Tag Archives: fishing mn

The bite is on in the Rainy River!

October 20, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

The best action for nice 15+ inch walleye is around Wheeler’s Point, Wabanica Church, and Clementson as well as areas on the lake just outside Pine Island and around the Morris Point Washout area. Water temperature is 51 degrees. The best depth is approximately 13-18 feet, but fish are being caught anywhere from 12 – 24 feet of water. Jigging with a 1 oz. jig tipped with a shiner minnow using colors gold, pink, white and glow in the dark. Guides available!

Pike a plenty!
Check out these whoppers caught by a group this week guided by Captain Travis Madrazo. Crankbait and large dead bait is working well.

Aggressive Sturgeon action
24 Sturgeon in two days including a double, 41 inch and 55 inch! That was the report from a group that was here and fished with Captain Travis Madrazo this week. Deep pockets in the river are holding the sturgeon. (This group also caught 42 walleyes and 26 northerns!   ) Fall fishing is hot! Book your guided fall trip today! 800-862-8602

Dock Cam
Our dock cam is back up and working! Check it out!

Winter Specials
Get in on the early bird deals! 25% off Ice Fishing & Double Reward Points. These specials won’t last long!
Click here for more information.

Openings available this weekend! Kids 17 and under stay free!
Kids 17 and under stay free with 2 adults in lodge rooms. Indoor pool, live entertainment, restaurant, game room and incredible fishing! Escape to the lake! 800-862-8602

Water temperature is down a few more degrees and more shiners are showing up

September 27, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

The water temperature dipped a few more degrees this week to 61 right now. We are seeing more shiners in the river every day. The big walleye schools are moving but not quite to the river yet. The best fishing continues to be in 22’-26’ of water outside of Pine Island, Graceton Beach and on the northern reefs. It won’t be long and the walleyes will be moving into the bays and river. Jigging with a gold or pink ¼-1/2 oz. jig tipped with a shiner or gold spinner, 1-2 oz. sinker and a night crawler is working well.

22 inch walleye caught and released by the Lyman Group. Guided by Captain Travis M

26 inch walleye caught and released by the Lyman Group. Guided by Captain Travis M

Sturgeon- The sturgeon bite continues to be good in deep holes of the river and bays where there is current. A 4/0 hook, 2 ounce no roll sinker and a gob of minnows works well.

Time to start thinking winter reservations!
For the best dates and accommodations, book your winter trip now! 800-862-8602 or online here.

Cooling Off and Catching Fish

September 14, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Temperature dipped down to 37 degrees here this morning. Fall is here! Water temperature has dipped 5 degrees this week down to 64. We expect to start seeing some shiners show up in the river within the next week. Once the shiners start to run the walleyes are soon to follow and it makes for some great fall fishing on the Rainy River! Fall soft water fishing is typically really good right until freeze up.

Good fishing this week!
Check out some of the pics from Captain Travis Madrazo this week! Guided charter (27’ boat holds up to 6 passengers plus guide) and guided outfitter trip (18’-20’ boat holds up to 4 passengers plus guide) are still available through late October. We have some great fall deals going on too! A mix of bait fishing using gold jigs and shiners and trolling with crank baits has been the best approach this week although the guides are starting to remove the downriggers and turning over to only bait fishing. Nice walleyes are being found along shore lines and on the reefs in varying depths along Pine Island, Long Point and Bridges.

Sturgeon, Bass & Pike
The sturgeon bite has been really picking up this week in the Rainy River and Four Mile bay. A gob of worms on a 4/0 or 5/0 hook and 2 oz. no roll sinker works best. Deep holes in the river where current is found are hot spots for sturgeon. Throwing top water baits for smallmouth bass and northern pike in the bays has been the best approach to lure in these fish. We have a rental boat and guided trips available now through late October.

Ice fishing season is 82 days away!
We offer no equipment required, hassle free ice fishing trips.
Check out our Sportsman’s Lodge & Sleeper House packages here.
For our island locations on Oak Island, Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge click here.

Fall is here!

September 9, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

The fish are biting, the weather is beautiful, the leaves are changing and the fall specials are hot!
Now is the time to get to the lake! Check out the forecast and a few of the pictures from the week. If you have a picture from a recent stay please share them with us!

Trolling with crank baits has been the most successful approach this week to reel in some walleyes but bait fishing with a gold jig or spinner tipped with a worm has produced some nice fish as well. Depths on the reefs around Garden Island and Bridges in 12’-16’ and 25’-30’ or in the mud outside of Pine Island and Zippel Bay in 25’-30’ have been best. The water is at 69 degrees this morning. The famous aggressive Rainy River fall bite is just a few weeks away! Get your reservations in!

Syngenta Seeds group reeled in some nice fish this week with Captain Baihly

A double! Great way to kick off fall fishing! 28.75 inch walleye caught by Marcus Mara from Worthington MN and 24.5 inch walleye caught by Mary Collins from Minneapolis MN. Guided by Captain Mike Marquardt.

Sturgeon, Pike, Smallmouth Bass
Fall is a great time to reel in these species. Anglers are starting to see the bite pick up in the river and bays. For sturgeon a 4/0 or 5/0 hook, 2 oz. no roll sinker and a gob of minnows is the best approach. Anchored in or near a hole in the river bed or channel is a good spot to find them. To lure in the bass and pike, throwing out top water baits in weedy bays with some rock structure is good approach. There are hundreds of spots along the Rainy River and bays along the south shore to fish these fish. Not sure how to do it or don’t have the equipment? No problem! We have guided trips available via our 18’and 20’ boats, great for groups up to 4 plus the guide. For more information about guided trips click here.

Walleyes Are Biting!

August 31, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Lake of the Woods continues to have a great summer season. Walleyes are biting from Long Point to Zippel Bay in 29-32 feet of water. Anchored and jigging with worms or trolling with crank baits have been working well. Hot tackle colors have been silver, white, red and orange. Around Pine Island in 25-30 feet of water is another hot spot. For those anglers heading to the north end of the lake, Garden Island and Little Oak are still producing nice limits of fish. The current water temperature is down a few more degrees from last week at 71. The forecast looks great so now’s the perfect time to visit.

49 inch sturgeon caught by Larry Deacon. Guided by Travis M

28 inch walleye caught by Molli Burns and guided by Captain Matt

Openings still available for this weekend!
If you are looking for a place to relax this weekend, give us a call! Lodging, Camping, Guided Fishing Trips and dock rental available. [email protected] or call 800-862-8602

Sturgeon & Bass
The sturgeon are starting to bite. Holes in the river bottom anchored using a 5/0 size hook, 1-2 ounce no roll sinker and a gob of minnows has been working good for sturgeon. The bite should only get stronger as the water starts to cool. Keep one season runs until Sept 30 and Oct 1-April 23 is catch and release season. Guided trips available! The smallmouth bass bite has been good around shallow rocks casting spoons in the river and around reefs.

Hot Summer Walleye Fishing

August 3, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Anglers are reeling in some nice walleyes in 20’-30’ of water jigging on the reefs with a 3/8 ounce blue or gold jig tipped with a minnow or leech and using gold or blue spinners with a few ounce sinker tipped with a minnow or a worm on the edge of the reefs. Areas around the east and northern side of Falcon and Massacre Islands have been hot spots. The water temperature is 78 degrees.

Muskies & Pike
Top water spinners and jerk baits have been working the best in bays of 7’-15’ with a fast tapering bottom. Working point to point is a good method to find the sweet spot!

Fall Rates start September 15.
Great walleye, muskie, pike, crappie and bass fishing, incredible scenery and great rates! Click here for more information.

August is a great month to bring kids!

August 3, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

The weather is great, the fishing is great and no equipment is required. Any month is a good month to bring young anglers but August is one of the best. With a mix of bait fishing and trolling with crank bait methods working, anglers get a chance to have a pole in their hand and/or just reel in the fish using the trolling for crank baits method using down riggers. No equipment or experience is required. The charter holds up to 6 passengers plus the guide. It has an onboard restroom, fully equipped with poles, bait, tackle, assortment of water and pop, the guide will clean and deliver your fish to your room, box lunch or a shore lunch option available or bring your own. We will also fry up some of your fresh fish in the bar for free if you would like. For more information or a quote click here.

What a catch, Logan! 27 inch walleye! released

The Scoop
Fishing has been great! Anglers are reporting lots of nice walleyes between 16”-25”. Gold or pink spinners, 1-2 ounces of weight tipped with a leech or minnow has been working well for bait fishing in 24’-30’ outside of Zippel Bay. Trolling with crankbaits near Garden Island in 26’-32’ and in the northern reefs using white and silver has been good as well. The water temperature is currently a warm 77 degrees.

Don’t take it from me; hear the latest fishing report from these junior guides!

Reel in some Hot Summer Deals
Email or call us today 800-862-8602!

Fishing, Fireworks & Lake Time

June 29, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

It’s that time of year when it is time to sit back, take in some lake time and reel in the walleyes. The forecast is looking much better too! It has been a little windy and rainy here lately. The Baudette area is also gearing up for their 4th of July celebration. If you haven’t made plans yet, come for a visit. Lots of events are planned for the whole family.

Fresh Walleye YUM!
Nothing beats fresh walleye! Enjoy a shore lunch midday on a nearby island where your guide will fry up your morning catch over an open flame and serve it with all the fixings. Another great option is enjoying some of your fresh catch in the bar as an appetizer. We will do the cooking and the dishes!

Jay Swanson from Argyle MN 27 inch walleye released. Guided by Captain Dave McDougall

Olson Group guided by Captain Darryl

So what is hot and what’s not?
The best fishing has been in the northern reefs of Big Traverse using gold, pink or white/silver spinners, a 2-3 ounce sinker and a night crawler or leech. A mix of approaches including anchored and jigging as well as drifting or trolling depending on the wind speed for the day have both been successful. A combination of shallow and deep depths 12’-16’ outside of Pine Island and Zippel Bay and 26’-30’ further north near Garden Island, Little Oak and Bridges. The water temperature has been between 66-70 degrees this week. The best advice I can give you is? Get here now!

4th of July Celebration is Monday
Are you ready? We are! Enjoy fishing, lodging, camping, musical entertainment, full service bar, game room, indoor pool and 3 dining venues at the lodge. The Baudette/Lake of the Woods Chamber of Commerce and area businesses have a lot of fun planned, parade, vendors, fireworks, 5k and entertainment to name a few. We have some construction we are working around in town right now but still lots of room for all of the events. Click here for the full schedule of events. Lodging and fishing still available! Give us a call 800-862-8602.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge Fishing Report June 22, 2016

June 22, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Walleye Bite
Not too many changes this week. Anglers using jigs tipped with a chub minnow are having luck along shorelines in 8’-14’ and 26’-28’ of water. Gold jigs or spinners tipped with a minnow or worm is the best approach. Water temperature is holding steady at 66 degrees.

Pike & Smallmouth Bass
Northern pike and bass have been found in shallow weedy bays. We have thousands of bays just waiting for you. Successful anglers are using small spinners and spoons.

Muskie season is open!
Some success was had this week with several nice follows and a few nice ones reeled in. South facing shallow bays with a soft bottom in 4’-10’ of water using a buck tail are good spots this time of year. Buck tails are a great early season lure to start with. Interested in learning more about the best technique? Ask about our guided trips. Our experienced knowledgeable guides are available to teach you more about the sport and the Lake of the Woods area. Trips available through October.

The view from our front window

SUMMER HOT DEALS! SUMMER HOT DEALS!
The weather is warming up and so is the hot deals! Sign up here to receive hot deals right to your inbox.

66 years of fishing Lake of the Woods!

June 22, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Check out one of our long time guests, Fran 90 years young. Fran has been coming to Lake of the Woods since 1950 and to Sportsman’s since it was built in 1971. Her first trip was on her honeymoon. Fran doesn’t miss her annual fishing trip with guide Tony Beckel and she still has the touch to real in the walleyes. We can’t wait to see you again next year. Nice catch Fran!

The bite on Lake of the Woods continues to be good despite a few storms that passed through last week. The current water temperature is 66.5 degrees. Drifting with a spinner and 2-3 ounce sinker in 18-26 feet of water around Garden Island and Graceton Beach has been good. Plenty of 17-19 inch walleyes are being caught along with some larger walleye. Worms are being favored but leeches and minnows are not a bad idea to bring along too depending on the day. Guided trips available. Enjoy your summer and wet a line today.

Rob Close from Ellsworth WI reeled in a nice 23 inch walleye released. Guided by Captain Cam

Fran Wittfoth from Holland, MN 27 inch 8.5 lb walleye released Captain Tony Beckel

SUMMER HOT DEALS! SUMMER HOT DEALS!
The weather is warming up and so is the hot deals! Sign up here to receive hot deals right to your inbox.

4th of July Celebration
Walleyes, Fireworks, Parade, Entertainment and Summer Fun!
Click here to read all about the activities planned.