Lake of the Woods South Shore Ice, Fishing and Trails Report

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Ice Report
We have started our season! Day houses started Dec 28, Sleeper houses start today and Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge will open tomorrow. Currently we have 8-11 inches of ice on the lake and 7-10 inches of ice on the bay where we travel and fish on the south shore.

If you decide to venture out on your own, please check with the resort that maintains the public trails and roads you are accessing before doing so and stay on the trails. The high current areas and Rainy River are not safe yet. We use a private road and do not travel these areas. Safety first! We are continually packing and flooding areas we travel and fish to build more ice.

Public Roads: Adrian’s is reporting their road at Four Mile Bay access is open to ATV’s and snowmobile at this time. Seven plus inches of ice is on the trail on the bay and more on the lake. There is still very thin ice in places in the bay so stay close to the trail if you go out. Morris Point road at Morris Point is open to ATV’s and snowmobiles at this time. 5-8 inches of ice is reported. Please stay on the trail, conditions varies.

It’s Fishing Time!
The first day of our season many anglers enjoyed an active walleye and sauger bite! Depths between 17’-25’ was best jigging using a gold jig, rattling stop sign lure or plain hook tipped with a minnow just a few inches off bottom. Walleyes and saugers varying from 10-25 inches were caught. Check out these pictures!

25 inch walleye caught & released
on a gold jig by Mark Britton 12-28-15		 Catching Fish!
Connor reeled in this nice eater
size walleye on a plain hook
and minnow 12-28-15. Nice fish Connor!		 20.5 inch walleye caught on a
gold jig by Bill Resch 12-29-2015

Trails
The lake trail from Pine Island on the south shore to Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge on Oak Island, 40 miles north will be marked today. 5-8 inches of ice is reported and 4-6 inches of snow. Snowmobile traffic allowed only at this time. To access the trail, take Adrian’s road 12 miles north of Baudette off Hwy 172 at Four Mile Bay and travel to Pine Island. From Pine Island follow the black stakes north. We hope to get the trail packed well over the next few days and build more ice for heavier equipment to use soon.

Land trails
Click here for the latest updates.

Sleeper Fish Houses
Open for the season! Make your reservations today.

Fishing has begun and the lodge at our Rainy River location is open!

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Fishing has begun and the lodge at our Rainy River location is open! Click here for our rates and packages http://sportsmanslodges.com/…/winter/winter-fishing-packag…/

We hope to have the sleeper houses out in a few days and Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge open in a few days as well. Stay tuned for updates. Waiting on the ice.

Click here for daily dining and bar specials
www.mysportsmans.com
800-862-8602


Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing Sportsmans Lodge


 Fish House Sportsman's Lodge

Sportsman’s South Shore Day Fish Houses are out!

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Sportsman’s South Shore Day Fish Houses are out!

Busy day on the lake today. The guides worked hard and were able to place all the day houses on the ice.

-Up to 8-10 inches in the areas we travel and fish we found today on the south side of the lake and 7-8 inches on the bay. Keep in mind this is in the areas we travel and fish.

If you decide to go out on your own please stay on marked trails and check with local resorts or bait shops before going out. We use a private road. Adrian’s Road and Morris Point’s public roads are open to ATV’s and snowmobiles only at this time. Please check with them for up to date conditions. It is a big lake and all areas DO NOT freeze the same! We are finding the Rainy River and other areas have a lot of current this year and will probably not be safe for quite some time. Stay safe and fish on!

We hope to have the sleeper houses out later this week. Since they are heavier we need a few more inches of ice to be safe.  Stay tuned for an Sportsman’s Oak Island Report and open date tomorrow.

Sportsman’s Lodges Ice Report 12-23-2015

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Sportsman’s Lodges Ice Report 12-23-2015

12/23/2015

Need some more time….
We received 3 inches of snow yesterday so temperatures were not cool enough to make any ice but the good news is cooler temperatures are in the forecast! We did not have any snow on the lake before so these few inches should not change the ice making process to much. Temperatures are forecasted to dip into the single digits and below zero for the week ahead. This should help significantly. We are going to be checking ice again on Saturday, Dec 26 and going from there. Safety is our number one concern. Mother nature willing, we should be able to start the ice fishing season shortly after Christmas. Stay tuned!

No trails or roads are open at this time
We only report on the areas we fish and travel. Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River stretch many, many miles and every area freezes differently. We strongly encourage anyone venturing out to check with local resorts and bait shops before doing so.

From the Sportsman’s family to your family, Merry Christmas! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge Oak Island & NW Angle Ice Report Lake of the Woods

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Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Oak Island & NW Angle Area Ice Report
Lake of the Woods, MN 

12/21/2015

Up at Oak Island we are finding ice ranging anywhere from 2”-8” and we are planning on checking the ice again in a few days.  If the thinner spots build enough ice, we should be ready for ice fishing on the 28th.   The forecast looks great with lows in the single digits to below zero. Stay tuned! www.oakislandlodge.com

 

 

Sportsman’s Lodge Lake of the Woods South Shore Ice Report

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Sportsman’s Lodge Lake of the Woods South Shore Ice Report

12/21/2015 

ICE ICE ICE BABY!!!  We’re getting really close to fishing on the big lake.  We sent out the guides out today and we are getting reports of 4”-6” in the bay and on the lake side of Pine Island we are seeing 6” out to 25 feet of water in the areas we fish and travel.  We have made good progress the past few days.

We will be checking ice again on Wednesday. At this point we are hoping to start fishing on Dec 26 in our day houses based on the forecast but will know for sure on Wednesday, Dec 23.   Our sleeper houses will take a few days longer to get ready as they are a little heavier, looking at Dec 29 or 30 at this point.  We are eager as many of you to get out fishing, but safety is our #1 priority.  We need to gain a few more inches of ice to be safe.  The forecast looks great with lows in the single digits to below zero.  Their is minimal, if any snow cover on the lake right now. We are forecasted to get a few inches of snow in the next few days which should not affect ice making at all.

If you decide to venture our on your own.
Our report is based on the areas we travel. No ice roads or trails are open at this time. As we ramp up, please stay on marked trails and don’t venture out on your own.  Ice can be good on the trail and not good in other spots. The Rainy River like every year and high current areas are the last to get a good base of ice. We don’t travel these areas until mid to late season if at all depending on conditions. At this time 1-4 inches is reported in these areas. Stay tuned for another report in a few days.

Book your stay
Winter is here! Lodging and Fishing packages available! Click here to book now or call 800-862-8602.

The lake has sealed up!

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The lake has sealed up!

It’s almost time.. These photos are from Saturday, Dec 19 at 11 a.m. Lake of the Woods is locked up and solid ice.  Won’t be long till we are rocking at Sportsman’s Lodge.There is very little snow as of now on the ice, ice season on the big pond is fast approaching Last minute prepping and soon we will be ice fishing. As of now we are tentatively looking at day houses Dec 26th and sleeper houses on the 29th.. With Oak Island hopefully be ready on the 26th…. Bombers, fish houses, and guides are ready… Book now at Sportsman’s Lodge. 800-862-8602. Looking forward to an awesome year! 

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We have ice!

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12/17/2015

What a difference a day makes!
Yesterday we had only shore ice and after last night (only getting down to 17 degrees) we now have ice as far as the eye can see on the main lake from the south shore view. The forecast is calling for below zero temps the next two days so we should make even more progress in the next two days!

weather forecast
Four Mile Bay, the bay near Wheeler’s Point we use to access the lake has also made significant progress.
The water is cold and freezing! We should start building ice fairly quickly now. The extended forecast is calling for lows in the teens and highs in the lower twenties. Cold enough to make some ice!  Gregg, the owner will be going up to fly over the lake on Saturday to see how everything seals looks. Stay tuned! We will post a report and pictures as soon as he gets back.

Long Point 12-17-2015
Long Point
December 17, 2015
Morris Point 12-17-2015
Morris Point
December 17, 2015
Four Mile Bay 12-17-2015
Four Mile Bay
December 17, 2015

When will we start ice fishing?
After this weekend we will be able to make a much better prediction, but at this point based on the information we are setting our sights on sometime between December 26 – January 1. Safety is always our first concern. We will start our season as soon as we have 8-12 inches of safe ice.

New Year’s Eve Party Sportsman’s Lodge

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New Year’s Eve Party Sportsman’s Lodge

 

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It’s a New Year Celebration at Sportsman’s Lodges

Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River Riverside Dining Room will feature a special on night only menu including these delicious selections and a complimentary glass of champagne with each entree.

Appetizers: Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Onion Rings, Walleye and Steak Bites

For the main entree: Shrimp Scampi, Walleye, Crab Legs, Ribeye Steak, Prime Rib, Whiskey Sirloin and Stuffed Shrimp Combo, Stuffed Shrimp, Fall off the bone BBQ Ribs, Seafood Pasta, Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Pork medallions and Chicken Tetrazzini.

Don’t forget dessert! Indulge in Cheesecake, Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, Cheesecake and Sundaes.

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Serving Dinner from 5pm til 10pm – Dinner reservations are suggested

Enjoy your entrée with our soup and salad bar and favorite
cocktail or wine from our bar.

Looking for a lighter fare? The Sandbar will be serving appetizers, sandwiches and burgers all day until 10pm.

  • Dancing & Entertainment
  • Live Entertainment by Fireline
  • Party Favors
  • Champagne Toast
  • Good Friends & Holiday Cheer!

How about New Year’s Island Style at Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Succulent King Crab & Slow Roasted Prime Rib Special

Serving Dinner from 6pm til 9pm – Dinner reservations suggested.

Party Favors • Champagne Toast!

Lodging & Fishing packages available. Space is limited so click here to book your trip today or call (866) 533-8998!

P.S. Christmas gift idea! Always the right color, size and price! Sportsman’s Lodge gift certificate.