2017

March 9, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The latest…..
Crazy weather week with wind, a few warm days and now subzero temps. I guess that is the way Mother Nature works sometimes. We currently are still maintaining 24-26 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. Not much snow cover on the ice right now so be sure to bring along your cleats or traction shoes. It has been a decent morning and late afternoon bite this week. The bite has mainly been nice eater size walleyes along with a few 22”+ walleyes, few pike, perch and some little ones to keep you paying attention. J A 35 inch northern was caught by a guest earlier this week. Plain hooks with a split shot using a whole or half minnow has been working well. Some days have been a finicky bite. Lots of fish showing up on the electronics. Guides suggest using a mix of dead sticking and jigging techniques, changing up bait techniques and lures for best results. Electronics have worked well to entice the suspended fish. If you are planning on venturing out on your own, we strongly suggest checking with local resorts and guides before going out and stay on the marked routes. Conditions change this time of year and the entire lake never freezes equally.

Ice Road Conditions from Young’s Bay to the Island
The ice road from Young’s Bay is open but we suggest calling out for the latest conditions and information before venturing out 800-772-8411. Due to the lack of snow and changing conditions our signs are no longer standing up along the road and some routes have changed. Give us a call!

Trail Report
Minimal snow cover on the ice right now.

At Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge & Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge we plan to be open through March 19 for the winter season and then re-open early May for the summer season. Sportsman’s Lodge on the south side of the lake near Baudette will be open through the spring. Walleye season runs until April 14 and excellent pike and sturgeon fishing can be had during April on the Rainy River and south shore. For reservations at Sportsman’s Lodge click here or call 800-862-8602. To make your last minute ice fishing and summer reservations for Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge click here or call anytime 800-772-8411. Our office is open year round.

Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 3/9/2017

March 9, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The latest from Sportsman’s Lodge……
I saw a Facebook post today that said Mother Nature has gone bipolar. I believe that is correct! It has been quite the week. A few days of warm weather, a few days of gusts of wind up to 48 mph and now back to winter weather, below zero temps. What a week! The good news is we still have 27-30 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel and there is some good ice fishing going on. The guides check ice daily and we plan to keep fishing in our day houses until Mother Nature decides she is ready to warm up. Our sleepers last day will be Monday, March 13.. The ice has minimal snow cover right now so we suggest bringing ice cleats or traction shoes with you when you visit.

Ice Conditions
We have 27-30 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish. We do not maintain a public road. If you are looking to venture out on your own we strongly encourage you to check with local resorts or outfitters for current conditions and information on what they are allowing out on their road before going out. We suggest, Adrian’s Resort 218-634-1985 who maintains a road that goes out on Four Mile Bay. Always stay on marked roads or trails. The entire lake never freezes equally even in the coldest of winters. Stay safe and call ahead!

The Bite
The best bite has been found in 27’-33’ 6-10 miles out of Pine Island. Chubs and shiner minnows on a glow pink or gold jig or plain hook with a few split shots has been working well. We supply the chubs with our fish house rentals; local bait shops have shiners if you are interested in trying a few. Lots of suspended walleyes in varying depths showing up so electronics really help. Saugers are hugging closer to bottom. Try jigging and dead sticking for the best results to see what works for you. A few eelpouts, perch and pike have also been biting. 36 Days of walleye season left on Lake of the Woods!

Trail Report
Minimal snow cover on the ice right now.

25% off Ice Fishing March 19-31
Hook a hot deal! 25% off ice fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location.
Book your trip today 800-862-8602

Spring River fishing is just around the corner!
Walleye season continues on Lake of the Woods until April 14, reopening May 13 and lake sturgeon and northern pike fishing heats up in April and May. Guided trips available, lodging starting at $42 per person per night and up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing trips available. Get your reservations in now. Click here for more information and make plans to reel in some monster fish!

The Fishing Scoop

March 3, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The guides on the island report a nice mix of walleyes and saugers and good catch rates lately but it has been a light bite so jigging with plain hooks with a split shot or gold jigs tipped with a chub or shiner minnow have been working the best. Work the jig and watch the electronics. Anglers are seeing fish in all depths. We are currently seeing the best results along some structure in depths between 20’-28’ of water.

Hot lunch delivered to you
We may be on an island, but we don’t believe in “roughing it”. Ask how you can enjoy a hot lunch prepared and brought right to your fish house midday when you join us for your next fishing trip.

The fun hasn’t stopped, it has really just begun! March is usually one of the best times for ice fishing! Warm weather, lots of sun and walleyes! Come on up! We are open until mid/late-March.

Ice Condition Report
We currently have 24-26 inches of ice, plenty of ice for lots of winter fun.

Trail Report
We don’t have a lot of snow in the area but groomers are out and the trail from Baudette to Oak is good. For more information on the NW Angle & Islands area click here. For the Baudette area click here. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Ice Road
The ice road is open. Take the 9 mile drive out from Young’s Bay to the lodge. Signs are posted.

28 Days of Ice Fishing & 42 days of Walleye Season left!

March 3, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

We have 26-30 inches of ice and since Lake of the Woods is a border water we have extended walleye season that runs until April 14. Don’t miss out on the late season bite! We have openings available.

The bite has been good this week. We are seeing a lot of suspended walleyes 5, 10 even 20 feet off bottom and saugers hugging the bottom. Electronics are really helpful to bring along or rent so you can get an idea where the fish are at. Jigging shiny spoons and gold jigs tipped with a minnow have been working well. Some anglers are swearing by frozen shiners. We supply the chubs with your fish house but if you would like frozen shiners local bait shops have some on hand. Best bite has been 28’-32’. The ride out to the fish houses is about 30 minutes.

Hook it up

Time to check the hooks. As move towards the tail of the season, now is a good time to check through your favorite hooks you have been using over the winter to be sure they haven’t dulled. Another good tip is to do a little hook bending to increase your hooking power. Bending the hook out to give it an offset and up to increase the hook gap. This will increase your hooking power and help you to miss fewer fish.

Ice Conditions
We currently have 26-30 inches of ice and making ice daily with minimal snow cover on the lake and single digit temps at night. Ice fish with us until the end of March!

Trail Report
Lake groomers are out today. Lake trails are in good shape. For more information about the trails click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle & Islands. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

25% off Ice Fishing trips March 19-31
Hook a hot deal! 25% off ice fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location.
Book your trip today 800-862-8602

Good bite yesterday!

February 21, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The bite yesterday was great, but overall spotty this week. Nice buckets of fish came in with a variety of walleyes and saugers. Best depth has been in 23-31 feet of water. Gold and pink jigs, rattle spoons and macho minnows have been working well tipped with a minnow. Mix of jigging and dead sticking is the best approach. Electronics users tend to do the best.

Ice Conditions
We have lost snow but not much ice if any. Weather is cooling off starting tomorrow. Back to ice making!

Trail Report
We have lost most of our snow so the trails are rough. Groomers will start again as soon as we get another shot of snow.

Ice Road from Young’s Bay to the Island
The ice road is in good shape. The landing is pretty muddy so trucks only. Cars will probably not make it out. Cooler weather is coming back tomorrow!

Bring on the cold!

February 21, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

It looks like the brief winter warm up is finally going to end after today and boy are we excited! Enough of the warm weather, what was Mother Nature thinking we still have a month of ice fishing left! LOL!

Currently we have 23-27 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish. We have made some changes to where we are accessing the lake and have been playing in some sloppy conditions the past few days but other than that we are still fishing, checking ice often keeping safety #1 and looking at the forecast we plan to keep fishing until late March.

If you are looking to venture out on your own we can’t stress enough to please work through resorts and outfitters. Check conditions before going out and stay on the trail. The conditions are not the same over the entire lake and now with very little snow left on the lake many people may think they can go anywhere. That is not the case. That is not the case even in the coldest of winters and the winters when we have 4’ of ice. On a good note once we start to cool down we should build ice quicker without the snow. So stay safe and come join us for some great late season fishing!

Fishing Action
Gold and pink spoons jigging or dead sticking with a plain hook tipped with a minnow has been working the best in 26-32’. Overall some anglers doing better than others depending on the day, hour, weather, depth, approach and mother nature. Electronics users seem to do better than those without. Still seeing some suspended fish in various depths from a foot off bottom to 15 feet. Bite has been mainly made up of walleyes and saugers for the pan or throwback with an occasional slot walleye (19.5”-28”) or larger. Best tip is to try some different techniques and talk with your guide for the best approach for the day. March usually considered an active month for fishing. Come visit us!

Check out what some of the guests have been reeling in this week!

Trail Report
Due to the warm weather we recently been having most of our snow has melted. Trails are marked and groomers will fire back up as soon we get another shot of snow!

Check out these nice walleyes!

February 15, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The afternoons have been favoring the mornings this week. Gold and pink jigs and spoons have been working well tipped with a minnow. Anglers have been having good luck in 23’-29’ on and off the reefs. It has been a 60% walleye/40% sauger bite. If you are looking to increase your catch rate we highly recommend using a fish flasher. They really help you pin point at what depth the fish are at. If you don’t have one, call us ahead of time to reserve one to rent.

23 inch walleye caught by the Prudhomme Group Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge

Kevin Coye 23.5 inch walleye caught on a gold jig and minnow Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-24 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run a groomed trail to our houses. Forecasted highs this week are a little warmer than we like to see this time of year but with the lows below freezing we should only lose some snow. I am sure Mother Nature will be blowing in some subzero temps again soon.

Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. For more information on the NW Angle & Islands area click here. For the Baudette area click here. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Ice Road
The ice road is open. Take the 9 mile drive out from Young’s Bay to the lodge. Signs are posted.

The guides are on the fish!

February 15, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Walleye and sauger bite has been good! Houses are staggered off a nice quiet groomed trail about a 30 minute ride out on Big Traverse Bay. Anglers are reeling in a variety of sizes using gold, pink and orange macho minnows, plain hooks, buck shots, spoons and jigs. Tackle is tipped with a minnow or minnow head in 24’-33’ of water. Lots of suspended fish are being seen on electronics so if you have one, we encourage you to bring it along or call ahead to rent. We consistently see the catch rate of anglers who use them increase significantly.

Guests are reeling in some nice fish this week!

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 23-27 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run a groomed trail to our houses. It looks like we are going to warm up during the day this week. Lows are still below freezing so we shouldn’t see any ice loss just some snow. If you are looking to venture out on your own, Adrian’s road at Wheeler’s Point is recommended.

Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. We have 16-24 inches of snow on the ground. Trails are in good shape! For more information about the trails click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle & Islands. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

25% off Ice Fishing trips March 19-31
Hook a hot deal! 25% off ice fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location.

Glow, Plain Hooks & Vexilars!

February 9, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Glow jigs, plain hooks tipped with a minnow and Vexilars, Marcums or whatever fish flasher flavor you like are the hot tips this week. Anglers using these tactics in 23’-33’ of water along with a mix of jigging and dead sticking realized an increase in their catch rate. Many reports of nice walleyes and saugers being found all over the water column 4-6 inches, 2’, sometimes 8’-10’ off bottom. If you don’t have a flasher and would like to give one a try, we have a few for rent. They do go fast so it is a good idea to call ahead to reserve. Travel time to the fish houses is about 30 minutes. The guides are moving houses daily to stay on the best bite. What are you waiting for? Come get your fish on. Ice fishing trips available through late March!

Look what the Swenson Group reeled in!

Ice Conditions
We have 22”-25” of ice in the areas we travel and fish right now.

Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. We received about four more inches of snow this week. We have 16-24 inches of snow on the ground. For more information about the trails click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle & Islands. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

25% off Ice Fishing trips March 19-31
Hook a hot deal! 25% off ice fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location.

Treat your sweetie to a couple days of fishing this Valentines Day.
Two nights lodging in a lodge room or cabin and one day ice fishing $196 per person. Fish, relax and enjoy three nights of Valentine’s Day dining specials Feb 12-14.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy.

A little snow and decent fishing

February 9, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

We gained 3-4 inches of snow this week and below zero temps the past few days. It looks like we are going to warm up tomorrow. Buck shots, flutter spoons, plain hooks and pink, gold and glow in the dark jigs have been good this week tipped with a minnow. Vexilar users are almost doubling their catch rate. 23’-29’ of water around structure has been the best place to find some nice walleyes and saugers.

42 inch northern pike caught by Jim Kusilek on a medium action St Croix rod 8lb test and swedish pimple Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge

Nice 19 inch walleye caught by Chad Young Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

13 inch perch caught by Chad Young Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 21-24 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel.

Trail Report
The area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. For more information on the NW Angle & Islands area click here. For the Baudette area click here. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Ice Road
The ice road is open. Take the 9 mile drive out from Young’s Bay to the lodge. Signs are posted.