Our Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge locations are now closed until December. Contact us today to make your ice fishing plans.
For winter reservations and information, click on the link or call us at 800-772-8411.
Category Archives: Weekly Oak Island Fishing Report
Weekly Oak Island Fishing Report
Oak Island Lodge
Our Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge locations are now closed until December. Gota little bit of snow yesterday. Time to start thinking about ice fishing!
For winter reservations and information, click on the link or call us at 800-772-8411.
We are now closed until December
Our Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge locations are now closed until December. Thank you for a great season! It was so nice to see so many of you and be a part of your vacation memories. We look forward to seeing you again this winter!
For winter reservations and information, click on the link or call us at 800-772-8411.
If you are still interested in a fall trip, check out our sister location, Sportsman’s Lodge.
The fall bite has been great!
The temps keep dropping but the fishing continues to be hot in the islands
Try a jig and shiner around areas where bait gathers, such as current areas and deep holes will hold a lot of fish this time of year. 15’-22’ is a great depth to start looking. Crappies and perch will also be hanging in these areas as well. Get out there and good luck!
Ice Fishing season is just around the corner! Do you have your reservations in yet?
Fall fishing is in full swing!
Walleyes, perch, crappies and Muskie are all going great! Walleyes are schooled up anywhere there is bait. Saddles, deep holes, current areas, and large structures are all good. Crappies and perch will also be on these structures. These guys will be more school in small areas so if you catch one there is probably more there!
Ice Fishing season is just around the corner! Do you have your reservations in yet?
Walleyes & Crappies are hungry
Island fishing is still hot even if the temps are not. Great numbers of walleyes and crappies are coming in every day. The walleyes are getting to those classic fall areas that hold bait. Saddles between islands that have some current are great areas this time of year. Also big rock points with deep holes adjacent are good for both walleyes are crappies. Keep moving until you find fish because almost always this time of year they are schooled up and hungry!!
Check out this whopper!
31 inch walleye reeled in by Jerry Hennings. Nice catch Jerry!
Ice Fishing is just around the corner. Do you have your reservation in yet?
Fish are hitting the fall patterns hard now
Walleyes are setting up on shorelines and the deep holes. Fish are packing on pounds and need to eat and eat a lot. Look for bait and the fish will be there. Rocks and break lines are going to be good spots to start looking. Jigging tipped with a shiner is the best way to target walleyes. Bright colors like chartreuse, orange, and white are good colors. Crappies and perch are moving to these areas as well! So get out there and good luck!
Big Fish Fall
Everyone thinks of different things when they feel those first cool September winds. Some people think of walking trails, some people think of the leaves changing colors but for the people of Lake of the Woods it means one thing, big walleyes and a lot of them. Those water temperatures start dropping and the walleyes go into feed mode. There are many ways you can target these pigs but here are a few of the best ways.
As we know, the reason that so many walleyes flood the rainy river area in the fall is the emerald shiner run. Walleyes are putting on the pounds for winter. A lot of anglers target walleyes with just a jig and shiner. This can be very productive and is a simply an easy way to catch not only big walleyes but a lot of fish. The best place to look for these fish is outside the gap or in the river. As far as outside the gap will be holding to a certain depth. The farther we move through September and into October that depth will get shallower. In the river, walleyes will be holding to places where the current breaks or inlets, any place where shiners are going to hold. Jigging in these areas can be and will be very productive.
Another strategy that has been getting the attention of not only many anglers but big walleyes as well is trolling plugs and stick baits. Trolling off of Pine Island can be very good. Long lining shad raps can be very good at times but a good way to troll at all depths is to have a 3oz weight and about a 5 to 6 foot snell followed by a stick bait. It is much easier to control your depths this way. As far as the river, trolling the first breaklines into the current has proved to produce big walleyes.
The fall isn’t just good for big walleyes tho! Big pike, sturgeon, and smallmouth are also packing on the pounds before winter. Pike will be holding to current breaks in the river. Casting spoons and blade baits in these areas will attract these toothy beasts out of hiding. Also, laying dead bait on the bottom, such as smelt or a sucker can be a good way to get these fish to bite later in the year as they get more lethargic.
Smallmouth will be holding to rocky structures and can be caught while actually walleye fishing. Unlike walleyes and pike, smallmouth will be in the current. Rocks and gravel areas in the current should hold good numbers of smallmouth. Soft plastic baits will produce good fish. Later in the year, live bait may work better than soft plastic.
Sturgeon have been getting more and more popular as the years go on up in the rainy river. Fish over 70 inches are not out of the realm of possibly these days. And in the fall they are feeding hard before the winter. Concentrate on areas around deep holes in the river.
This doesn’t always mean directly in the bottom of the hole. Sometimes just upriver or adjacent to the hole is where this dinos can be lurking. So before ditching a location completely try a couple different spots on the same spot!
To be fair, if you are looking for a place in the Midwest for big fall walleyes, Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River is one of the best if not THE best place to go. So get up here and hold on tight!
Deep Waters
A good walleye bite has been going on in 27’-36’. Fish are beginning to move off of the points and move to their fall spots. Jig and a minnow has been a good way to target these walleyes right now. All the usual colors mainly coming back to pink and gold. A few good days have been had spinner fishing too so don’t be afraid to try something new if the bite is slow. Good luck!
Visit us this Fall or Winter!
We have something for everyone. Click here to learn more about our packages and contact us today. 800-772-8411
Starting to Feel Like Fall!
With cool temperatures moving in it may feel like the island life is over but that could not be farther from the truth! The islands are hot right now. Drifting spinners on rocky structures and drop-offs are good places to start. Walleyes can be found on all types of structures and depths. They will be moving off of the mid-lake structures and back to the shores and classic fall areas. Be looking for these fish making this move! Good Luck!
