Tag Archives: Lake of the Woods Fishing Report

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report Sportsman’s Lodge 7-29-2016

July 30, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Lake of the Woods Fishing Report Sportsman’s Lodge

7-29-2016

Beautiful Weather & Beautiful Walleyes
I just love this time of year. Warm weather, light breeze and lots of walleye action. We continue to do a mix of bait fishing and trolling with crank baits. We expect to continue this approach through August for sure and probably until mid-September. About mid-September is when we usually see the walleyes start to move. Mid basin of Big Traverse has been a hot spot in 28’-32’ as well as the northern reefs in 26’-32’. White/silver, Red/white and gold/red have been good lure colors. A spinner, a couple of ounces of weight and tipped with a worm or leech or the same color crank baits have been working the best. A few anglers have also switching spinners on and off with 3/8 ounce gold jig tipped with a minnow and having some luck in the same areas. The water temperature is currently 77 degrees.

Finding some nice fish!

Bass? Yes, two nice smallmouth bass right off our dock! You just never know what you might reel in! Lots of good fishing this time of year!

Beautiful Weather!

A nice bunch of 16 – 18 inch walleyes are being taken and make great appetizers with a cool beer on the side in the Sandbar after a day on the lake.

We still have openings in July and August
Give us a call 800-862-8602 or email us for a quote [email protected]

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report July 6, 2016

July 6, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Lots of Options
Stock up your tackle box or leave the hassle to a guide. The fish flies have hatched and the weather is warming up which means the best way to lure in some walleyes is changing. The best method right now is using a few methods. Drifting or trolling with a gold and pink spinner tipped with a night crawler or leech is one method. Drifting and jigging with a 3/8 oz. flashy colored jig and a minnow is another option. The third option anglers are just starting to use is down rigging with rapalas. The walleyes are starting to go deeper. 20’-32’ outside of Zippel Bay and on the northern reefs have been hot spots. It has been a beautiful week of weather here this week. The water temperature has warmed up to 70 degrees now, up 5 degrees this week. Don’t let summer pass you by! Get out and enjoy it!

Billy Hedtke reeled in a nice 27 inch walleye! (released)

2nd time fishing and she reels in a 27 inch walleye! Nice job Chris from Sleepy Eye MN! (released) Guided by Captain Mike

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

100% Walleye Guarantee!
Yes you heard it right! Click here for more information.

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.

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.

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report June 8, 2016

June 8, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

GOOOOOOOOOOOD Fishing!

Check out this slideshow of all the great pictures from the past few days.

Walleyes are hungry and anglers are finding lots of nice fish. Depths between 16’-28’ drifting along Pine Island, Zippel Bay or the northern reefs have been good spots. Gold or shiny jig tipped with a minnow or spinner and 2-3 ounce sinker tipped with a leech or a worm are working best. Water temperature climbed a few degrees this week to 63.

Father’s Day is June 19
Don’t forget about dad! We have gift cards and lodging/fishing packages available starting at just $247 per person all month long. Click here to order your gift card or here to book your reservation. Sportsman’s Lodge 800-862-8602 Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge & Eagle Ridge 800-772-8411.

4^th of July Celebration
Sportsman’s Lodge and the Baudette area are great places to celebrate Independence Day. Check out all of the events and fun planned.

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report June 1, 2016

June 1, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Summer is here!
Summer fishing has kicked off and the guides are hot on the walleye trail. Soft water guided trips are available through October. Walleyes are hugging rock edges in 15’-26’ right now. Anglers are having the best luck anchored or slow drifting using a 3/8 oz. jig and a minnow or 2-3 ounce sinker and spinner tipped with a crawler or leech. Gold is always a go to color on Lake of the Woods. Other colors that are working well are pink and orange. The current water temperature is 61 today. Water temperature spiked to 66 a few days ago but has been averaging around 62 the past week.

Look at this Walleye! Jason Parker 27 inch released. Guided by Captain Dave McDougall

It’s a double! Denny & Mike 28.25 and 28.5 inch walleyes. Guided by Captain Mike Marquardt

Berry Picking, Golfing, Live Entertainment, Beaches, Lake Tours and Much more!
Check out all of the things to do in the Lake of the Woods area.

Father’s Day just around the corner!
Don’t forget about dad! We have gift cards and lodging/fishing packages available starting at just $247 per person all month long. Click here to order your gift card or here to book your reservation. Prefer to call? Sportsman’s Lodge 800-862-8602 Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge & Eagle Ridge 800-772-8411.

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report 5-26-2016

May 26, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

The Bite is on!
We have been enjoying great walleye fishing this past week. Check out these pictures! Shorelines 12’-28’ have been producing well using a brightly colored jig and minnow. Some anglers have been anchored and others drifting. The water temperature is warming up. We have warmed up 7 degrees this week, currently sitting at 62 degrees. The guides are hot on the walleye trail.

100% Walleye Guarantee
Charter boats are the best way to navigate the south shore waters of Lake of the Woods and with our 100% walleye guarantee, no equipment or experience is required, how can you go wrong? Click here to learn more.

It’s a double! Maria and Rod reel in nice walleyes at the same time. Guided by Captain Dave McDougall

25 inch walleye Dave from Dubuque IA 25 inch walleye released guided by Captain Mike

Celebrate Father’s Day all month long
Packages and gift cards available.

Did you see what was caught at our Sturgeon Tournament this year?

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

Lake of the Woods South Shore Fishing Report 5-17-2016

May 17, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

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!

Lake of the Woods & Rainy River Fishing Report May 3, 2016

May 3, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Few more weeks of sturgeon fishing, 10^th 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.

10^th 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 10^th 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

April 26, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

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

Pike
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 10^th 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!