The weather is warming up!

January 19, 2018 by Sportsman's Lodges

It has been a cool past few weeks which don’t get me wrong is great for the ice but we sure are ready for a little break. A heat wave in the 20’s is perfect!

Fishing has been a little up and down this week. The best bite has been in 18’-29’ using a plain hook, gold jig and glo shots tipped with a minnow or minnow head. A combination of dead sticking with a bobber and jigging is the best approach to start your day and electronics really help. Anglers are finding a few suspended walleyes 2’-10’ off bottom too. The best approach to catch a suspended fish is to start on bottom and when you see the fish on your screen, reel up and do some enticing rather than keeping your line suspended for hours on end. We usually see anglers have the best luck keeping their line close to bottom. Ride out to the houses from the lodge is about 20 minutes right now.

Ice Conditions
We have a good base of ice of over two feet, 28-32 inches in the areas we fish and travel. Looking good for March ice fishing! Remember walleye season is open through April 14 on Lake of the Woods and we plan to keep our houses out until the end of March.Trails
Groomers are out! Groomers caution riders to stay on the trails especially this year with how rough the lake froze; there are a lot of ice chunks sticking up off the trail. Click below for the latest conditions and more information about the Lake of the Woods area trails.
South Shore Lake of the Woods
Northwest Angle Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods Trail Information

Join us for the BIG GAME and GREAT FISHING!
Feb 3-6 Trips available! Click hereCome get your fish on next week!
We have some openings available Jan 21-25 and Jan 28-31. Come see us! 800-862-8602 or [email protected]

Here Fishy Fishy…..

January 11, 2018 by Sportsman's Lodges

Decent bite this week, morning and late afternoon bite continues to be the strongest. We are seeing mainly walleyes coming through the holes along with some sauger and the occasional perch and pike. Jigging and dead sticking with gold and/or pink jigs, plain hook or macho minnow #29 has been working well in 20’-26’ of water. Electronics help too! Rentals available, call to reserve ahead of time.

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-24 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. If you venture out on your own, be sure to stay on marked trails and roads. The ice is rough this year! Lots of ice chunks sticking up.

Ice Road
The ice road from Young’s Bay to the resort is plowed and it good shape! Come on out!

Snowmobile Trail Conditions
The trails are marked and grooming is in full swing. We received a few inches of snow last night. Windy day today but it sounds like it is going to start settling down later in the day. The south shore has several spots of bare ice and anywhere from 0”-10” of snow on the ice, more snow in our area of the lake. The lake froze pretty rough this year so we strongly encourage riders to stay on the trails, go slow and use caution. Lots of ice chunks sticking up off the trails. For more information about the trails click here or contact: Lake of the Woods Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders.

We ice fish until late March!
Make your reservations today 800-772-8411 www.oakislandlodge.com

Reeling in some nice fish

January 11, 2018 by Sportsman's Lodges

Fishing has been a pretty good week. Some days are better than others of course but overall pretty good. We have noticed a larger percent of walleyes compared to saugers for this time of year in a mix of sizes. Best depth hasn’t changed much lately, 16’-29’. Hot tackle has been good old gold and pink jigs but also plain hook and a bobber as well as glow in the dark jigs, buckshots, rattling charmers, gem-n-eyes and forage minnows tipped with a chub minnow. Guide Tip: If you are not finding success, change it up! Change up your approach; try different tackle and electronics help. A mix of jigging and dead sticking is the best approach to start out a day. Curious what dead sticking is? Click here to read more.

What a day for Christi, one of the Sportsman’s Staff! Caught this Sturgeon today! (1/10) Fishing with my dad. We had our limit of walleye by 9:15am before hooking into this bad boy. 58 incher on a plain red hook with a fat head. All before coming to work today! Whoo Hoooo!!

Check out these pics! We love to see your pictures! If you have pictures from a recent stay you would like to share with us, please send to [email protected] or text 218-395-0042. You might be featured in our next report!

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 24-30 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish and more in some areas where the ice built up during the freeze. Our ice fishing trips all include transportation to and from the fish house; we do not maintain a plowed road. If you venture out on your own, Adrian’s Resort and Morris Point Resort have public ice roads near us. Check with them for the latest conditions. Be sure to stay on marked roads and trails. The lake froze pretty rough this year and the entire lake never freezes equally so as always use caution and check local conditions before going out.

Snowmobile Trail Conditions
The trails are marked and grooming is in full swing. We received a few inches of snow last night. Windy day today but it sounds like it is going to start settling down later in the day. The lake froze pretty rough this year so we strongly encourage riders to stay on the trails, go slow and use caution. Lots of ice chunks sticking up off the trails. For more information about the trails click here or contact: Lake of the Woods Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders.

Lodging & Ice Fishing Packages available through March!
The ice is shaping up great. Walleye season on Lake of the Woods is open through April 14.
We have winter weekends openings in February & March, midweeks open January – March. Two plus night packages starting at $215 per person. Come get your fish on! Book your trip today by calling 800-862-8602 or booking online here. *plus tax and based on double occupancy.

Football, Beer & Fishing….what else is there?
Join us great fishing and the Big Game Feb 3-6! Reel in some fish, relax and join us for our big game party 14 TV’s, ½ price apps, drink specials, free apps 5-6pm, giveaways and more! Lodging and fishing packages available. Contact us today.

Happy New Year!

January 3, 2018 by Sportsman's Lodges

Gold is hot! Gold jigs and spoons tipped with a minnow is the hot ticket this week. We are seeing some nice walleyes, several 20”+ and a few saugers, perch and pike. The best depths have been between 20’-24’. Mornings and late afternoons have been best. Electronics help too! If you would like to give one a try, give us a call to reserve one to rent. We have openings available through late March, more options during the week than weekends. Give us a call for winter fun 800-772-8411.

13 inch perch caught by Carment Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge My lucky lure was a pink and gold Demon

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 18-20 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. If you venture out on your own, be sure to stay on marked trails and roads. The ice is rough this year! Lots of ice chunks sticking up.

Ice Road
The ice road from Young’s Bay to the resort is plowed and it good shape! Come on out!

Snowmobile Trail Conditions
Lake trails are all marked from Wheeler’s Point to Warroad, Warroad to Oak Island and the Northwest Angle, and Oak Island all the way to Baudette. Up in the islands we have a about a foot snow on the lake and land trails. The south shore currently has several spots of bare ice and anywhere from 0”-8” of snow. The lake froze pretty rough this year so we strongly encourage you to stay on the trails, go slow and use caution. Lots of ice chunks sticking up off the trails. Grooming is in progress. For more information about the trails click here or contact: Lake of the Woods Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders.

Happy New Year!

January 3, 2018 by Sportsman's Lodges

What a week! Check out these pictures! Anglers are seeing more 18”-30” walleyes than normal mixed in with plenty of young walleyes and saugers. A mix of dead sticking and jigging orange, gold and pink jigs, GLO shot spoons, buck shot spoons and plain hooks tipped with a minnow has been the best approach in 16’-28’ of water. Electronics always seem to help. Rentals available but always a good idea to call ahead to reserve, they go quick. It has been a cold week, sounds like we are going to start warm up above zero by Saturday.

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-24 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish and more in some areas. Our ice fishing trips all include transportation to and from the fish house; we do not maintain a plowed road. If you venture out on your own, Adrian’s Resort and Morris Point Resort have public ice roads near us. Check with them for the latest conditions. Be sure to stay on marked roads and trails. The lake froze pretty rough this year and the entire lake never freezes equally so as always use caution and check local conditions before going out.

Snowmobile Trail Conditions
Lake trails are all marked from Wheeler’s Point to Warroad, Warroad to Oak Island and the Northwest Angle, and Oak Island all the way to Baudette. The south shore currently has several spots of bare ice and anywhere from 0”-8” of snow. We could use another shot of snow. The lake froze pretty rough this year so we strongly encourage riders to stay on the trails, go slow and use caution. Lots of ice chunks sticking up off the trails. Grooming is in progress. The land trails are shaping up. For more information about the trails click here or contact: Lake of the Woods Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders.

Lodging & Ice Fishing Packages available starting at only $215 per person!
If you are looking for a weekend getaway, as of this morning we have fishing and these lodging openings:
Two bedroom villa open up for this Fri, Jan 5,
A few lodge rooms & 4 Bedroom Villa for Fri, Jan 19
Few cabins Friday, Jan 26
Various accommodations open Sat/Sun Feb 3 & Feb 4
Fri/ Sat/Sun 9-11
Fri, Feb 16
Fri/Sat/Sun, Feb 23-25
March – all weekends
Midweek – openings most every week January, February & March
Remember we ice fish until the end of March! Two plus night packages starting at $215 per person. Come get your fish on! Book your trip today by calling 800-862-8602 or booking online here. *plus tax and based on double occupancy.

We are off and running!

December 28, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The season has started and anglers are reeling in some nice fish! Gold and pink have been hot jig choices tipped with a minnow. Electronics help! Find bottom, give your rod a crank up about 4-6 inches and do some jigging. One rod dead sticking with a bobber is not a bad idea either. Best depth has been between 16’-26’. The guides are ready to take you out! Contact us to book your winter trip 800-772-8411.

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 13-17 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. Weather is below zero this week so we are making more ice quickly! If you decide to venture out on your own, we urge you to check with local resorts or guides before doing so as the ice never freezes equally in all areas of the lake and conditions change.

Ice Road
The ice road is plowed out to the lodge now. A nice wide lane out to the north side of the island and one pass so far in from the north side to the lodge. We expect the road to widen all the way to the lodge today or tomorrow.

Trail Conditions
The lake trail from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island is marked and is being traveled on. 15-17 inches of ice is reported on the trail. Grooming will hopefully start tomorrow from Wheeler’s Point to Oak Island and from Wheeler’s Point to Warroad next week based on conditions. Due to how the lake froze this year, there are lots of ice chunks sticking up. Crews have been working to make the trail itself smoother but off the trail it is very rough. The trail also has lots of turns in it right now so we encourage you to use caution and stay on the trail. The land trails are being groomed and are shaping up. For more information about the trails click here or contact: Lake of the Woods Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders.

We are making ice and the fishing has been good! Check out these pictures!

December 28, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

What’s working?
Gold, yellow & pink, yellow, white/pink & gold, glow in the dark and pink jigs tipped with a minnow have all been working well. Best depths have been in 16’-28’ of water. A mix of dead sticking and jigging is the best approach. Electronics help most anglers catch rates. We are seeing a mix of walleyes and saugers come through the holes. With the changing weather don’t be afraid to change up your approach for the best results. Ride out to the fish houses is about 20 minutes right now.

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 13-18 inches of ice and more in some areas where we fish and travel right now. It has been a cool week here; we are building more ice by the minute! Our ice fishing trips all include transportation to and from the fish house; we do not maintain a plowed road. If you venture out on your own, Adrian’s Resort and Morris Point Resort have public ice roads near us. Check with them for the latest conditions. Be sure to stay on marked roads and trails. The lake froze pretty rough this year and the entire lake never freezes equally so use caution and check local conditions before going out. Be safe and let’s have some fun this winter!

Share your pictures with us!
We love seeing your pictures of fishing and having fun at Sportsman’s. Tag us, email us, text us 218-395-0042 anytime!

Join us for New Year’s Eve!
Dinner specials, live band, champagne and a whole lot of fun! Click here for more information. Reservations suggested 800-862-8602 or email [email protected]

Come see us this winter!
We have weekends open in February and March and midweek options most weeks throughout the season. Lodging and ice fishing packages starting at only $215 per person! Contact us today to start planning your winter getaway.

We have 8-14 inches of ice!

December 19, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

We have 8-14 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. The staff is gearing up and we will be open Dec 26^th for the season! If you haven’t made plans to visit us this winter, give us a call 800-862-8602 or click here to email us.

Bite Forecast
We expect it to be pretty good! Usually early season is good and the bite on the south end has been great! Gold and pink jigs tipped with a minnow are always good bets to start out with and don’t forget or rent electronics. They seem to really help catch rates. We have a few available, always good to call ahead to reserve, they go fast. Let’s go fishing!

Snowmobile Trails
Snowmobile trail across the lake from Four Mile Bay to Oak Island has been marked however no grooming yet. There are a lot of chunks of ice this year sticking up so crews are busy working on smoothing that out and making sure the trail is safe. We also need a few more inches of ice and snow before it will be safe to groom. We have anywhere from a few inches of snow to 2-3’ drifts on the lake along with a few bare spots, land trails have 5-12 inches of snow. If you do venture out, be sure to stay on the trails as ice conditions vary. Land trails are in good shape and are being groomed. For more information about the trails click here or contact: Lake of the Woods Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders.

Fishing has been excellent!

December 19, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The first week of fishing has been great! Lots of fish coming up through the holes, big ones, little ones and plenty of good eaters. Check out these pictures!!!!

What’s hot
Some anglers said it didn’t matter what they put down the hole, they had plenty to reel in. Some anglers swore by pink, gold, glow in the dark jigs, buckshots or spoons tipped with a minnow. Most anglers with electronics seem to do better than those without. A mix of dead sticking and jigging is the best approach. The best bite has been in 16’-26’ of water right now.

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 10-16 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. It looks like we are in for a cold blast for the next few weeks which will be great to build us up some more! This report is based on the areas we fish and travel. All of our fishing trips include transportation to and from the fish house. We do not maintain a plowed road. If you are looking to go out on your own, please keep in mind, conditions vary and the entire lake, river and bays certainly don’t all freeze equally so please check current conditions before heading out. Adrian’s Resort and Morris Point both maintain ice roads near us. Contact them for the latest conditions.

Snowmobile Trails
The snowmobile trail across the lake from Four Mile Bay to Oak Island has been marked however, no grooming yet. There are a lot of chunks of ice this year sticking up so crews are busy working on smoothing that out and making sure the trail is safe. We also need a few more inches of ice and snow before it will be safe to groom. It shouldn’t be too long. We have anywhere from a few inches of snow to 2-3’ drifts on the lake along with a few bare spots, land trails have 5-12 inches of snow. If you do venture out, be sure to stay on the trails as ice conditions vary. Land trails are in decent shape and are being groomed. For more information about the trails click here or contact: Lake of the Woods Drifters and the Northwest Angle Edge Riders.

Gaining some ice….

December 12, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

It’s almost time to start ice fishing! Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

The ice is coming along, we are not quite ready for too much travel but it won’t be long, 5-8 inches of ice is reported in most areas we travel right now. Another week and we should be able to get the supplies out to the island. We plan on starting our season soon! Give us a call 800-772-8411 or click here to reserve your stay.