Winner Winner Walleye for Dinner Check out these pictures of the week!
A good walleye bite has been found on the deep mud and reefs in 27’-35’ this week. Trolling with crank baits and drifting with gold spinners tipped with a crawler or frozen shiner continues to work well. Garden Island and Zippel Bay have been notable places. The forecast is calling for lots of sun this week and not a spec of rain in the forecast. Toss in the sunscreen.
Water temperature has bounced up to 76 degrees a few times this week but currently sitting at 73. Sturgeon “keep season” is in progress right now through Sept 30. Anchored in or around a deep hole in the river or lake bed with a 4/0 or 5/0 hook, few ounces no roll sinker and a gob of worms tipped with a shiner works well.
It’s Fishing Time Walleye bite continues to be found on deep reefs, 26’-40’ using spinners or jigs and a minnow. Water temp is 72.5 degrees and according to the forecast looks like it will warm up this week.
Gold, pink and orange are always great Lake of the Woods colors but don’t count out trying a dark color if you are not getting the bites and make sure your hooks are sharp.
Muskies & Northern Pike
Trolling deep bays and rock points with bucktails, top water and jerk baits continue to be the hot ticket.
Lots of action this time of year.
Bass
Smallmouth bass have been hitting around rock reefs in 5’-16’ using crank baits.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall…..are great times to visit. Check out our website and make plans to visit us soon www.oakislandlodges.com
Beautiful weather and walleyes
It is an excellent time of year to visit Lake of the Woods, beautiful weather and good fishing. The weather has been great, highs in the 70’s and light winds. Recently the best walleye bite has been found on the deep reefs, 26’-35’. The reefs are producing a nice mix of good eating fish and 22”plus fish. Trolling with crank baits and drifting with gold spinners and a minnow or crawler has been working well. The water temperature has been bouncing between 71 to 75 degrees. Looking for a guide? Summer trips are still available and fall specials start Sept 4. Come relax, fish and enjoy.
Ice Ice Baby
Now is a perfect time to reserve your ice fishing getaway. Our 3 nights lodging and 2 days ice fishing is the most popular. Click Here to check out our winter.
The Bite
The best bite continues to be found using mix of techniques. Slow drifting or trolling with spinners and crawlers in 26’-32’ has been good. Gold and pink have been hot spinner colors. The other technique has been trolling with crank baits in 23’-32’. Water temperature is currently 71.5 degrees. The weather report says the wind is going to calm down after today. Looks like a beautiful week ahead with just a slight change of rain early next week. Come enjoy summer!
No equipment required!
If you jump on a charter, no equipment is required. The guide will take care of the bait, poles, tackle, get you on the fish and clean your fish too. Boats hold up to 6 passengers but we do take groups 1+ too. Call up your friends and give us a call! 2 night/1 day lodging and charter trips starting at just $251* per person. *Plus tax and based on double occupancy.
Deep Waters
The best walleye bite is being found the deeper the better. This time of year until the weather starts to cool, 26’-40’ reefs using spinners or jigs and a minnow is a good place to look for some hungry walleyes. Gold, pink and bright orange are good color suggestions. Water temp is about 74 degrees.
Muskies & Northern Pike
An infinite number of great spots are among the islands of the Northwest Angle and Oak Island is ideal for trophy muskie and pike. This time of year, trolling deep bays and rocky points with bucktails, topwater, and jerk baits are good bets. Don’t count out the weedy bays, throwing a lure in that directions can produce some mighty nice fish this time of year too.
Bass
Smallmouth bass have been hitting around rock reefs in 5’-16’ using crank baits.
Angle Days is this weekend
Aug 3-5, 2018 Many fun events are planned. A fun run, archery shoot out, golfing, chili and dessert cook off, flea market, fish fry and more! Click Here for more information.
Fish On!
Fishing in the islands has been great. Jigs and spinners tipped with a minnow or crawler have been working well around and on reefs. Jigging has been good in deeper waters, 25’-30’ and spinners in shallower 13’-19’. Gold, pink and chartreuse have been hot colors. The water temperature is currently 71 degrees.
Muskies & Northern Pike
The bite has been great! Anglers have been getting a lot of follows and reeling in some nice ones, several 40”-55” muskie and 30”+ pike have been caught lately. Trolling deep bays and rocky points with bucktails and top water lures have been hot. Topwater crank baits and spinners have been working for pike casting in a weedy bed and rocky shorelines.
Bass
Smallmouth bass have been hitting around rock reefs in 4′-14′ using crank baits.
The pictures speak for themselves, check them out. It has been a great week of fishing here on Lake of the Woods. Check out this monster one of our guides, Ethan Peterson reeled in this week. Ethan reeled in this monster while enjoying a day off with his dad and grandpa. “I thought it was a northern at first” Ethan says. Ethan was using a gold and pink spinner and crawler. What a day!
Some of you may remember seeing a picture of Ethan with another big walleye only a few months ago. You are not imagining things, this past winter he caught also caught a 29.5 inch walleye. Who says you can’t catch two monster walleyes in a lifetime!? Ethan has caught 2 in 7 months! Lake of the Woods is an incredible fishery. You just never know what you may catch next. Lots of good fishing going on! Come have some fun! Ethan and the guides are ready to take you out for a great time!
Caught by guide Ethan Peterson, Baudette MN 33-inch walleye caught on a gold and pink spinner and crawler 7/25/2018.
Great Week of Weather!
The Bite
The best bite continues to be found using mix of techniques. Slow drifting or trolling with spinners and crawlers in 26’-32’ has been good. Gold and pink have been hot spinner colors. The other technique has been trolling with crank baits in 23’-32’. Water temperature is currently 71.5 degrees. The weather report says the wind is going to calm down after today. Looks like a beautiful week ahead with just a slight change of rain early next week. Come enjoy summer!
No equipment required!
If you jump on a charter, no equipment is required. The guide will take care of the bait, poles, tackle, get you on the fish and clean your fish too. Boats hold up to 6 passengers but we do take groups 1+ too. Call up your friends and give us a call! 2 night/1 day lodging and charter trips starting at just $251* per person. *Plus tax and based on double occupancy.
Great Weather, Great Fishing
A warm weekend with light and variable winds is ahead and a cool down to the mid 70’s the rest of the week.
Looks like it is going to be a great week to get out and do some fishing. Check out the pictures of the week. Summer charter trips still available. Contact us 800-862-8602.
The Scoop
Water temperature is bouncing around in the mid 70’s this week. The best technique to reeling in walleyes has been mixed this week. Some anglers are doing really well with hammered gold, white/silver and red crawler harness, 1-2 ounces of weight and tipping it with crawler in 16’-28’. Other anglers are finding that trolling with crank baits is working the best 28’-31’ outside of Zippel Bay, Graceton Beach and the northern reefs in Big Traverse. Our guides always want to give you the best experience but if you prefer one approach over another we are happy to accommodate. Charter trips include a guide aboard a 27’ Sport Craft boat with onboard restroom, use of poles, bait, tackle, assortment of pop and water and fish cleaning. Shore lunches and box lunches available too.
Congratulations to the MTT tournament winners! The top bag was 5 fish weighing in over 36 pounds. Minnesota Tournament Trail held a tournament July 6 & 7 on the south shore of Lake of the Woods. The south shore of Lake of the Woods is host to several tournaments this year. We welcome the Cabela’s Master Walleye Circuit and North American Bass Circuit this weekend. Click here to learn more about these tournaments.
Multi Species Central
Walleyes, saugers, perch, pike, smallmouth bass and muskies a plenty. Come try them all.
Water temp is currently in the mid 70’s. Walleyes have been hungry in 24’-30’ of water on rock structures using hammered gold, silver and orange crawler harnesses and crawlers as well as jigs and a minnow. Some nice smallmouth bass have been found around rock reefs in the islands in 4’-14’ using crankbaits or lipless cranks bounced off bottom with an irregular retrieval. Huge pike have been biting along rocky shorelines and weedy bays throwing out dare devils and bucktails. Some anglers have also been having great luck long casting around humps and deep sand flats while trolling with heavy spoons. Let it sink to the bottom and reel in. Muskie fishing is also heating up. Trolling deep bays, rocky points and weedy bays using bucktails and top water lures have been successful. Don’t forget a good net! You never know when you might reel in a monster!
We have some openings left here and there this summer and through fall for lodging and guided trips. Click here for availability and rates or call 800-772-8411 and let’s have some fun.
Walleyes and a few surprises What a fun week! It was a good walleye and sauger bite. Walleyes continued to hit on spinners tipped with a leech or a crawler harness and worms in the sand in 24-29 feet of water while drifting or trolling. A few notable colors were gold, pink and white. Bright or shiny colors are always good go to colors for the stained waters of Lake of the Woods. Water temperature has bounced up to 73 degrees.
Nice mixes of walleyes and saugers have been reeled in as well as a few surprises. Captain Brent’s crew was targeting walleyes when a feisty 41 inch northern pike grabbed a hold. This fighter gave Jody quite the fight! Check out the monster in the pictures of the week video. Another crew was out fishing for walleyes and reeled in a 50 ½ monster muskie! WOW were they surprised! Check out that monster as well as some of the other catches of the week!
Sturgeon Season opened back up July 1. Now until Sept 30, anglers can keep 1 per calendar year. After September the season will go to catch and release until late April. During the keep season, fish must be 45″-50″ inclusive or over 75″. Immediately upon reducing a fish to possession, you must validate and attach your sturgeon tag. Sturgeon tags can be purchased online or by phone 24/7 by calling 1-888-MN-LICEN (665-4236) from the Minnesota DNR. Like in the spring these bottom feeders can be found swimming the bottom holes of the river and bays. A gob of minnows, a few shiners or something for smell hooked onto a 4/0 hook and a no roll sinker is all you need. Anchor up, enjoy the scenery and get ready for a heck of a fight when one takes a chomp. Several 40”-70”+ are caught in the area quite often.
Baudette does it right on the 4th of July ~ Last Minute Lodging Available!
Parade, vendors, games, entertainment, fishing, boating. Lots of events planned. Click here to check out the full schedule and make plans to join us. Lodging and guided fishing trips available.
Send us your photos. We always love seeing your pictures. If you have some pictures to share, send them our way. Email, Text 218-395-0042 or Tag us on Facebook. You might find your picture in our next fishing report, social media page or brochure!
Lodging & Charter Fishing packages starting at just $251 per person for 2 nights and 1 day. Come have some fun this summer! Click here.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy
Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge
Oak Island, MN
800-772-8411
www.oakislandlodge.com
7/2/2018
Happy 4th of July Everyone!
We wish you all a safe and fun week!
Jigs & Spinners Jigging with a minnow along rocky points and reefs in 25’-30’ and drifting sandy areas using a hammered gold spinner and leech in 23’-28’ has been working well. Lots of nice 15”+ walleyes nibbling at the line. Water temperature is about 74 degrees. The guides are ready to take you out.
Bass & Pike
Smallmouth bass and northern pike are hitting around rocky shorelines casting with spinner baits. We have an incredible trophy size pike population right now.
Jerry’s Brisket is back!
Join us Saturday, July 7 for some of Jerry’s yum yum oh so good brisket!
Serving 3pm-8pm (or sold out). Come early!
