It’s Fishing Time!
Sportsman’s Lodges on Lake of the Woods, MN specialize in lodging and guided fishing trips. Learn more about Sportsman’s Lodges fishing packages today.
NW Angle & Oak Island, MN Lake of the Woods Fishing Report 5-17-2016
NW Angle & Oak Island, MN Lake of the Woods Fishing Report 5-17-2016
Cool opener but this week is looking great!
It was a cool walleye opener but the weather is warming up! Anglers are reeling in some nice walleyes along shallow shorelines in 6’-18’ of water. Hammered gold spinners and a 1-2 ounce sinker minnow or a gold 3/8 ounce jig tipped with a minnow is working well. The current water temperature is 50 degrees.
Spring Bass & Pike bite
Spring bass and pike bite has been real good Pitching dead ciscos with a bobber on a quick strike rig on bottom or just 6 inches off bottom is working well to lure in these monsters along shorelines in weedy bays.
Spring Package Deals
Up to 10% off spring lodging and fishing packages through May 25.
Book your trip today call 800-772-8411 or online.
Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report 5-17-2016
Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report 5-17-2016
Opener Recap & this week’s outlook
Another year is underway! It was a cool and windy start to the year with even a few snow showers mixed in but anglers found some walleyes. Walleyes are hugging the shallow shore lines and biting on gold, pink or orange jigs tipped with a minnow. Drifting or trolling in bays, Light House Gap and the Rainy River are all hot spots. For a no hassle approach to a fun day of fishing, jump on a charter boat! Groups of 1+ welcome. The boat holds up to 6 passengers and includes a guide, use of poles, bait, tackle, onboard restroom, assortment of pop and water and fish cleaning. We have lunch options available too including our world famous shore lunch.
The current water temperature is 50 degrees. The Rainy River’s current has slowed down quite a bit since last week. The weather forecast looks beautiful for the week ahead.
Northern Pike
Anglers are reeling in some monster pike right now! Pitching dead ciscos with a bobber on a quick strike rig on bottom or just 6 inches off bottom is working well to lure in these monsters along shorelines in weedy bays.
Spring Specials through May 26!
Up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages May 13-May 26 and lodging packages starting at only $40 per person per night now through May 26. It’s fishing time! *plus tax and based on double occupancy Sportsman’s Rainy River location
Share your pictures with us!
Recently fished with us or on Lake of the Woods? Email, Facebook or Instagram #sportsmanslodgelow your pictures to us and we will share them, we love to see your pics!
NW Angle & Oak Island Lake of the Woods Fishing Report Walleye Opener 2016
NW Angle & Oak Island Lake of the Woods Fishing Report Walleye Opener 2016
5/10/2016
Walleye opener is this weekend!
The docks are getting hooked up and the last minute spring projects are being completed. We are ready to start fishing!
We are looking forward to another great season. The walleyes are going to be found in shallow this weekend around points and shorelines around Oak Island, Little Oak Island and Flag Island drifting in 8’-20’ of water using jigs or spinners and a minnow. Water temperature is currently 53 degrees. Lodging, guided trips and boat rentals available! Give us a call 800-772-8411 or online here.
Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge
Getting the docks ready!
Sportsman’s Lodge Lake of the Woods Sturgeon Tournament & Walleye Opener Report 2016
Sportsman’s Lodge Lake of the Woods Sturgeon Tournament & Walleye Opener Report 2016
The 10th Annual Sturgeon Tournament is in the books & Walleye Opener is this weekend!
What a year! Over 200 sturgeons were caught over the two day, 50 boat tournament including an unofficial state record sturgeon! The two day tournament started Friday, May 5 running 8:30am – 4pm and Saturday 8:30am – 3:00pm. The weather was warm and a little breezy but the wind was in our favor keeping the river nice and calm. The tournament is a catch and release tournament spanning over 1.2 miles just in front of the lodge on the Rainy River and just around Wheeler’s Point. Check out this hog! The recorded largest sturgeon on record with the Minnesota Department of Natural resources is 70 inches in length and 26.5 inch girth. On day one of the tournament this 70.5 inch length and 28 inch girth whopper was caught by Joe Anderson and his boat mates. What a catch!
Joe Anderson 70.5 inch, 28 inch girth lake sturgeon caught on the Rainy River Lake of the Woods, MN at Sportsman’s Lodge 5-6-2016
Musical entertainment, lots of fish stories and a banquet rounded out the festivities on Saturday. Thanks to all the participants it was another great year. We are looking forward to 2017. May 5 & 6. The tournament is already full but you can always contact us to be added to the waiting list or just come up and give sturgeon fishing a try. It is a lot of fun!
Check out some of the action and for more action click here. Congratulations to all the Winners!
10th Annual Sportsman’s Sturgeon Classic Tournament Results
Day 1 1st Place and the unofficial Minnesota record sturgeon 70.5 inch length, 28 inch girth Joe Anderson from Murphy Lake, MN – $2,150 cash plus $500 bonus for the record breaker. Day 1 2nd Place 64.75 inch length, 25.5 inch girth Mike Denuccie from Nashwauk, MN – $925 cash
Day 1 3rd Place 64 inch length, 26 inch girth Joe Lorenzen from Felden, MN – Sturgeon Rod
Day 2 1st Place 63.5 inch length, 23 inch girth Dave Clement from East Grand Forks, MN – $2,150 cash
Day 2 2nd Place 62 inch length, 22.5 inch girth Mark Sage from Grand Forks, ND – $925 cash
Day 2 3rd Place 59.5 inch length, 21.5 inch girth Brandon Lunski Grand Forks, ND – Sturgeon Rod
Other Prizes over Two Days Longest Eelpout 19.5 inch Danielle Denny from Blufton, MN – Prize Pack
Longest Bullhead 12.5 inch Joe Lorenzen from Felden, MN – Prize Pack
Longest Sucker 24.5 inch Jill Strom from Eveleth, MN – Prize Pack
Powder Puff 58 inch length, 23.75 inch girth Cindy Hunter from Grand Forks, ND – Prize Pack
Kid Division – Largest Sturgeon caught by a kid 29 inch length, 12 inch girth Prize Pack
Best Boat – Zach Omdahl – PowrTran Kicker Steering
Over $7,000 worth of cash and prizes were awarded. Thank you to the contestants, staff and sponsors for making this such a successful event. Bryan “Beef” Sathre, Icatchandrelease.com, Rapala, Northland Tackle, Fish Addiction TV, 13 Fishing, Glacier Fish Houses, Lake of the Woods Tourism, St Croix Rods, SpeedyWorms.com, PowrTran, Fibertech, Dak Shack and Airwave Pedestal Seats.
Sturgeon catch and release season is open through May 15 and then re-opening July 1.
Walleye Opener is this Saturday May 14
It’s that time of year again! Time to start reeling in the walleyes again! The river and the bay are full of fish and we think it is going to be a great opener. No boat, no equipment? No problem! We have charter trips available starting at just $112 per person per day including a full day trip aboard a 27’ Sport Craft, experienced guide, us of poles, bait, tackle, assortment of pop and water and fish cleaning. Lunch? Sure we can take care of that too! Ask about our shore lunch and box lunch options.
The bite
Shallow shorelines between 6’-20’ are going to be the best using a jig and a minnow or a jig and a spinner. Gold is always good as well as pink and orange in the stained Lake of the Woods waters. Drifting or trolling is going to work well. If pulling crankbaits is more your style that should produce some nice fish too. The current water temperature is 55 degrees and the current is normal. Northern pike season is also open and Lake of the Woods has a huge population right now of trophy pike. Pitching dead ciscos with a bobber on a quick strike rig on bottom or just 6 inches off bottom are great ways to lure in these monsters along shorelines in weedy bays. Get your fishing buddies together and get ready for some fishing! Lodging starting at only $45* per person per night and guided trips are available. Call 800-862-8602 or book online here.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy Sportsman’s Rainy River location
Spring Specials through May 26!
Up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages May 13-May 26 and lodging packages starting at only $40 per person per night now through May 26. It’s fishing time!
Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge Fishing Report May 3, 2016
The ice is gone! We are looking forward to opening in a few weeks for walleye opener May 14! Get your reservations in now by calling 800-772-8411 or online by clicking here. We are looking forward to a great season!
Lake of the Woods & Rainy River Fishing Report May 3, 2016
Few more weeks of sturgeon fishing, 10th annual tournament is this weekend!
Water temperature continues to warm up. We are currently at 49 degrees today and the week’s forecast looks beautiful and much warmer!
Sturgeon Fishing
It was a breezy weekend and the bite dipped this past weekend. Some anglers say that your bait must stay in the same spot without any movement to entice these bottom feeders to go to the smell. Some movement by the sway of the boat can confuse them. That could have been the reason for the dip in the catch rate this weekend. Anglers still caught some nice 40”+ sturgeon. The successful anglers also noted they used 2 anchors, set up in or near a hole in the river bottom in current, added a shiner to their gob of worms for some added smell hooked into their 3/0-4/0 circle hook and 3-4 ounce no roll weight and did not try a new spot until at least an hour had gone by. There is a lot of fish moving around, give these tips a try and give it a shot. When you reel in a 65 inch prehistoric dinosaur it will all be worth it!
Check out this video for more sturgeon fishing tips!
The guys from The Simple Outdoorsman joined us last week. Check out a few of their pics. These guys got into some nice fish. Be sure to check them out on facebook and like their page.
Check other their video below!
Right now through May 7, you can keep one sturgeon within 45”-50” or over 75” with a Minnesota fishing license and $5 sturgeon tag. Sturgeon tags can be purchased at the lodge, online or anywhere that sells Minnesota fishing and hunting licenses. May 8-15 is catch and release. The season closes May 16-June 30. These fish are fun to catch and release or very tasty smoked. Lodging, Guided Trips, Boat & Dock rentals available.
10th Annual Sportsman’s Sturgeon Tournament is this weekend!
Fifty boats and over 100 contestants will battle it out over this two day event. We usually see over 100 fish caught and released over the two days including winners in the 65”+ range. The tournament runs Friday, May 6 8:30am-4pm and Saturday, May 7 8:30am-3pm. The bar is a great place to stop by after the tournament to hear about the action, grab a beer, food and listen to musical entertainment. The tournament is full for 2016 but lodging is available starting at only $45* per person per night. If you have never fished for sturgeon or just would like to learn more, stop by the bar. Most anglers in this tournament have been doing it for 7+ years. They have a lot of good tips and great stories to share. The weather is looking great and we are excited for our 10th year! Good luck anglers! It is going to be a fun weekend!
*plus tax and based on double occupancy
Northern Pike bite is heating up!
Tributaries and bays along the river are great spots. Anchored and casting out a jig tipped with dead bait and bouncing off the bottom has been producing some huge pike. Some anglers are having great success trolling with crankbaits too. Lodging and guided trips are still available. Click here or give us a call 800-862-8602.
Walleye Opener is May 14
Up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages May 13-May 26 and lodging packages starting at only $40 per person per night now through May 26. It’s fishing time!
Check out the fishing action on our Dock Cam!
Photo Contest!
Submit your summer photo from a trip to Sportsman’s, tell your friends to vote and you could win a free night lodging at Sportsman’s Lodge! Click here.
Lake of the Woods & Rainy River Fishing Report April 26, 2016
Sturgeon and pike fishing is hot, hot, hot!
We are seeing big numbers of sturgeon and pike being caught this week. Now is the time to get into a great spring bite. Lodging, Guided Trips and Boat Rentals available. Make plans to visit us today!
The current water temperature is 41 degrees down from 47 on Friday. Forecast is calling for highs in the 50’s this week and warming up next week. Water clarity is decent.
Sturgeon
The sturgeon are moving around. Anglers have not just been finding them in the holes of the river bottom but also sitting along break lines along the bank. We even had 10 caught right off our dock this weekend. A 3-4 oz. no roll sinker, 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook tipped with a gob of night crawlers and a shiner works perfect. Anglers are also finding the sucker and the eelpout bite has been crazy!
Check out some of the action!
Check out these sturgeon! 67, 58, and 60 1/2 inch. Caught by Nick Emanuel, Aaron Garrelts, Brian Clusiau and Nick Emanuel. The bite is on!
www.sportsmanslodges.com
The pike bite really heated up this past weekend! Creeks and the river are hot spots. One group landed over 10 pike over 35 inches. Dead smelt lying on the bottom has been working well. Make sure to hook all the way through the body of the bait to keep it nice and secure. Long shaft jigs work well.
Cayla Bendel with a nice nothern pike photo courtesy of The Simple Outdoorsman
Drew Selvestra with a nice pike! Photo courtesy of The Simple Outdoorsman
Our 10th Annual Sturgeon Tournament is May 6 & 7
The tournament is full but lodging is still available. Join us to learn more about sturgeon fishing with some of the pros that have been doing it for years. The tournament runs 8:30am-4pm Friday, May 6 and 8:30-3pm Saturday, May 7. All of the fishing takes place in front of the lodge so lots of excitement can be seen right from the lodge windows and dock. Happy hour and dinner served in the Sandbar as well as nightly musical entertainment. Join us!
Spring Specials!
Lodging starting at only $40* per person per night now through May 26 and up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages May 14-26. *plus tax and based on double occupancy
Win a free night lodging with your photo!
Do you have a photo from a recent summer trip to Sportsman’s Lodge? Submit it here and tell your friends to vote. You could win a free night lodging this summer!
Going Fishing!
Going Fishing!
Don’t let this be you!
Book your fishing getaway today.
www.sportsmanslodges.com
Lake of the Woods & Rainy River Fishing Report April 20, 2016
Lake of the Woods & Rainy River
Fishing Report April 20, 2016
It’s Sturgeon & Pike time!
The sturgeon and pike fishing has been great!
The water temperature has warmed up 6 degrees this week. Current temperature is at 46 degrees today and the weather is holding steady. Anglers are finding lots of sturgeon and pike to bite this week. Lodging and guided trips are still available. Click here or give us a call 800-862-8602.
Sturgeon Bite
Lots of nice 30”-65” sturgeon have been found in Four Mile Bay, areas within of the river near the lodge, Clementson and Birchdale. Size 3/0 or 4/0 circle hooks and a 3 ounce no roll sinker tipped with a gob of crawlers and a frozen shiner has been working well. To keep the worms from sliding off a good tip is to use piece of a plastic grub at the end. Anchored at deep river holes or crevices with a little current are best. Catch and release is open now through April 23 and May 8-15. You can keep on within 45”-50” or over 75” April 24-May 7. They are a blast to reel in!
Northern Pike bite is heating up!
Tributaries along the river and Clementson Rapids are stacked with pike right now. Anchored and casting out a jig tipped with a shiner and bouncing off the bottom and rocky areas has been producing some huge pike.
Ryan 48 inch sturgeon, released. Way to go Ryan!
Mike reeled and released a 52 inch sturgeon! Nice one!
Now-thats-a-whopper-63-inch-sturgeon-caught-and-released-by-Michael-Daly
Forecast for the Week
Up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing packages May 13-May 26 and lodging packages starting at only $40 per person per night now through May 26. It’s fishing time!
Check out the fishing action on our Dock Cam!
Photo Contest!
Submit your summer photo from a trip to Sportsman’s, tell your friends to vote and you could win a free night lodging at Sportsman’s Lodge! Click here.