ice after March 21 this year? Chances are their will be some good ice on the lake for another week or so. If you interested in venturing out on your own, we have lodging available and some great specials too! $99 Lodge Rooms and 20% off Cabins and Villas March 22-31. Conditions change often this time of year so be sure to check with the ice road maintainer before venturing out. Adrian’s Resort and Morris Point Resort both have ice roads nearby. Check with them for the latest conditions.

Rainy River Spring Fishing start soon
From fish houses to boats. It is that crazy time of year when the lake can still maintain 30 inches of ice and the river starts to open up to our east. When temperatures start to increase the river opens up from the east and will continue to open up moving west. The spring bite is an aggressive sought after bite by many anglers looking to reel some nice walleye, pike and lake sturgeon. Walleye season is open until April 14, pike season is open year round and sturgeon season is catch and release through April 23, open season April 24-May 7 and catch and release again May 8-15. Derik checked river conditions yesterday and found it pretty locked up with ice for the most part still but with not much snow and warm temps coming up later in the week we expect it to change soon. Chances are we will see a few boat splashing around the Manitou(38 miles east of Baudette)/Birchdale (26 miles east of Baudette) area sometime within the next week. Open water spots were spotted 23 miles east of Baudette (35 miles east of the lodge) and Manitou area is wide open except for but 20 feet of shore ice on either side located 38 miles east of Baudette (50 miles east of the lodge). The Pelland Kuttes boat landing 57 miles east of is open. Click here for more information about spring fishing and a boat access map. Watch for inbox and our Facebook page for updates!

Glow, Plain Hooks & Vexilars!

February 9, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Glow jigs, plain hooks tipped with a minnow and Vexilars, Marcums or whatever fish flasher flavor you like are the hot tips this week. Anglers using these tactics in 23’-33’ of water along with a mix of jigging and dead sticking realized an increase in their catch rate. Many reports of nice walleyes and saugers being found all over the water column 4-6 inches, 2’, sometimes 8’-10’ off bottom. If you don’t have a flasher and would like to give one a try, we have a few for rent. They do go fast so it is a good idea to call ahead to reserve. Travel time to the fish houses is about 30 minutes. The guides are moving houses daily to stay on the best bite. What are you waiting for? Come get your fish on. Ice fishing trips available through late March!

Look what the Swenson Group reeled in!

Ice Conditions
We have 22”-25” of ice in the areas we travel and fish right now.

Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. We received about four more inches of snow this week. We have 16-24 inches of snow on the ground. For more information about the trails click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle & Islands. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

25% off Ice Fishing trips March 19-31
Hook a hot deal! 25% off ice fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location.

Treat your sweetie to a couple days of fishing this Valentines Day.
Two nights lodging in a lodge room or cabin and one day ice fishing $196 per person. Fish, relax and enjoy three nights of Valentine’s Day dining specials Feb 12-14.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy.

NW Angle/Oak Island Lake of the Woods, MN Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-18-2017

January 18, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Steady Bite
The guides at Oak Island report a steady bite of mostly walleyes, few saugers, perch and northern pike. Nice 14” walleyes, few large ones and plenty of small ones to keep you reeling arm in shape. A good indication the lake is healthy! A gold, glow in the dark or pink 3/8 or smaller jig or buck shot lure tipped with a minnow or minnow head is working the best in 20’26’ of water. Best technique is to dead stick with one rod and jig with the other. Really pounding the bottom 4-8 inches off bottom has been successful. Morning and evening is best but some houses have been reporting a steady bite all day too. Don’t let winter pass you by. Give us a call to get a winter trip in. We are open for ice fishing until late March 800-772-8411.

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

Trail Report
We have a couple feet of snow on the trail and they are in great shape. Trails are marked and groomed. Click here for more information for the Northwest Angle & Oak Island area. Click here for the Baudette area.

Ice Road
The ice road is open. Take the 9 mile drive out from Young’s Bay to the lodge. Signs are posted.

NW Angle/Oak Island Lake of the Woods, MN Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-11-2017

January 11, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Great bite!
We are seeing lots of nice 15”-16” walleyes along with a few saugers. Jigging about a pop can length off bottom with gold, pink or macho minnow #29 in 22’-29’ of water has been the ticket tipped with a minnow. Anglers have also had success dead sticking. We recommend trying a little of each and don’t forget your vexilar or reserve one from us. They really help your success! Great fishing is only a few miles from the lodge. Choose our meal plan or order a lunch the night prior for a hot lunch delivered right to your house. It’s prime time ice fishing time! Give us a call to reserve your trip now through late March.

Ice Road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island
The ice road is in great shape and marked. Watch for our signs. Take the 9 mile venture out and come for a visit.

Snow & Trail Report
Currently we have 14-18 inches of snow in the area. The lake trails are being maintained weekly and the heavier groomers will be out as soon as we get more ice. The trail from Oak Island to Baudette is marked with black stakes.

We ice fish until late March!
Make your reservations today 800-772-8411 www.oakislandlodge.com

NW Angle/Oak Island Lake of the Woods, MN Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-4-2017

January 4, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Jig & a Minnow
A 3/8 oz. gold or chartreuse jig and a minnow head have been working well in 17’-26’ of water this week. A mix of walleyes and saugers are coming up the ice holes. Many anglers enjoy bringing along or renting a fish finder and find they have more success with it. If you would like to try one out, give us a call to reserve one.

More snow!
We received about 12 inches of snow Monday and in the early morning hours of Tuesday. We now have plenty of snow for riding the trails and banking the fish houses J! Trails are marked with black stakes from Baudette to our door step. They are also marked around the Northwest Angle with wooden stakes. The trails are now being maintained as best as possible and will be groomed as soon as we get a few more inches of ice. Get out and take a ride today!

Ice Road
The ice road from Young’s Bay/Northwest Angle to our door step is open. Drive on out!