Tag Archives: minnesota fishing

Lake of the Woods South Shore & Oak Island Fishing Report – 6/10/20

by

Sportsman’s Lodge South End Fishing Report

Warmer Days Ahead

A few storms have rolled through the past few days but the forecast is calling for dryer weather and a warming trend in the week ahead. The best bite for walleyes has been in 23’-28’ drifting with spinners tipped with a leech or trolling with crankbaits. Gold and yellow have been popular tackle colors. The water temperature is in the upper 50’s. Tip of the Week ~ You can’t catch ’em sitting at home, come fish with us!

Father’s Day is June 21

We have gift cards and vacation packages available this summer. Purchase your gift card online and give us a call 800-862-8602 to book your summer trip.

Our pool, indoor dining, and bar opens back up today!

We continue to use extra cleaning protocols and social distancing practices to help keep everyone safe.

Oak Island Fishing Report

A good bite not too far away
Vertical jigging over rocks, rocky points and shorelines have been hot spots. Gold, orange, and yellow are popular tackle colors. Jigs tipped with a minnow in 12’-20’ has been good. Some anglers finding success drifting with spinners tipped with a leech too. Water temperature is still in the upper 50’s. Won’t be long and the muskie action will start cranking up in the bays.

We have openings available this weekend and throughout the summer. Give us a call 800-772-8411 or contact us online here.

Lake of the Woods South Shore & Oak Island Fishing Report – 5/22/20

by

Feels like Summer
Several days in the 70’s continue to be in the forecast for the week ahead.

GREAT NEWS!
Charters can now have up to 6 passengers starting June 1! Up to 2 per boat now through May 31. Give us a call to make your summer reservation.

Anglers have been catching some nice walleyes and pike this week. Walleyes have been found in 10’-24’. Anchored and jigging a jig tipped with a chub or shiner. Good old Lake of the Woods gold, as well as pink and orange, have been popular colors. A variety of sizes being caught. Water temp is in the upper 50’s. Pike, pitching dead bait with on a quick strike rig on the bottom or just 6 inches off bottom with a bobber along shorelines in weedy bays.

Guest and staff safety is our priority. From increased cleaning protocols to online food ordering options and social distancing practices, we are committed to providing you with a safe environment during your visit. For additional information about what we are doing to keep you safe, please visit our website.

We are open!
We have lodging and guided trips available now. Curbside and on-property delivery food options, dock slips, gas, bait, thousands of great fishing spots, and awesome views. Nightly camping and outdoor dining open on June 1 and we are hopeful dine-in services will start shortly after that. Give us a call to plan your trip 800-862-8602.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Walleyes are biting!
Walleye bite continues to be good in shallow 10’-22’ along points. Anchored, jigging a jig and a minnow. Gold is the hot color. Pike fishing continues to be good in bays and creek openings. Trophy pike have been reeled in casting artificial baits or using smelt or large sucker minnows on a hook and a bobber. Openings available give us a call 800-772-8411.

Border Update
It was announced this week that the Canadian government has decided to extend its border closure through June 21 to help in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

This closure unfortunately does not allow non-resident citizens of Canada to drive through Canada to the Northwest Angle or fish in Canadian waters. We are saddened by this news. HOWEVER, we do have options for you to get to us and we are open! We have shuttle service options from our south end resort or you can take your own boat across the lake to get to us. Ample parking is available on the south shore for vehicles and trailers. The shuttle service also is offering free follow boat options during an already scheduled trip or for a fee at your specifically scheduled time for anyone who prefers to not head out on the lake alone. Our services available now include lodging, guided fishing, to-go food, off-sale, gas, and bait. And of course, incredible views and excellent fishing awaits you. We will have outdoor dining options starting June 1 and we are hopeful for dine-in services to start shortly after that. If you have a reservation and have any questions, or if you are interested in booking a trip please give us a call 800-772-8411 or contact us online here. We hope to hear from you soon.

One of the nice fish Garrett reeled in!

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report & Oak Island Update – 5/12/20

by

Sportsman’s Rainy River

Opening weekend weather was cool but some nice walleyes were caught.

Check out some of the pics.

It sounds like the weather is going to warm up as the week goes on. Mid 60’s this weekend!

We are open for lodging, dock slips, curbside, and on-property food delivery. Lodging starting at $89 through May 20. COVID safety measures and extra cleaning protocols are being practiced and we look forward to opening more services as soon as we can.

A decent bite has been found in 12’-18’ along the sandbars jigging with a chub or a shiner. Gold and pink were notable colors. Water temperature is in the mid 40’s.

Sturgeon season winds down May 15 and reopens July 1.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

We open this weekend!
Lodging, dock slips, and food delivery to your cabin or dockside will be available. We will start cooking Friday at 11:30, open until 8:30 pm and daily starting Saturday, 7:00 am – 8:30 pm. We look forward to opening more services as the Governor lifts restrictions. COVID safety measures and extra cleaning protocols are being practiced. The Canadian border is currently still closed until May 20. You can reach us by passenger service or boating across the lake at this time.

Fishing for walleyes has been good in shallow 10’-16’ along shorelines using a jig and a minnow. Vertical jigging gold has been hot. You don’t have to go far to catch a nice limit. Pike fishing is also excellent in the spring. Bays and creek openings to the lake are a great place to check out. Casting artificial baits or using smelt or large sucker minnows on a hook and a bobber.

Weekly Specials
Starting at just $2,195 for a 3 bedroom cabin in a quiet area just 1/4 mile from the main lodge at Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge. Check it out for your spring, summer, fall or winter getaway.

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report & Oak Island Update – 5/6/20

by

Sportsman’s Lodge

Minnesota Walleye Opener is this Saturday, May 9
The Minnesota walleye fishing holiday and long-standing tradition is finally here! Fresh walleye for supper on Saturday night can’t come soon enough.

The ice as far as we can see is gone and the big pond is ready to go. The weather is looking fair, a little on the cool side but common for the big day. Wind 5-12 and partly sunny. So where is the best place to find the early season walleye on Lake of the Woods? Shallow sandbars are usually a good place to start. 12’-20’ on the windward side. Rig up a jig and shiner minnow or a chub and do some jigging.

After a day of walleye fishing, don’t count out the sturgeon. Sturgeon “catch” season is going on now through May 7 and you can enjoy catch and release May 8-15 before closing for 6 weeks. Deep holes in river and bay are usually great spots to reel in one of these monsters. Drop a 4/0 or 5/0 hook with a gob of worms and a no-roll sinker to the bottom and give it a try. Check out some of the photos from this past weekend.

Rooms Available
We have a few rooms available for the weekend. Give us a call 800-862-8602.

Our Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge location opens May 15 for the season. For summer reservations call 800-772-8411.

The staff has been busy deep cleaning and increasing cleaning protocols as well as practicing and implementing new social distancing to serve you. We will kick off our new online food ordering option at our Rainy River location on Friday too for curbside pick up and delivery to your room, cabin, or villa until we can open for dine-in. We look forward to having you visit. Good luck fishing everyone!

Sportsman’s Ice Fishing Update – 2/29/20

by

Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River

A little Over A Month Left Of Ice Fishing Season

The best bite this week continues to be 29’-34’. A notable more aggressive noon – 2 pm bite has been going on the last few days. A mix of 3/4 sauger, 1/4 walleye, and a few tullibee.
Stop sign lures or jigs with glitter, pink/gold or chartreuse/white tipped a minnow has been working. For the best catch rate, a little work can go a long way. It doesn’t hurt to switch up tackle, try one-rod dead sticking and jigging the other, use electronics and test right on bottom vs a few inches off the bottom to grab the attention of the fish as they are swimming by.Ice Conditions and Rally Weekend
We have over 3’ of ice and the snowmobile trails are in good shape. Trails are freshly groomed. The Annual Northwest Angle Edge Riders snowmobile rally is planned for this weekend hosted at our sister resort, Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge on Oak Island at the Northwest Angle 40 miles north of Baudette. This event is always a great time! For more information about the event, click here.Visit us in March for a fun getaway. Click here to learn more

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

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

The Bite
20’-27’ on reefs and edges of reefs using pink, gold, red and white jigs tipped with a minnow has been working well. Anglers have been reeling in a nice bag of walleyes and saugers for supper along with an occasional trophy. We have 30 – 32 inches of ice where we fish and travel. Last chance openings available March 1-4, 15-22 and one 3 bedroom cabin 8-22.
Hosting the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Snowmobile Rally this weekend!
We are excited to be hosting the annual snowmobile rally Feb 29. Click here for all the info and make plans to head out on the trails or take a cruise on the ice road to join in the fun. The trails are in great shape. Click the links for the latest reports.

River Update!

by

River Update!

This morning, April 10, from Frontier and Birchdale Landings:

Yesterday afternoon, April 9, from Frontier and Birchdale Landings:

The river is open up to a few miles west of Frontier landing as of today. Approximately 15 miles west of Baudette. Weather forecast although not nearly as warm as last year at this time, is warming up. We will be doing another update Thursday. Stay tuned!

The River Bite
Some getting into a great bite with reports of 50+ fish in a few hours most ranging from 19″-30″ walleyes and 30″+ sturgeon to others struggling to get a dozen. Water is cool hovering around 33-35 degrees and the current is still slow. Walleyes – Gold, pink and orange jigs and plastics have been tackle of choice and shiners. Mix of vertical jigging vs dragging bottom depending on day. Some having the best luck drifting and others anchored. Sturgeon – Gob of worms, on a 4/0 or 5/0 hook and few ounces of no roll sinkers. An added shiner works sometimes too. Sturgeon are being found in deep holes and at the incline of holes along the river.

Seasons
Walleye open through April 14, reopening May 12
Northern Pike open year round
Sturgeon catch and release open through April 23
Keep one within size limits April 24-May 7 and July 1 – Sept 30
Catch & release May 8-15 & Oct 1 – April 23

Ice Fishing
Due to the cool spring, we still have lots of ice on the lake. Extensions are still needed. We don’t have any houses out but if you are interested in venturing out on your own, Morris Point road is open to ATV’s and snowmobiles. For the most to up to date conditions they can be contacted at  218-634-2570.

Join us this spring!
Openings available this weekend and throughout the spring. Lodging starting at $43* per person per night and guided trips available. Charter fishing packages up to 20% off May 11-23. Click here to learn more: www.sportsmanslodges.com/spring

*Plus tax. Minimum rates may apply.

River Update Coming Soon

by

River Update Coming Soon

 

Hey Everyone!

What a crazy spring so far. We have gone from two of the warmest spring season’s to now one of the coldest. I guess that is Mother Nature for you, unpredictable. We are going to head out this afternoon and tomorrow morning and snap some pictures of what the river looks like and how far it is open to share with you tomorrow morning. We also will post another update Thursday afternoon too.

Over the weekend, the morning bite on the river was a struggle.  Temps dipped down causing some of the accesses to freeze up and then thawing late morning/early afternoon.  Some anglers went ice fishing on the lake for morning and headed to the river for the afternoon/evening soft water bite.  Still lots of ice on the lake.   Although it doesn’t appear to be time to break out the shorts yet, the forecast does look warmer for this week.  Warmer temps should help navigating the river and the increase the bite for the last few days of walleye season. Walleye season runs through April 14, re-opening May 12. Spring sturgeon catch and release season runs through April 23 and May 8-15, keep one (within size limits) April 24-May 7. Pike season never ends.  If you haven’t experienced reeling in a monster sturgeon or trophy pike, spring is one of the best times to do it. It is a blast! Give us a call, lodging and guided trips are available. 

The bite over the weekend was hit and miss. Some of those who did the best were jigging with 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz jigs on the river and small jigs/spoons on the lake in 16′-24′ tipped with a minnow. Sturgeon anglers were using a gob of worms, on 5/0 hook and a few ounces of no roll sinkers in deep holes of the river.   Pike anglers using live suckers and big smelt in pre-spawn areas.  The current is slow right now. Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow and Thursday.

7 Days left!

by

7 Days left!
The ice is good on the lake, 40-50+ inches in the areas we fish and travel right now.  We have just lost snow up to this point and evening temps remain below freezing.  Guests have been catching some nice fish. We have some openings available this week. Come have some fun!

Check out the pictures of the week!

The Bite

Mix of jigging and dead sticking in variety of depths between 17’-31’ using Hyperglides, gold jigs, Glo Shots, red hooks, glow green  and glow red Buckshots have been catching some walleyes and saugers this week. A lunker 15lb eelpout was caught on a buck tail. Big pike are coming up the holes in shallow waters on the lake and bays using live suckers.   Electronics help catch rates! Bring them a long or call ahead to rent.

Ice Conditions
We lost some snow this week, but not changes in the ice conditions. We have 40-50+ inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run off of our private access.   If you are looking to venture out on your own, there are a number of plowed roads in the area. Be sure to stay on marked trails and roads and check current conditions with the road maintainer before venturing out, conditions vary.

Trail Report
Zero to a foot of hard packed snow is on the ice right now, more the farther north you go and varied amounts on the land trails.

For more information check out these links:
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Walleye season is open through April 14 on Lake of the Woods.
Once we end our ice fishing season we will be getting ready to hop in boats on the river for a few weeks of walleye fishing. When walleye season closes, pike and sturgeon fishing heats up in the river and bays. The Rainy River and Lake of the Woods is home to an abundant amount of trophy size lake sturgeon and northern pike.

River Report
We have plenty of ice on the lake to keep us fishing safely for the next week and there will probably be quite a bit of ice on the lake for a while after March 31 this year.  Despite the cool temps there are signs of spring popping up.  The Rainy River is starting to open up to tour east.  Currently the river is open to nearly Birchdale, 38 miles from the lodge and 26 miles east of Baudette.  I would suspect in a few days the first boats will start sliding over the ice chunks into the water. After Birchdale, it will only be a matter of days before the rest of the landings start to open up.   There is a public landing at Birchdale, two between Birchdale and Baudette, a couple in Baudette and one at Wheeler’s Point.  Click here for more information about spring river fishing and stay tuned for updates. We will start checking landings on a regular basis next week and post updates on our website and Facebook pages. Stay tuned!

21st Annual Mardi Gras Party is tomorrow night!
Visit us for great fishing and a whole lot of fun! Entertainment, beads, free hurricanes, food and drink specials, lip sync and costume contest win $100 CASH and much more. Click here to check out all of the fun we have planned and book your stay and play package today!

Reel in a deal 25% off all Lodging March 25-31!
Give us a call 800-862-8602 or click here to book.