Category Archives: Weekly South Shore Fishing Report

Cool beginning but the weekend looks sunny!

April 26, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Last weekend we enjoyed some average spring weather but it has been a cool start to the week with some rain and snow showers. Looks like it should shape up for the weekend. The water temperature is currently 41 degrees. Despite the weather, anglers are finding some nice sturgeon and pike. Sturgeon anglers are finding them in several areas wherever a good hole in the river bottom can be found between Wheeler’s Point to Birchdale. Size 4/0 or 5/0 circle hooks and a 3-8 ounce no roll sinker tipped with a gob of crawlers and a frozen shiner has been working well. If you have trouble with the worms falling off, try a piece of a plastic grub at the end. Anchored at deep river holes or crevices with a little current are best. You can keep one sturgeon now within 45”-50” or over 75” through May 7 with a sturgeon tag (available at the lodge or anywhere MN fishing licenses are sold) and catch and release resumes May 8-15. Sturgeon are fun to catch and pretty tasty thrown in a smoker.


Captain Matt McClure 40 inch pike	Captain Travis Madrazo	Captain Travis Madrazo with a nice pike!

Northern Pike bite
Tributaries along the river and shallow bays are great places to find some huge pike right now. Anchored and casting out a jig tipped with a shiner and bouncing off the bottom or casting out a jointed rapala has been working well.

Reeling in sturgeon of all sizes. Captain Travis Campbell

11^th Annual Sturgeon Tournament is May 5 & 6. The tournament is full this year but everyone is welcome to stop in and check out the action from our docks or in the bar. The tournament takes place right out in front of the lodge over a 1 mile stretch. Annually we see over 100 sturgeon caught over the two day tournament. Stop by for great fishing stories, food, drinks and entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings. The tournament runs from 8:30 to 4pm Friday and 8:30 to 3pm Saturday.

Walleye Opener is just around the corner
May 13 is walleye opener. Lodging starting at $46 per person and up to 20% off summer lodging/charter fishing packages. Click here to choose your package. *plus tax and based on double occupancy

Get on the fish with a Guided Trip
Whether you are looking for sturgeon, pike or walleye we have trips available this spring. Contact us for more information 800-862-8602.

Mother’s Day Brunch
Treat mom to some great fishing, relaxation and Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch at Sportsman’s May 14. From walleye, to salads to mimosas and more click here to check out the menu we have planned and make your reservations today.

Sturgeon and pike fishing is heating up!

April 19, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

We have already seen some huge sturgeon and nice pike reeled in this year and this is only the beginning! Sturgeon seasons run through May 15 and pike season is open year round. The spring sturgeon catch and release season runs through April 23 and May 8-15. You can keep one sturgeon per calendar year April 24-May 7, between the size of 45”-50” inclusive or over 75” with a sturgeon tag. Sturgeon tags can be purchased at the lodge for $5 or at any place that sells Minnesota fishing licenses.

Come and get in on the fun
Water temp is 45 degrees today. Some of the best sturgeon fishing is just minutes away from our dock. Sturgeon like to hang out in deep holes of the river bottom. One of the best techniques to hook into one is to set up anchored just in a hole or outside of a hole using a 4/0 or 5/0 hook, 2-10 oz. no roll weight depending on the current for that day and tip it with a gob of minnows. The best places to find pike this time of year is in the bays. Throwing dare devils or jointed rapalas usually do well. Hundreds of bays along the river and lake are open now. Guided trips also available too. The lake continues to open up more every day. As soon as the cloud cover clears we will post a satellite picture on our facebook page, stay tuned.

Check out what others have caught this week!

Get on the fish with a Guided Trip
Whether you are looking for sturgeon, pike or walleye we have trips available this spring. Contact us for more information 800-862-8602.

11^th Annual Sturgeon Tournament is May 5 & 6. The tournament is full this year but everyone is welcome to stop in and check out the action from our docks or in the bar. The tournament takes place right out in front of the lodge over a 1 mile stretch. Annually we see over 100 sturgeon caught over the two day tournament. Stop by for great fishing stories, food, drinks and entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings. The tournament runs from 8:30 to 4pm Friday and 8:30 to 3pm Saturday.

Walleye Opener is just around the corner
May 13 is walleye opener. Lodging starting at $46 per person and lodging/charter fishing packages starting at only $249 per person. Click here to choose your package. *plus tax and based on double occupancy

Walleyes, Sturgeon, Pike….lots of fishing going on!

April 13, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Hey everyone, it has been a good week of fishing here on the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. The spring season brings lots of changes and successful anglers know that too well. Being ready to change up your location, tackle, bait and approach when the weather, fish patterns, water temp and clarity make a change, is all instrumental in getting more walleyes in your net. Currently the river is clearing up, 1-2 feet clarity today and the water temp has warmed up to 45 degrees. Anchored, using gold jigs tipped with a shiner and Northland Tackle’s gold thumpers have been working well. Depths in the river and lake between 11’-18’ have been good. The lake is open to about a mile and half past Pine Island right now. As the ice melt continues be sure to watch the wind and ice chunks. There is over 40 miles of fishable waters outside our front door right now. Areas from Birchdale all the way out to the lake so even when conditions change, there are miles of good fishing holes to enjoy. Walleye season is open through tomorrow and re opens May 13. The lodge will be closed Easter Sunday but lodging in our cabins and villas are available that day.

We are honored to have, Pro Angling Team, Brian “Bro” and Heather Brosdahl, Infisherman Angler, Matt Straw and Sam and Matt from Northland Tackle join us this week. Click here to check out their Lake of the Woods spring experience!

Guide Eric’s Best’s dad Doc reeled in this huge strugeon today. Measuring 63 inches.

Awesome Sturgeon Bite
We have seen a lot of nice 40”-70” sturgeon reeled in this year already. It really has been incredible start to the spring sturgeon season. The other cool thing is these dinosaurs seem to bite no matter what the water clarity is like, so always a great option to try in any condition. Deep holes in the river using a 4/0 or 5/0 hook, a good weight 3-10 ounces depending on the day and current and a gob of minnows works well. Spring season continues through May 15. For more information about the seasons and limits click here.

Spring Pike Fishing
Lake of the Woods is home to one of the largest populations of trophy sized pike and March – May is one of the best times to reel them in. Anchoring at the mouth of the river using frozen ciscos has been working well.

Kids love fishing! What a fun day! Guided by Captain Wes

Two hours of non stop action with Captain Wes

No hassles, just good fishing!
Guides available for walleye, sturgeon and pike! No boat to worry about, no tackle or bait to buy, no hassles, just great fishing! Give us a call to book your trip 800-862-8602!

Watch the water temperature rise on the Rainy River, click here.

Spring Specials
Lodging starting at $42 per person per night, guided trips and up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages. Click here to learn more! *plus tax and based on double occupancy

Record Breaking Catch & Release Sturgeon

April 6, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

When you are fishing for walleye and you reel in a record breaking sturgeon!!

What an experience!
When three friends, Taylor Schroeder, Tyler Hill and Paul David from Virginia, MN area set out March 30, 2017 on the Rainy River to get into some walleyes, they had no idea what was going to be in store for the that day.

Check out Taylor’s story……Two friends and I set out to catch some walleyes last Thursday morning. We started the day with a nice 25″ fish, but then the fishing slowed, so we decided to move. We anchored in a new spot and soon after I hooked into a sturgeon. The sturgeon decided to bolt down river. I had to put a little pressure on my drag to make sure I had line left to fish with for the rest of the day. Of course, that resulted in my line breaking. I retied, and started fishing again.

Meanwhile, my friends, Tyler Hill and Paul David, started to catch some walleyes. I then felt weight again, so I set the hook, another sturgeon. This time, we pulled up anchor and went for a ride. Having only six pound test and a medium light rod, I didn’t know how long the fight would last. I assumed it would end with me tying on another jig. That was not the case! It ended up taking around an hour of boat work and drifting to eventually get the fish off the bottom. When we first saw the fish, it became clear we had a BIG one. After wrestling with it at boat side, we found it impossible to lift the fish out of the water by hand, so we grabbed some rope and lassoed the tail. It took two of us to get the fish up and into the boat. When the chaos was somewhat over, we looked at the fish and noticed that it had two of my jigs stuck in its mouth. It was the same sturgeon that broke me off half an hour earlier!

After a few pictures and a good measurement, which required all three of us to accomplish, we released the fish. It was about an hour later, when my curiosity caused me to look up the state record (catch & release). I couldn’t believe it when I saw the numbers. Our fish topped the current record by an inch and a half. Unfortunately, we lacked one of the pictures required for it to be considered as a state record fish. One picture away from a state record, will probably haunt me for a while but in reality, we were just fortunate to have experienced it. In the end, it’s a story of what could have been, but an amazing story nonetheless.

What a catch! 69 inch sturgeon caught on medium light rod, 6lb test, pink and white jig tipped with a rainbow minnow by Taylor Schroeder and assisted by Tyler Hill and Paul David.

Sturgeon season catch and release season is open on Lake of the Woods Oct 1 through April 23 and May 8-15. You can harvest one 45″-50″ inclusive or over 75″ May 8-15 and July 1-Sept 30 with a sturgeon tag purchased from the DNR.

Spring Thaw

April 4, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Most of last week the Rainy River clarity was up to 3’ and the current was mild. Walleye and sauger fishing was on fire! It wasn’t hard to catch 100+ fish in a day. Late last week the tributaries started to thaw, the river dirtied and the current sped up pushing anglers to change up their strategy to find the fish willing to bite. It was a mixed bag of success. Some anglers continued to do well and some didn’t. Some switched over to sturgeon fishing. Yesterday and early this morning the Little Fork and Big Fork opened up, a sure sign of spring. As we look towards this week we should start seeing the river clean up and the lake open up further making available more fishing opportunities and clearer water. As of today the lake is open about a mile and a half past Pine Island. The water temperature is starting to go up again, currently at 38.5 degrees after dipping to 35 degrees a few days ago. All boat landings along the river are open. The weather forecast looks dry and beautiful.

Yesterday, Guide Travis Madrazo and the Carisch group of 2 were out and did awesome. Late afternoon bite was best reeling in over 100 walleyes.

Nate Sailor reeled in a nice 28.5 inch walleye and some nice sturgeon caught by the Thomsen and Oelrich Group. Guided by Wes Harder.

29.5 inch walleye Christensen Group and some nice walleyes including a 29 inch with the Egan group. Guided by Baihly Hontvet

Fishing Seasons Tips for the week
Walleyes & Saugers – River shorelines, 13’-22’, lake 10’-20’jigging brightly colored 1/2 oz. to ¾ oz. jigs tipped with rainbows, shiners or chubs or pitching soft plastics towards shore.

Sturgeon – Anchor near or in deep holes in the River or Four Mile Bay with some current using a 3-5 ounces of weight using a 4/0 or 5/0 hook tipped with a gob of worms and a shiner. Lots of big sturgeons have been getting caught this week. Once you hook in, be ready! Some of these monsters take up to a few hours to reel in. It can be quite an adventure!

Pike – With more bays opening up the soft water pike season should start heating up as well. Cast spoons and jerk baits in shallow bays with structure.
Take a guide – A guided trip is relaxing, less hassle and it is a great way to learn new tactics. Contact us a for availability.

Walleye open through April 14, reopening May 13
Northern Pike open year round
Lake Sturgeon catch and release now through April 23, keep one season April 24-May 7, catch and release May 8-15, closed May 16-June 30, keep one season July 1-Sept 30, catch and release Oct 1-April 23.
For more information about seasons, limits and licenses click here.

Lodging Specials, Guided Trips, Boat Rentals, Dock Slips, Rainy River Boat Access Map click here!

Curious about the water temperature and flow? Here are some resources to check out.
Rainy River Wheeler’s Point Water Data
Lake of the Woods Control Board Basin Data

Wheeler’s Point landing just a mile away from the lodge is open and the fish are biting!

March 28, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Six landings now open! Wheelers, Timebermill ( Baudette), Vidas, Frontier, Birchdale and Pelland. We have water at our docks and the forecast looks warm for the week, perfect for spring fishing! Lodging and guided trips available now. Dock slips and boat rental available within a few days as soon as the shore ice is gone from the docks. Click here for a Rainy River boat landing map.

The bite has been great! Check out the pics of the week!

Water temperature has been hovering between 36-38 degrees the past few days. Clarity is an excellent 4’-6’. Drifting with current in 12’-22’ using pink and gold ½-3/4 oz. jigs has been working well tipped with a rainbow or shiner minnow. Anglers are reeling in lots of nice walleyes (50-100 fish days) 14”-30”+ and some lunker sturgeon. Sturgeon anglers have been anchored in or near river bed holes using 1-2 oz. no roll sinker, size 5 hook and a gob of minnows.

Open season dates
Walleye now through April 14, reopening May 13
Pike season open all year. With more bays opening up the soft water bite is really going to get good. Ice anglers the past few weeks have been killing it!

Sturgeon catch and release open now through April 23, keep one within size limits season is April 24-May 7 and catch and release again May 8-15 before the season closes for a short time May
-June 30.

Spring Specials
$99 Lodge Rooms & 20% off cabins/villas now through the end of March.
Lodging starting at $42 per person per night April 1 –May 24 and up to 20% off lodging/charter packages May 12-May 24. Click here to book now or give us a call 800-862-8602!
*plus tax and based on double occupancy

Hungry? Thirsty?
Food & drinks available 7 days a week.
Click here for our current hours.

Wheeler’s Point landing is now open!

March 27, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Wheeler’s Point landing is now open!

Wheeler’s Point landing is just a mile away from the lodge.
Many great fishing opportunities opening daily!

Check out the view from the lodge 3-27-2017

Walleye season open through April 14, reopening May 13

Pike season open all year
Sturgeon season catch and release now through April 23, keep one (within size limit)
April 24-May 7 and catch and release again May 8-15 before closing for 6 weeks.

We have open water in front of the lodge!

March 26, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Channel open at the lodge!

The river is open shore to shore 4 miles west of Baudette and a channel of water is open all the way to our docks. Timbermill landing is now wide open along with Vidas, Frontier, Birchdale and Pelland landings. Wheeler’s Point should be open in a few days.

Timbermill landing in Baudette is now open!

Captain Wes and his crew caught some nice fish this weekend

Wabanica Bay

Wheelers Point landing should be open in a few days

The bite is on!

March 26, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

A few of the guides, Eric R. Best, Travis Madrazo Jean-Paul Tessier, Shane Burk & Baihly Hontvet went out yesterday on the river and reeled in some nice fish! Check it out! Guided trips available! Walleye season open through April 14, pike open year round and sturgeon catch/release now through April 23, keep 1 season April 24-May 7 and catch/release again May 8-15. Click here or call 800-862-8602 to book your trip!

Only 6 more miles to go!

March 25, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The river is open within 6 miles of the lodge. This is a pic of Timbermill landing in Baudette. A few more feet of shore ice to go and 5 ramps will be open. (Pelland, Birchdale, Frontier and Vidas all open now) We should have water at our docks by tomorrow!! Many more fishing spots opening up by the hour. Come join in the fun!