Tag Archives: ice fishing

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report

by

Fishing Report – 04/01/14

That’s a wrap! Sportsman’s lodge has officially wrapped up its 2013/2014 ice fishing season! Thank you to all of our guests for making the trek up to Lake of the Woods to spend some time fishing with us! We had a blast spending our winter with you!

Katie caught this Northern on Lake of the Woods this weekend!

Katie caught this Northern on Lake of the Woods this weekend!

Fishermen have continued to reel in a lot of fish throughout the last week. Some of the fish have flirted with with lengths near the slot limit, but most have been good eating fish. Either way, the fish are biting!

Sportsman’s Lodge guides and guests have been fishing in water depths ranging from 18’ to 26’ about 5 miles from the lodge. Shallow water has been consistently producing fish in the early and late hours of the day, while deeper water has been successful during the afternoon hours.

Minnows and fatheads remain the popular bait, while buckshot lures in pink and gold have been the tackle of choice.

Ice Conditions
We still have plenty of it. We are still sitting on 40+ inches of ice, and, after Monday’s blizzard, a substantial amount of snow.

Sportsman’s Lodge has removed all permanent ice houses from the lake. However, Based on current ice and weather conditions, we expect the ice to remain for a while longer. So, if you still haven’t gotten your ice fishing fix, pack your ice augers and take your own ice fishing adventure.

Rainy River Update
The river is beginning to open up about 15 miles from Birchdale, MN. Birchdale is located approximately 50 miles downstream from Sportsman’s Lodge and the mouth of Lake of the Woods. The Birchdale landing is usually the first one to open for the year in our area.  Stay tuned! Once we start warming up, it shouldn’t take too long to deteriorate the river ice and start our soft water fishing season.

Visit our website to download the area boat landing map.

Trail Conditions
26 inch pink jig Joshua ThielenPublic trails had their last groomings last week, and remain in fair to good condition. The trail markings will be left up until conditions deteriorate.Many resorts help maintain the trails or use their own private trails.

Weather
We may officially be in the spring season, but we are a long ways off of spring-like weather. Daytime temperatures will only be climbing into the mid- to upper-30’s throughout the next 10 days, and will drop below the freezing mark to the teens and 20’s during the overnight hours. A slight chance of snow is expected late this week, and again early next week.

Sturgeon! Pike! Walleye! Make plans for April & May soft water fishing!

Excellent sturgeon, walleye and pike fishing will soon be here.

Walleye season is open until May 14, reopening May 10

Pike season never closes

Sturgeon season is catch and release through April 23. Keep one (within size limits) April 24-May 7, catch and release again May 8-15.

Get your reservations in today.

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report

by

So many fish, only a few more days!
To sum up fishing; lot’s of eating-sized walleye. Fishermen have been reeling in a lot of fish throughout the last week. Some of the fish have flirted with with lengths near the slot limit, but most have been good eating fish.Sportsman’s Lodge guides have been helping guests find fish in water depths ranging from 18’ to 26’ about 5 miles from the lodge. Shallow water has been consistently producing fish in the early and late hours of the day, while deeper water has been successful during the afternoon hours.

Minnows and fatheads remain the popular bait, while buckshot lures in pink and gold have been the tackle of choice.

Trail Conditions
Public trails continue to be groomed as much as state and local club funding allows. The river trail from the resort area to Baudette had its last grooming on Saturday, and is in good condition. The trail from Wheelers to Warroad is in fair condition, and lake trail from Wheelers Point to Oak Island was recently groomed. Many resorts help maintain the trails or use their own private trails. Local groomers and riders have reported excellent riding conditions throughout the area.

Ice Conditions
We are still sitting on plenty of ice. Guides are consistently reporting 46” to 48” of ice in areas we travel and fish.

Only 5 days left to rent fish houses!
Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location still has houses open until March 31! Give us a call to book your stay 800-862-8602!

End of the Season Mardi Gras Party is this Saturday, March 29!
Join us for the best party of the year!
Fishing, Beads, Entertainment, Contests and a whole lot of fun! Check out our Mardi Gras weekend stay and play packages.

Sturgeon! Pike! Walleye! Make plans for April & May soft water fishing!
Excellent sturgeon, walleye and pike fishing is on its way!
Walleye season is open until April 14, reopening May 10
Pike season never closes
Sturgeon season is catch and release through April 23. Keep one (within size limits) April 24-May 7, catch and release again May 8-15.

Get your reservations in today.

Oak Island Lake of the Woods Fishing Report 3-12-14

by

Warmer, more spring-like weather has finally rolled in!

Both anglers and snowmobilers have been enjoying the reprieve from sub-zero temperatures and have been taking advantage of the 30 and 40 degree highs. Evening lows have been consistently dipping below freezing, and it looks like that will continue into the next few weeks.

Visit http://goo.gl/7DmOgR  for a full, local weather report.

Despite the weather changes, the fishing remains productive. Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge guides report “steady action and a lot of fish”. Minnows and fatheads remain the popular bait, while buckshot lures in flashy and bright colors have been the tackle of choice.

Anglers have been consistently reeling in walleyes measuring between 16” and 18”, and have seen their fair share of both slot (19.5”-28”) and trophy sized walleye. A guest reported a 29.5” walleye on Saturday morning.

The best bite has been found in the 22 to 24 foot depth range.

Trail Conditions
Warmer temperatures have brought with them a fair amount of slush on and around trails and ice roads. While plenty of ice remains in these areas, we strongly recommend staying within the groomed and maintained trails and roads.

Public trails continue to be groomed as much as state and local club funding allows. Many resorts help maintain the trails or use their own private trails. Local groomers and riders have reported beautiful riding conditions throughout the area.

Ice Conditions
We currently have between 46 and 48 inches of ice in the areas that we travel and fish.

Ice Road
The ice road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island continues to be maintained. Due to warmer weather conditions, some slush has developed on and around the road, however, there is still a substantial amount of ice along the trail and it is safe for travel.

Fish House Rentals available until late March
Fish House Rentals are available until March 22 at Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Eagle Ridge locations. Sportsman’s Lodge will have rentals available until March 31.  Give us a call to book your late season stay! 800-772-8411

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report 3-12-14

by

Warmer, more spring-like weather has finally rolled in!
Both anglers and snowmobilers have been enjoying the reprieve from sub-zero temperatures and have been taking advantage of the 30 and 40 degree highs. Evening lows have been consistently dipping below freezing, and it looks like that will continue into the next few weeks.

Andy Carlson caught and released this 27.5” walleye on Saturday, March 8.

Andy Carlson caught and released this 27.5” walleye on Saturday, March 8.

Visit http://goo.gl/YQvksl for a full local weather report.

Despite the weather changes, the fishing remains productive. Sportsman’s Lodge guides report “seeing a lot more quality walleye throughout the past week, especially in the afternoon”. Minnows and fatheads remain the popular bait, while buckshot lures in flashy and bright colors have been the tackle of choice.

Anglers have been consistently reeling in walleyes measuring between 16” and 18”, and have seen their fair share of both slot (19.5”-28”) and trophy sized walleye. In addition, both the sauger and northern pike bite has been productive, including a 7-year-old guest catching and releasing a nearly 40” northern pike.

The best bite has been found in about 22 to 29 feet of water about 8 miles out.

This nearly 40” northern pike was caught and released on Saturday, March 8.

This nearly 40” northern pike was caught and released on Saturday, March 8.

Public trails continue to be groomed as much as state and local club funding allows. Many resorts help maintain the trails or use their own private trails. Local groomers and riders have reported beautiful riding conditions throughout the area.

Ice Conditions
We currently have between 46 and 48 inches of ice in the areas that we travel and fish.

Rentals Available
There are still three weeks remaining in this years’ ice fishing season! To book your trip, call us at 800-862-8602.

End of the Season Mardi Gras Party is March 29
Fishing, Beads, Entertainment, Contests and a whole lot of fun! Check out our Mardi Gras weekend stay and play packages.

Spring Fishing is Just Around the Corner!
Excellent sturgeon, walleye and pike fishing will soon be here.
Get your reservations in today.

Gold Jigs and Nice Walleyes

by

Gold Jigs and Nice Walleyes

Bite continues to be spotty. We are ready for a warm up to get these fish to bite more aggressive.  Anglers are seeing some nice quality sized walleyes in the 16”-25” range, few saugers and an occasional pike along structure in 24’-28’ of water, but they are biting light.  The best presentation has been gold, pink and orange jigs tipped with a minnow.  Electronics help angler’s success! Bring one along or rent one from us.

Shannon Blomquist


Trail Conditions
Public trails continue to be groomed weekly and as funding allows. We have a 2-3 feet snow base.

Ice Conditions
We currently have 40+ inches of ice and making more daily!

Ice Road
The ice road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island continues to be maintained and is in great shape. Take a cruise out today.

Fish House Rentals available until late March
Fish House Rentals available until March 22 at Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Eagle Ridge locations. Sportsman’s Lodge will have rentals available until March 31.  Give us a call to book your late season stay! 800-772-8411

January 24 Fishing Report from Sportsman’s Lodge

by

Minnesota Fishing Report from Sportsman’s Lodge
January 24, 2014

 

Mid-Season Point
Snowy day today here in the northland. A light snow is falling upon us. Reports say we may get an inch or two.
Good bite this Year

Here we are creeping up to the mid-season point.  It has been a great bite this year. Lots of action, quite a few saugers, lots of big walleyes 19 inches plus in size and plenty 14 inch-19 inch as well to enjoy a good meal or bring home.  This past week we are also seeing quite a few tulibee/whitefish biting on the walleye tackle.  Whitefish are great tasting fish smoked. There is no limit on whitefish and the season never closes. Right now the best bite for walleye and sauger has been in 26’-32’ of water.   Glow in the dark and gold jigs and stop sign lures tipped with a minnow have been hot.  Dropping  the hook about 6 inches off the bottom has been best although anglers using vexilars have found quite a few suspended walleyes too 3,4 up to 7 feet off bottom too.  As far as jigging vs dead sticking, we suggest start out jigging with one pole and dead sticking with the other and see what works best for you that day.Still lots of time to enjoy ice fishing!
We have rental houses available until late March. Most of Minnesota’s lakes close earlier, but here on Lake of the Woods it stays colder and the ice stays longer.  Give us a call 800-862-8602 or reserve online your ice fishing vacation today. To find out about our hot deals, subscribe to our email list and be sure to check the box for “hot deals”.

Celebrate the Big Game with us! The Sandbar has drink and food specials and 6 flat screens ready for you! Stop in.

Ice Conditions
 Currently  we have 32+ inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel.  If you head out on your own, we suggest staying on the trail and checking with local guides before you venture out. Even with 32+ inches of ice in most areas, there are always caution areas that are never good to travel on. Safety first!

 

Trail Conditions
Trails continue to be groomed 1-2 times a week. Get out and take a ride today!

Like us on Facebook to view more big fish pictures.

28.5 inch walleye
28.5 inch walleye caught by Nick. Fun father son weekend. It was his first fishing trip. Caught and released in house #17 on a gold macho minnow. Way to go buddy!
23 inch walleye
Chad Veer reeled in and released a nice 23 inch walleye.  Nice one!
19 inch walleye
Hunter reeled this nice 19 inch walleye on a gold angel eye. Nice catch!

 

Ice Conditions Update 11-26-2012

by

11/26/2012

Good Morning Ice Fishing Fans!
We have the first signs of ice on the lake! Last night we dipped down to -4 with a wind chill of -15.  The week ahead is calling for lows in the single digits and highs in the teens and twenties. We are making ice!  At this point based on what we know we could be out fishing with 12 inches of safe ice by as early as Dec 8. Stay tuned for our next update at the end of the week!  If you are planning on venturing out on your own, we are in no way advising anyone to go out yet. This is our first signs of some decent ice, which is probably merely an inch or less.  This time of year the conditions can change quickly. No sense it rushing it, it will be here before we know it! Stay safe and start polishing off your fishing rods ice time is soon here!

Fire
In the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day some of our vehicles and trailer we use for early ice were lost in a fire. The cause is yet to be determined at this point.  This of course was very disheartening to us but we were thankful no one was hurt. We want all of our guests to know that this WILL NOT delay our ice fishing season. Our phenomenal staff, friends and neighbors have pulled together and we plan to start the year as planned as soon as we have safe ice.

Check out some of the pictures of the start of the ice formations taken this morning. We hope to get a satellite picture this afternoon of the lake. So be sure to log on to our Facebook page or website later today.

Front of Lodge Four Mile Bay (place where we
access the lake early in the year)
Four Mile Bay (place where we
access the lake early in the year)		 Graceton Beach
A south shore view of Lake of the Woods

11/26/2012

Good Morning from Oak Island!
We dipped down to zero last night and the bay in front of the lodge closed up and we have a layer of ice as far as we can see. The weather forecast looks cool in the week ahead. We are looking forward to some good ice making weather! We usually start about a week later than the Sportsman’s Lodge location, so around the 15th is in our sights at this point. Stay tuned for more updates to come!

November 19, 2012

by

Greetings from Sportsman’s Lodges! 

We are busy getting things ready for the ice fishing season.  The main lodge near Baudette is getting a mini face lift. New carpet in all of the hallways, a few cabins and 11 lodge rooms. Our suites are getting re-done. 30 Flat Panel TV’s are being installed in all of the lodge rooms. Some lodge rooms are getting new doors. Fish houses and track vehicles are getting tuned up.  We look forward to sharing our new updates with you soon!

Ice? 
The small bays are holding a thin sheet of ice. We are looking for some cold temperatures. Sounds like it should start cooling off in a few days.  We typically start our season by Dec 10 with 12 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish. 

Winter reservations are coming in quick this year. So if you haven’t made your plans yet, give us a call soon to get the best availability 800-862-8602.

Stay tuned here, on our Facebook page, Twitter and Fishing Report page for all of the latest from Sportsman’s Lodges!

Ran across this picture today. Thought it was a good reminder to all of us with all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays starting. Don’t forget to make some time for yourself!

Until next time…Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Image

100% Ice Guarantee – Sportsman’s Lodge

by

 Book an ice fishing package at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location for dates thru March 31, 2012 and we will guarantee we will have good ice for ice fishing or we will not charge you for ice fishing and discount your lodging 50%!. No Worries! If we don’t have ice you get to come and stay for 50% off. Relax, eat, drink, enjoy the hot tub and pool, sight see, hike and enjoy the area.

     No two special offers may be combined. Fishing package must be reserved with full deposit before the final date of the season is announced. Sportsman’s Lodge determines the last day of fishing for the guarantee. Not valid at the Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge, Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge or Sportsman’s Sleeper Division.

Ice Fishing Season starts Monday, Dec 12

by

12/9/2011

Are you rrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeady for some ice fishing?
The ice is shaping up good! We have had some nice cool temps over the past few days.  We will start ice fishing on Monday, Dec 12 for the season!!!! We currently have 10 inches of ice on Four Mile Bay and 7-9 inches on the lake in the areas we travel and fish. We anticipate by Monday that we will have 12 inches to start safely.  We will start pulling houses out tomorrow and be ready for you on Monday, so make your reservations to arrive Sunday night to get in on some incredible early season fishing!  The guides have been out doing some pre-fishing and the results are excellent!  We have good clear water and ice. They are seeing lots of nice walleyes and saugers.  It is going to be a fun year!  Keep in mind early season is usually excellent for trophy walleyes too!

Trail Conditions
At this time we have very little snow on the land or lake trails. The land trails are closed.  Many resorts are working on getting their lake trails staked over the weekend.  The snowmobile club will start staking their trail to Warroad and across to Oak Island in a week or so based on the ice conditions.

This Weekend
If you plan to venture out this weekend, please use caution especially in the areas where the ice broke up early in the week. Light jeeps and ATV’s only are advised. As always remember the entire lake is not treated equally when it freezes so make sure you stay on the trails and know where you are going.  Keep it safe!