Tag Archives: family fishing

Lake of the Woods South Shore Ice Conditions & Fishing Report

December 19, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

December 19, 2014

Snow, Sun, Warm and Cold…

….we’ve had it all this past week. Ice Fishing has been spotty with some houses reporting great action while others have seen slower bites. We are moving houses shallow and some deep to try to get on the fish. Right now, we are anywhere between 18’ and 31’. Anglers have reported that the bite is mostly saugers at this time with some nice walleyes in the mix too. Gold jigs with some flash or some glow are the hot jigs this week. Afternoons are producing the best action at this time but the weather has also been tricky this week as well. The weather forecast through next Wednesday is all over the board again with varying temps from the low teen’s to the mid-30’s with a chance of snow leading up to Christmas.


Tom Frisch 27 ½” walleye December 2014	Kendall Simmons 26 ¼” walleye 28 ft with a gold/pink jig

Ice Conditions
Ice conditions range anywhere from 14’-17’. The warm up late last week made for a little slush but the cold temperatures the past few days have firmed it back up. It looks like the lows are going to be in the teens and twenties for the week ahead. We have a nice base of ice at this time.

Our report is based on the areas we travel and fish. Please keep in mind the entire lake does not freeze equally. If you venture out on your own, we urge you to follow marked trails and know the latest conditions. All of our fish houses are on groomed trails not accessible by wheeled vehicles. More peace and quiet and better fishing!

Four Mile Bay Ice Road
The cool down from the warm spell did not cause any cracks on the road. They are now letting ¾ ton trucks pulling up to 22 ft long wheel houses out as well. The ice is about the same thickness as last week which was around 15-16 inches on the bay and 16-18 inches on the lake just outside of Pine Island.

Trail Conditions

Lake Trails

The Lake Trails are all marked. Work is being done to smooth the trails as best as possible. Once there is enough snow, the trails will then be groomed. When traveling please watch for the pressure ridges and use caution especially when their is a drastic change in the air temperature.

Land Trails

Groomers for the land trails report that they have been working on clearing the trails. It was slow going earlier as there was no snow thus wheeled vehicles were used and this was making the progress slow. After the snow the pace was improved. No other information was given at this time as to the progress but there is not enough snow for packing or grooming. You can find the latest information by clicking here.

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Did you know?

December 17, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

Walleye Facts

Walleye is the largest member of the perch family and has been known to reach 25 pounds. North of the border, the walleye is more commonly known as pickerel. Its name comes from the fact that the fish’s eyes point outward, as if looking at the walls. They also have huge marble-like eyes, which feature a layer of reflective pigment, which means that the walleye can see quite well in dim light. The most common prey is the yellow perch which lacks this ability to see well in low light. This trait alone has made the walleye a successful predator.

Walleye are among the most popular of all game fish. Each year, Minnesota anglers keep roughly 3.5 million walleyes totaling 4 million pounds.

The walleye is the state fish of Minnesota and South Dakota and the official fish of Saskatchewan. More walleye is eaten in Minnesota than in any other state of the United States. Locally, Baudette is known as the “Walleye Capital” of the World”. You can see the 40 foot statue of Willie Walleye at the corner of Highway 11 and International Drive in Baudette. Make sure to bring your camera! www.sportsmanslodges.com

Are you looking for the perfect gift for the angler on your list?

December 15, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

Sportsman’s Lodges offers gift certificates available to use at any of their three locations on Lake of the Woods.

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Check out our 7 NEW villas!

December 11, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

Our 7 new villas are now ready and offer a variety of floor plans to meet the needs of your group. We have cozy one bedroom units to the spacious 5 bedroom model for larger groups or families. You will love these beautiful accommodations. They all have great views, log furnishings, gas fireplaces, full kitchens, and a whole lot more. Check them out today and make plans to visit Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location soon.

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Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report

December 2, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

12/2/2014

Ice Fishing Season begins Friday!!!!!!

The ice has come along nicely but we must stress safety and for people venturing out on your own, follow the resorts marked trails…if there isn’t a resort trail it is a no go area. Any place there is current is still going to be thin ice. Thin spots of ice remain and with the new dusting of snow it is tough to see different areas of ice. With all that said we have a strong 11″-12″ in the Four Mile Bay and 12″-13″ on the lake. We have checked ice all the way out to 26′ of water. Water clarity is good and there are have been quite a few small to nice eating fish being caught in 22′ and some slot fish being caught in shallow in the morning and evening. The ice is rough and we will be spending the beginning of the week grooming and making trails and the most importantly checking and rechecking the ice thicknesses.

Lodging is available now. The Sandbar and Riverside Dining Room opens Friday, Dec 5 serving lunch, dinner and drinks. The Dockside Dining Room serving breakfast opens Saturday, Dec 6.

Oak Island Lake of the Woods Fishing Report

December 2, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

12/2/2014

It won’t be long!

The ice is coming along nicely, we are very happy with the early, cold start to the year. We currently have 6-10 inches of ice around the island, a little less and a little further out. We have a couple of inches of snow that is also blanketing the ice. We do not have an official start date yet but we anticipate within the next 10-12 days. It takes a little longer around here than the south end to get things sealed up due to current. We are excited to start but safety first!

The season starts soon! Do you have your reservations in yet?
Give us a call 800-772-8411 or log on to www.oakislandlodge.com

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report

November 12, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

November 12, 2014

I realize this is the fishing report but let’s face it…everyone had hunting on their mind this past weekend. Did you have success??

Thank You

Another great season is in the books! To all of you who visited this past summer, thank you. If we missed you this season, we sure hope to see you soon. The bar, dining room, many lodge rooms and pool are currently closed. Fall projects are in full swing as we get ready for our winter season. Cabins and villas are available to rent through November. The reservation desk is open year round. Make your winter reservations now online or by calling 800-862-8602! We have the first week in December in our sights to start our winter season mother nature willing! Stay tuned!

Also, it looks like the cold and snow are on their way. The high temps might get close to the freezing mark and the lows are dipping down into the low teens. The water temp has dropped below 40 degrees; it currently sits at 34.1. Before you know it, ice will be here and we will be fishing again!!

The Baudette Bay is completely frozen! Ice-making weather is here!

Winter is just around the corner! Have you made your reservations yet?

www.sportsmanslodges.com

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Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report

November 5, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

November 5, 2014

River fishing has not disappointed the anglers this week. It seems as if anywhere from the International Bridge to the Gap has produced limits of walleyes and saugers. Depths from 18’-20’ have been producing the most using green, orange or gold jigs tipped with a frozen shiner. Fishing up north has been producing too. Areas by Garden Island in 20’-25’ depths have given anglers their limits as well. Weather-wise, it looks as if we are coming into a cool down. Highs will be in the high-20’s to low-30’s and lows will be dipping down into the mid-teens. The water temperature is currently at 41.9 degrees.

Chuck and Heather Fowler 30.5 in, 26 in and 21 in walleye Guided by Captain Mike




Craig Murphy 30.75 inch walleye Guided by Captain Dave	Ice forming on smaller bays of water.

Thank You

Winter is just around the corner! Have you made your reservations yet?
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Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report

October 29, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

October 29, 2014

Calm and clear…

When talking with the guides this last week, they said, “find the calm and the clear water and you can catch fish anywhere. That certainly has been the case. The shiner run continues in the River and most anywhere, especially in the 18’ depth, from the International Bridge to the Gap will put you on the walleyes. Head north towards Garden Island, Hay Island or Little Oak around the 25’ depth, throw your line in that’s tipped with a jig and a frozen shiner and you will catch walleye. Gold, pink or white are the hot colors. The water temp is currently at 47.7 degrees. Temperatures forecasted for the week range from highs in the 40’s and 50’s to lows in the mid-20’s to low 30’s with winds ranging from 6-12mph.

Tim and Sue Nelson
Dale and Kathleen Jansen
Rod Vondrka
October 23, 2014, Guided by Captain Dave

Our last day of charter fishing is October 31, 2014; however, our cabins and villas continue to be available to rent through freeze up. Our dining facilities, the Sandbar and the pool/hot tub will be closed through early December. Our reservation desk is open year round. Make your winter reservations now online or by calling 800-862-8602!

A note to travelers…the Highway 172 detour is scheduled to run through November 20^th. From Baudette, follow Highway 11 West, go North on County Road 6 to Highway 172 and then continue north to Sportsman’s Lodge. You can also find this information at www.511mn.org.

Winter is just around the corner! Do you have your reservations in?
www.sportsmanslodges.com

Contest! Free Trip Giveaway!
Click here to enter for you chance to win!

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report

October 21, 2014 by Sportsman's Lodges

October 16, 2014

The full force of fall…

Gold jigs tipped with frozen shiners are bringing in the limits of walleyes and saugers. Areas outside of Pine Island or Morris Point in the 15’-20’ depths are producing well for anglers. Most anywhere in the River has been productive as well. The 17’-18’ depths are giving anglers their best chances of limiting out. Pink or gold jigs tipped with a frozen shiner is the hot bait of the week. With the wind and the rain that we’ve had, it seemed to have slowed down the shiners just a bit. They are still there, just not as heavy as when the water is clearer. Light and variable winds in the forecast should help clear the water. But where there are shiners, the walleyes are sure to follow. The water temp is currently at 48.2 degrees. The temperatures forecasted for the week include highs in the mid 40’s to mid-50’s and lows down near freezing, with the winds averaging around 12mph.

Because we are still in the midst of repairing our docks from this summer’s high water, only some of the boat slips are rentable. They are on a reserved-basis only so please call the front desk at 1-800-862-8602 to find out if there is one available. However at this time, there is no electricity at the docks so please keep that in mind when wanting to reserve a slip.

A note to travelers…there will be a detour for Highway 172 beginning on October 20^th that will run through November 20^th. From Baudette, follow Highway 11 West, go North on County Road 6 to Highway 172 and then continue north to Sportsman’s Lodge. You can also find this information at www.511mn.org.

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Sept 1 – Nov 30. Lodging as low as $40 per person per night and lodging/charter packages starting at $196 per person. Click here for details. *rates plus tax and based on double occupancy.

Winter is just around the corner have you made your reservations yet?
We have 7 new villas ready for you!
Log on or call today! www.sportsmanslodges.com 800-862-8602

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