Tag Archives: Minnesota resort

Lake of the Woods South Shore Ice Conditions & Fishing Report

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1/28/2015

Mild weather and a consistent bite
Weather has been highs in the twenties and thirties the past week. Forecast is calling for a few more days of the same and then a cool down starting Thursday. 70% sauger and 30% walleye bite right now anywhere from 21’-32’ of water on the reefs, about a 50 minute ride out. Average size has been 12’-19” in size.  Jigging with a brightly colored jigging spoon right off bottom with some flash and noise to it has been working best. 9am-11am and 2pm-4pm have been the best times of day. It is a timid bite but once you get the feel for it, you can do very well.  Vexilars help your success and watch for the suspended fish.  We are seeing quite a few.

brookehanson bk
Brooke Hanson
25 inch walleye released
Bohnenkamp Group
nice walleye
   
drewhorton sheryl
Drew Horton, St Peter, MN
29 inch walleye released
Sherly Rotert and Drew Horton
from St Peter MN. Great day

 

Ice Conditions
Auger extensions have been on for a few weeks now. We have 34 inches of ice and making more daily. We should be set until the end of March!

Trail Conditions
Trail conditions are fair. Lake trails are better than the land trails. Warm temperatures and lack of snow fall has made the conditions tough this year. Grooming still continues when conditions permit. An inch of snow is forecasted for Wednesday and Friday. Bring on the snow!

Big Game Party

Feb 1
99 cent Coors Light Taps, Free apps 5pm-gone & Team Shots!
Watch the game with us on our 7 Flat Screen TV’s. Lodging and ice fishing packages available.
www.mysportsmans.com

Spend Valentine’s Day Week at Sportsman’s!
Cuddle up with your sweetheart at Sportsman’s Lodge. Lodging, fishing, live entertainment, dining, indoor pool and hot tub.  Check out our packages and Valentine’s Day Specials. Make your reservations today.

Time to get fishing!
The season is half over!  Don’t miss out! We still have availability. Give us a call! 800-862-8602 or contact us online www.sportsmanslodges.com

Check out our 7 NEW villas!

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newvillas

Our 7 new villas are now ready and offer a variety of floor plans to meet the needs of your group. We have cozy one bedroom units to the spacious 5 bedroom model for larger groups or families. You will love these beautiful accommodations. They all have great views, log furnishings, gas fireplaces, full kitchens, and a whole lot more. Check them out today and make plans to visit Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location soon.

Click here for more information.

The Winter Season has begun! Join us for our daily food and drink specials!

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The Winter Season has begun!  Join us for our daily food and drink specials!

Dockside Dining Room
Enjoy a delicious breakfast dockside.
Open for the winter season Saturday, Dec 6.
Daily 6am-10:30am

Sandbar
Come watch the big game, enjoy good food, drinks and entertainment.
Open for the winter season Friday, Dec 5.
Open 11:00 am daily
Food menu served 11am-10pm.
Pizzas and drinks 11am-close.

Specials

Happy Hour
Daily: 9pm-11pm
$1 off rails and domestic beer

$7.95 Lunch Specials Monday – Thursday 11am-3pm

Sunday Funday
Free apps 5pm-gone and $5 Bloody’s & Cesears all day!

Margarita Monday
$5 Margaritas and $1 off Burgers all day

Long Island Tea Tuesday
$5 Long Islands all day

Whiskey and Wing Wednesday
$1 off Windsor all day
$1 off Wings all day

Thirsty Thursday
$3 Bottled Beer Special – Bartenders Choice – All Day

Frisky Friday
Mixed Drink Night – $3 Special all day – Bartenders Choice

Shotski Saturday
Shot Specials all day. Stop in and see what is on special today!

Plus more nightly food specials.

Musical Entertainment!

Check out our complete schedule here

Riverside Dining Room
Enjoy fine dining, wine and spirits and our famous salad bar
while taking in the beautiful view of the Rainy River.
Open for the season Friday, Dec 5.
Daily 5:30pm-10pm.
Reservations are not required but suggested.

Specials

Wednesday – Full Rack of our slow roasted signature baby back pork ribs served with soup and salad bar and side. $19.95
Friday –
Surf n Turf
Saturday –
14 oz Slow Roasted Prime Rib
Sunday –
Buy two or more dinner entrees of equal or lesser value and receive a free glass of wine with each entree.

Plus more nightly specials throughout the week! www.mysportsmans.com 800-862-8602

Lots of 4th of July events planned in Baudette, MN!

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Get ready for some family fun coming up this 4th of July at Sportsman’s Lodge and the Baudette area.  The Baudette/Lake of the Woods Chamber of Commerce has planned lots of fun events along with a spectacular fireworks display shown over Willie Walleye hill in Baudette.

Baudette on the 4th of July is known for family fun. Two parades, kids games, pie and ice cream social, pancake breakfast, vendors, inflatable games, live entertainment, firecracker 5k, bobber race, street dance and more! Of course incredible walleye fishing, boating, beaches and many outdoor activities are surround.  If that isn’t enough, how about a free night lodging?

Sportsman’s Lodge is offering this spectacular special. Stay 3 nights and get the 4th night FREE when you stay over the 4th of July holiday. *special based on double occupancy and cannot be combined with any other offer. Reserve online now http://sportsmanslodges.com/rainyriver/facility/lodging-request/ or call 800-862-8602 and escape to the lake!

For more about Sportsman’s Lodge and the complete list of events planned for the 4th of July, click here http://sportsmanslodges.com/fourth-of-july

flag-fireworks1

Sweet Summertime ~ Lake of the Woods, MN

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6/12/2013

Aaaahhhh! The warmth of summer is finally upon us. The sparkling waters of the lake are dancing with delight today. Hope you can come visit us soon!

We have lots of activity going on at the lodge today.  The painters just finished painting the entire outside of the lodge.  It looks great with a fresh coat of new paint. We also added a brick accent along the dockside and roadside of the lodge along the lodge rooms. Fishing has been great! Lots of nice walleyes are being found this week. The guides are hot on the walleye trail. Check out more information in our fishing report section.

Our entertainment line-up is in full swing in the Sandbar.  Thunderfoot is entertaining now followed by musical entertainment, mostly live bands every weekend through September. The bands play 9pm-1am.  We also have pull tabs, daily drink and food specials and a great view of the Rainy River to watch the boats come in.  Guests have been enjoying the pool and hot tub this week too. The pool depth ranges from 3 feet to 9 feet. Lots of room to swim and relax. The gals in the gift shop just stocked some more souvenirs and clothing this morning. Stop on by for a hot piece of tackle, a walleye whistle, sunglasses, souvenirs and our new summer wear.

When you are in the area, be sure to check out Willie the Walleye, our two ton walleye statue along Hwy 11 in the middle of Baudette. Also enjoy in Baudette, souvenir shops, county museum, the views from the Baudette Bay, the weekly Saturday Farmer’s Market, a movie at the Grand Theater, a coffee at the Smiling Moon coffee shop and Timbermill Park.  Venture east six miles along Hwy 11 and check out the Clementson Rapids and then venture north on Hwy 172 12 miles and 5 miles west on County Rd 8 to Zippel Bay State Park.  Zippel Bay Park has a vast swimming beach and nature trails to enjoy.  Our area also has an 18 hole golf course, thousands of acres of water for boating, fishing and relaxing and much more. Check out all the fun things to do at Lake of the Woods here.

Rainy River & Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report 4-25-2012

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Rainy River & Lake of the Woods South Shore
Fishing Report 4-25-2012

It’s Sturgeon Time! Limited Time Only! Only 20 days left! Don’t miss out!
Check out this picture of one of the healthy sized ones caught recently. Riley Tarsi guided by Captain Keith reeled in and released a nice 61 inch sturgeon this past weekend.

Check out this entertaining video of the sturgeon action Jake & Aaron from Bemidji Outdoors had recently.

The details…..
Areas from one mile up river from the lodge through Four Mile Bay have been producing some nice sturgeon.  Quite a few are being caught right out in front of the lodge. It is a blast watching from our front window these prehistoric monsters being caught daily.  The water temperature has come up a little bit over the past week; we are sitting around 45 degrees right now, typical for this time of year.  Even though it was a early spring the weather the past few weeks overall has been quite cool keeping the temperature water low.

The depth to hook into one of these monsters is all over the board really 16′, 21′ and 40′.  Depth doesn’t seem to be the biggest factor, than finding a hole in the river bottom is.   Sitting at the edge of a hole so the current will pull your hook into the hole where the sturgeon lurk seems to be a successful approach.  If after a half hour or so you are not getting anything adjust your anchor by moving closer or further away, even sometimes 3 feet can make all of the difference.  Once you hook into a good one you better have ate your Wheaties, they will fight you for it, sometimes up to 1-2 hours.  Size 5-6 circle hooks and a 2 oz no roll weight works best tipped with night crawlers work best to lure them in.  Only 20 days left of the spring season, April 24-May 7 you can harvest one within size limits if you purchase a sturgeon tag (only $5) along with your Minnesota fishing license and May 8-15 you can catch and release before the season ends for a month and half time reopening July 1 again. We anticipate the bite to be good right through to the end of the season.  We still have some openings for lodging, camping and guided trips too! Give us a call! 800-862-8602 or contact us online here.

Check out the recent article in the St. Cloud Times more about the phenomenal sturgeon we have here. According to local DNR Large Lake Specialist, Tom Heinrich, in his estimation Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River has one of the largest sturgeon populations in the country!
Read all about it here….

Pike Bite
The best pike bite continues to be in the Zippel Bay & Four Mile Bay area lately.  Anchored with dead bait has been best.

6th Annual Sturgeon Tournament is next weekend!
May 4 & 5 is our annual sturgeon tournament. One boat spot remains available. Give us a call to book your spot. Entry fee is only $70 per person and includes a prime rib awards banquet dinner.  Live Entertainment and prizes up to $4800 in mostly cash will be given away over the two days. Always a great time!

 

Island Fish Fry Experience

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Island Fish Fry Experience

An island fish fry, an experience in itself during a day of fishing.  If your looking to catch a nice mess of good eating fish that is certainly not hard to come by right now too. Fishing continues to be very good and there is nothing better than enjoying authentic island fish fry midday during a day of fishing. Ask about booking a shore lunch when you book your next trip.  Your guide will prepare your fresh catch over an open fire including all of the fixings,  fried potatoes, beans, bread and cookies to top it off after enjoying a hearty lunch all while you take in the beautiful scenerythat surrounds you.   For more information about Sportsman’s fishing experiences click here.

Spring & Summer Vacation Planning

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Spring & Summer Vacation Planning

Now is the time to start planning your upcoming spring & summer vacation. Sportsman’s Lodge offers many great recreational opportunities to keep your whole family entertained. Extraordinary fishing with no equipement or experience required. Boating, nearby hiking & biking yrails, wildlife viewing, small town shopping, nearby state park, indoor pool, live entertainment, game room and much more!  Book your trip by March 1 and get double loyalty points and save! Log on to www.sportsmanslodges.com now to start planning your vacation today.

Fishing, Ice & Trail Report Lake of the Woods

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For the Areas of Four Mile Bay and just outside of Pine Island on Lake of the Woods

12/13/2010

ICE!!!!
It’s here, it’s nice and think and the walleyes are just waiting to be hooked at Sportsman’s Lodges.
We currently have 12+ inches on the lake right now in the areas that we travel and it was -31 below this morning! We are making more ice every minute!

Walleyes!
The fishing started out fair last week, but over the weekend it really picked up and limits of fish was not uncommon.  The guides found the fish out deeper than in normal years at this time.  Chubby Darters, stop signs and gold jigs have been the hot tackle lately tipped with a minnow. Check out this beauty caught last week, Joe Cooper from Baudette, MN caught this 11 lbs, 31 inches! Wow! It was released, and is waiting for you!

A few tips from the guides, jigging helps, change up your tackle after awhile if you don’t get any bites and the morning and late afternoon bites are the best.  Vexilars are also a helpful thing to bring along or rent from the front desk.   Also keep in mind last winter we had quite a few fish caught not just at bottom, but also suspended 1, 2, 3, and even 6 feet off bottom.  The best technique to catch one of those is to leave your jig on the bottom, have a vexilar and watch it, when something comes up, reel up. The most popular seasons on Lake of the Woods is here!

Trail Report
The Lake of the Woods Drifters snowmobile club is planning on staking the trail from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island this Saturday.  The land trails have 12-14 inches of snow but are just starting to be groomed. Hopefully by the weekend we can have our first nice grooming done. No word yet on when the Wheeler’s Point to Warroad trail will be marked. I am sure it will be soon. Stay tuned.

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing & Outdoor Report 10/20/2010

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Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing & Outdoor Report

Sportsman’s Lodge

Baudette, MN

www.sportsmanslodges.com

800-862-8602

10/19/2010

The Shiners are starting to show up!
Just in the past day we are starting to see more measurable amounts of shiners starting to show up in the Four Mile Bay and Rainy River!
The Current Bite

The current water temperature is at 47-50 degrees this morning, down a few degrees from a couple of days ago. The best fishing as of yesterday had been in 18’-25’ of water outside and around Lighthouse Gap and Zippel Bay however in the next few days we feel this will rapidly change to the Lighthouse Gap, Four Mile Bay and onward up river. Right in front of Sportsman’s is usually a hot spot. We have also heard a few reports of some good walleye fishing in the river around Wabanica Bay, Baudette Airport and Clementson lately.  The best presentation is a 3/8 – ½ oz brightly colored jig tipped with a minnow.

Water Temperature? Current? Water Level? Rain? How long does it last?

These questions are all hot topic right now with the annual shiner run starting.  From what I understand, there is no documented official study ever done in our about the run, but based on my experiences and talks with many veteran anglers, guides and DNR fishery staff here are the common answers I found to the popular questions being asked right now. 

Water Temperature – this seems to be the #1 thing that dictates the start of the run and the fast paced walleye fishing that accompanies it. The upper forties and ideally mid forties are the start of this run. We are currently at 47-50 degrees right now. Warm weather spikes after the first dip into the forties can affect it but the run normally starts back up after it cools off again.

Current – The current in the Rainy River is always fairly rapid. Many said they didn’t feel this speed made much of a difference over the years they have been watching the shiners and fishing for walleyes during this time.

Water level – This again was not something many veterans felt was a factor. Some said if their was an extreme difference they thought it could have some affect but nothing that they remember made that big of a difference.

Rain fall – This does have an affect on the fishing, but only for a few days. Once the rain subsides and the waters have a few days to clear up the fishing usually improves again.

Wind – Other than early in the run when the fishing is best in Four Mile Bay and the Gap did anglers say they have found this to be an issue where the wind really churned the waters up. Many said once the shiners moved in the river the wind didn’t seem have as much affect.
How long does the shiner run last & the active walleye fishing in the Rainy River? Usually right thru November! Many anglers said in the years they fished if they were able to get out fishing in November before the ice starting forming, the good walleye fishing continued.

Guided Trips available through October!

Guided charter trips and alaskan outfitter trips are still available through October. Book a trip today and let the guides lead you right to the walleyes. No equipment or experience required!