Tag Archives: Lake of the Woods Fishing Report

Fishing, Ice & Trail Report from Oak Island/Lake of the Woods, MN

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Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Fishing, Ice & Trail Report

Lake of the Woods NW Angle & Oak Island Area

 

2/4/2016

Island Bite

It has been a little spotty this week in the islands like the south shore. Depths between 24-28 feet have been best. There has been a mix of walleye, saugers and perch caught and on a sunny day we are seeing a few pike. The best tackle this week has been gold and glow in the dark jigs tipped with a minnow.  Most of the fish found are hugging bottom however we are seeing some suspended walleyes 5’-6’ off bottom too.  Electronic fish finder users tend to have better results than non-electronic users.  The fish being caught are nice eaters with a few 20”+ also thrown in the mix.

Ice Conditions
We currently have 12-16 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish.

Trail Conditions
The lake trails from Sportsman’s Lodge to Sportsman’s Oak Island lodge are being groomed and in decent condition. We could use some more snow but lake conditions are decent. The trail was recently marked right from the Sportsman’s Lodge. Follow the black stakes.  Trail maps are available at the lodge or at local businesses.  For the latest conditions on the land trails click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle and Oak Island area.

Ice Road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island The road is in good shape and nice and wide.

Fishing, Ice & Trail Report Sportsman’s Lodge Lake of the Woods 2-4-2016

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Sportsman’s Lodge

Fishing, Ice & Trail Report

Lake of the Woods South Shore Area

 

2/4/2016

Fishing away

Fishing has been spotty this week. We have houses in a wide variety of depths and areas between 26-33 feet. Each day it varies which houses do better than others. So what are the best tips for a successful day?  Use a vexilar!  Watch for the suspended fish. Jig one rod 4-6 inches off bottom consistently; if you see some suspended fish, reel up do a little jig dancing to grab their attention.  We are seeing quite a few fish at varied depths.  With the other rod, dead stick it. See what works best for you for that day  Smaller presentations gold, pink or glo jigs or lures are working better than large (1/16-1/4 oz.) tipped with a minnow. Something with a little noise or flash are doing well, buckshot rattle spoons, macho minnows and gumball jigs to name a few.  If a full minnow isn’t working, try a minnow head.  If you aren’t getting the action, try something different.  We are seeing mainly saugers, some nice walleyes 22”+, few northern pike and eelpout this week. Check out some of the latest catches.  Hungry for more tips? Check out our Facebook page. It looks like we are in for some beautiful weather this weekend highs in the twenties and light wind.

Caught on a small pink jig with a whole minnow Dwane Funk 25.5 inch walleye. Sportsmans Sleepers Erik Bangasser 25 inch Walleye caught on a small gold swedish pimple with a whole minnow in 34 feet. Released Jeff Isaacs 26 inch walleye released. Sportsmans Sleepers Nice catch Maggie! 21 inch walleye released

Ice Conditions

Currently we have 13-22 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel.   We travel a private groomed trail. If you are looking to go out on your own, here are the latest conditions from a few of the local ice roads:

Adrian’s Road – Four Mile Bay, 12 miles north of Baudette 15-18 inches of ice, less in some areas off the road. Allowing ½ ton trucks pulling up to 21’ wheeled houses. Morris Point Road – Morris Point, 15 miles north of Baudette Allowing ½ ton trucks with up to 16’ wheeled houses. Up to 20’ houses may go out on skids.  ¾ ton trucks with portables only.

 

Trail Conditions The lake trails from Sportsman’s Lodge to Warroad and Sportsman’s Lodge to Sportsman’s Oak Island lodge at Oak island are being groomed and in decent condition. We could use some more snow but lake conditions are decent.  The trail was recently marked right from the Sportsman’s Lodge. Follow the black stakes.  Trail maps are available at the lodge or at local businesses.  For the latest conditions for the land trails click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle and Oak Island area.

 

 

Availability this weekend!

We have a few openings for a one bedroom cabin Saturday night and a two bedroom villa for Friday and Saturday night. Fish houses are also available.  Give us a call!  800-862-8602

 

Big Game Party this weekend!
 Free Apps 5pm-6pm, 12 Big Screen TV’s, food and drink specials! Join us!

Oak Island Ice, Fishing & Trails Report

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1/20/2016

Mix of Walleyes & Saugers
Anglers reeled in a mix of walleyes and saugers this week. Mostly 11-18 inch but a few nice slot size walleyes too. (19.5-28 inches).  On Lake of the Woods all walleyes between 19.5-28 have to be thrown back and one over 28 inches may be kept.  Plain hooks tipped with a minnow head in 20’-26’ of water has been working well.  A combination of dead sticking and jigging the bottom and up to 6-8 inches off bottom is your best bet. If you have a vexilar, that helps. If you don’t, we have a few to rent. Give us a call ahead of time to reserve.

Ice Road
The ice road is open to vehicles from Young’s Bay to Oak Island. Conditions are good.

Ice Conditions
We have 10-15 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel right now.

Snowmobile Trail Report
The snowmobile trail on the lake from Pine Island to Oak Island is marked and groomed. Another fresh grooming will be done before the weekend. The trail from Pine Island to Warroad is marked and being maintained as best as possible. The crew is checking ice tomorrow to see if heavier equipment can be used yet for grooming. These trails are marked with black stakes.

For the NW Angle and Islands land trails – check with the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club

For land trail updates for the south shore, check with the Lake of the Woods Drifters Club

Lake of the Woods Ice, Fishing & Trails Report

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1/20/2016

Fishing Report
Fishing has been up and down this week. The cold snap we have been experiencing for the past week is moving out. That should help! The forecast is calling for temperatures between the single digits and in the twenties for the next week ahead.

The best presentation has been gold, pink and orange 1/8-1/4 oz. jigs, buckshots, demons, forage minnows tipped with a minnow or just a plain minnow tipped with a minnow head. Jigging 4″-6″ off bottom using a vexilar has been working well in depths between 22′-29′. Mix of walleyes, saugers, a few 23″+ walleyes and tullibees have been coming up the holes. We are having fun!

Bill Petersen 1-19-2016
30 inch walleye caught and released
plain hook, fat head minnow and a bobber
Jeremy and Austin McMannes
26.25 inch walleye released
caught on a dead stick

Ice Conditions
In the areas we fish and travel we are finding on the bay/trail 9-18 inches and 9 inches off the trail. On the lake 13-17 inches. We use a private road.

On the public roads nearby us maintained by local resorts, this is what they are finding and allowing as of this morning.

Adrian’s Road out of Four Mile Bay
13 1/2- 15 1/2 inches of ice on the road. Allowing 1/2 ton pickups but not pulling wheeled houses. Wheeled houses up to 16′ are allowed to be pulled by light vehicles, ATV’s and snowmobiles.

Morris Point road out of Morris Point
Allowing ATV’s and snowmobile only and wheeled houses less than 16′.

The ice is inconsistent this year so it is important to stay on the roads and trails and know where you are going. We suggest checking with the local resort who maintains the road before venturing out. No travel is advised on the Rainy River; it is iced over but varies in ice depth.

Snowmobile Trail Report
The snowmobile trail on the lake from Pine Island to Oak Island is marked and groomed. Another fresh grooming will be done before the weekend. The trail from Pine Island to Warroad is marked and being maintained as best as possible. The crew is checking ice tomorrow to see if heavier equipment can be used yet for grooming. These trails are marked with black stakes.

For land trail updates for the south shore, check with the Lake of the Woods Drifters Club

For the NW Angle and Islands – check with the Northwest Angle Edge Riders Club

Oak Island Ice, Fishing & Trails Report

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Walleyes, Saugers, Pike & Tullibee Oh My!
We have been seeing a mix of walleyes, saugers, northern pike and tullibee this week.  Walleyes and saugers have been in the 12”-15” size and a few larger walleyes 20”-25”.  Some real nice northern pike 20-45 inches in length and a pile of tullibees have also come through the holes this week. The best depth has been 18’-26’. Anglers have had the most luck jigging with one pole and dead sticking with the other.  Gold, pink and orange jigs tipped with a minnow. Vexilars definitely help too.  We are reeling in some fish and having a good time!  You can’t beat that!

Check out this mix of fish!
Peter Krueger Group Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Ice Conditions
We have 10-15 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel right now.

Ice Road
The ice road is now open to vehicles!  From Young’s Bay to Oak Island opened Wednesday, Jan 13. Signs are being put up now.

Passenger Service from Sportsman’s Lodge, Baudette
The service is now available. For availability and rates go tolakeofthewoodspassengerservice.com or call the lodge at 800-862-8602.

Ice Fishing until late March
Lodging and fishing packages available until late March! Give us a call 800-772-8411 or log on to www.oakislandlodge.com

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

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Fishing Away
We have been seeing some nice fish caught this week. Mainly saugers but a nice mix of walleyes especially 18”+ too.  Gold and pink ¼ oz. jigs, glow buckshot rattle spoons and stop sign lures have been working well tipped with a minnow.  The best depth has been in 22’-29’. Drop your line down to bottom and jig up 4”-8”, you will find them! Vexilars help too.

Check out some of these fishing stories & pictures

Jake Steivang, 49 inch sturgeon released
caught on a red hook and minnow
29 inch walleye caught by
Sam Ingemansen of Bismarck		 Doug Loos, 12 in perch
Dan & Doug caught 60 fish in
3 days walleye, sauger, tullibee,
1 perch, and of course eelpout

Ice Conditions
We have 10”-14” of ice in the areas we fish and travel right now. It is a slow ice making process this year. Usually by this time we have at least a couple of feet of ice but I guess Mother Nature is in charge so that is the way it goes. The good news is we have enough good safe ice to get out and do some fishing!

More Fishing Tips

Trails
The snowmobile trails from Pine Island to Warroad and Pine Island to Oak Island are marked with black stakes.  The trails continue to be dragged on a regular basis until there is enough ice for groomers to get out.  To get to Pine Island, take Adrian’s road from Four Mile Bay by Wheeler’s Point. The ice conditions do vary off the trail so check ice often if you decide to go off the trail. For land trail conditions contact the Lake of the Woods Drifters Snowmobile Club for the latest conditions.

If you decide to venture on your own
We use a private road but here is the latest information about two of the public roads in the area.

Adrian’s road at Four Mile Bay is reporting 9 ½-10 ½ inches of ice in Four Mile Bay alongside the trail and 11-14 inches on the lake. They are allowing small to mid-size vehicles to drive out but not pulling wheeled houses. Wheel houses up to 16’ can be pulled out using ATV’s or UTV’s. No full size vehicles.

Morris Point road out of Morris Point is reporting 12.5 inches of ice on average.  They are allowing ATV’s and snowmobiles and up to 16’ wheeled houses at this time. No trucks.

Rainy River & High Current Areas
The Rainy River and high current areas have much less ice right now and are not advised to travel on. We suggest checking with local resorts or bait shops before going out.

Lodging & Ice Fishing Packages available until March 31!
Packages available starting at only $193 per person plus tax for two nights lodging and one day of ice fishing including the fish house, transportation to and from the house, use of jig sticks, jigs, bait and fish cleaning. Book your trip today!www.sportsmanslodges.com 800-862-8602

Ice Conditions and Ice Road Update 1/13/2016

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Ice Conditions and Ice Road Update 1/13/2016
Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods, MN

Fishing has been great! A full report to follow later today!
We are making ice but it is a slow process this year 10-14 inches is reported in the areas we travel and fish.

We travel on a private road but we do know many of you are eager for the latest information on the public roads. Here it is!

Adrian’s Road out of Four Mile Bay 12 mi north of Baudette off Hwy 172 – Allowing snowmobiles, atv’s and light vehicles. Wheeled houses up to 16′. No trucks! They are checking ice daily and hope to have enough ice next week to start allowing heavier equipment.

Morris Point road out of Morris Point 15 miles north of Baudette.
Allowing snowmobiles and ATV’s. No wheeled houses and no trucks as of yet however they will be checking again tommorrow 1/14 to make a decision for the weekend. For more information contact them direct at 218-634-2570.

If you venture out on your own we strongly encourage you to check with local resorts or bait shops before doing so. High current areas and the Rainy River are not safe yet.

We have some openings for lodging tonight and Thursday night and fishing available Thursday and Friday this week if you are itching to get fishing! Give us a call 800-862-8602. www.sportsmanslodges.com

Fish On!

Oak Island Lodge NW Angle & Oak Island Fishing, Ice & Trail Report

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Fish On!
The season has started and the fishing has been good!  Jigging gold and pink jigs with a minnow have been successful at reeling in some nice 13”-18” walleyes and a few 12”-15” saugers. We have seen some nice northern pike too in the 25”-32” range caught while targeting walleyes. The best depths have been between 21’-28’. Mornings and late afternoons have been best. Depth finders help too! If you would like to give one a try, give us a call to reserve one to rent.

Ice Conditions
We currently have 8-11 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel.

Ice Road
The ice road from Young’s Bay to Oak Island is in the process of being plowed and marked but only out to Brush Island at this point. Hopefully with the cold snap in the forecast next week we will see the road come out to us soon.  To schedule a ride out to the island give us a call 800-772-8411.

Snowmobile Trail Conditions
The trail from Young’s Bay to the lodge has been marked.  Many other trails around the Northwest Angle and to Oak Island have been marked as well.  Click here for the most current information.  The trail across the lake from Pine Island to Oak Island is marked and was groomed Sunday, January 3. 7-12 inches of ice is reported. To get to Pine Island use the Adrian’s road out of Four Mile Bay and once you get to Pine Island follow the black stakes north.  Please stay on the trail. Conditions vary off the trail.  The crew is checking and hopefully marking the trail from Pine Island to Warroad this week. Stay tuned! For land trail information around the Baudette area click here

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall Sportsman’s has it all!
Book your next trip today! Call 800-772-8411 or click here to book online.