Tag Archives: lake of the woods

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

NW Angle & Oak Island Lake of the Woods Fishing Report Walleye Opener 2016

May 10, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

NW Angle & Oak Island Lake of the Woods Fishing Report Walleye Opener 2016

5/10/2016

Walleye opener is this weekend!

The docks are getting hooked up and the last minute spring projects are being completed. We are ready to start fishing!

We are looking forward to another great season. The walleyes are going to be found in shallow this weekend around points and shorelines around Oak Island, Little Oak Island and Flag Island drifting in 8’-20’ of water using jigs or spinners and a minnow. Water temperature is currently 53 degrees. Lodging, guided trips and boat rentals available! Give us a call 800-772-8411 or online here.

Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge

Getting the docks ready!

Sportsman’s Lodge Lake of the Woods Sturgeon Tournament & Walleye Opener Report 2016

May 9, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

Sportsman’s Lodge Lake of the Woods Sturgeon Tournament & Walleye Opener Report 2016

The 10^th Annual Sturgeon Tournament is in the books & Walleye Opener is this weekend!
What a year! Over 200 sturgeons were caught over the two day, 50 boat tournament including an unofficial state record sturgeon! The two day tournament started Friday, May 5 running 8:30am – 4pm and Saturday 8:30am – 3:00pm. The weather was warm and a little breezy but the wind was in our favor keeping the river nice and calm. The tournament is a catch and release tournament spanning over 1.2 miles just in front of the lodge on the Rainy River and just around Wheeler’s Point. Check out this hog! The recorded largest sturgeon on record with the Minnesota Department of Natural resources is 70 inches in length and 26.5 inch girth. On day one of the tournament this 70.5 inch length and 28 inch girth whopper was caught by Joe Anderson and his boat mates. What a catch!

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

Musical entertainment, lots of fish stories and a banquet rounded out the festivities on Saturday. Thanks to all the participants it was another great year. We are looking forward to 2017. May 5 & 6. The tournament is already full but you can always contact us to be added to the waiting list or just come up and give sturgeon fishing a try. It is a lot of fun!

Check out some of the action and for more action click here. Congratulations to all the Winners!

10^th Annual Sportsman’s Sturgeon Classic Tournament Results
Day 1 1^st Place and the unofficial Minnesota record sturgeon 70.5 inch length, 28 inch girth Joe Anderson from Murphy Lake, MN – $2,150 cash plus $500 bonus for the record breaker. Day 1 2^nd Place 64.75 inch length, 25.5 inch girth Mike Denuccie from Nashwauk, MN – $925 cash
Day 1 3^rd Place 64 inch length, 26 inch girth Joe Lorenzen from Felden, MN – Sturgeon Rod
Day 2 1^st Place 63.5 inch length, 23 inch girth Dave Clement from East Grand Forks, MN – $2,150 cash
Day 2 2^nd Place 62 inch length, 22.5 inch girth Mark Sage from Grand Forks, ND – $925 cash
Day 2 3^rd Place 59.5 inch length, 21.5 inch girth Brandon Lunski Grand Forks, ND – Sturgeon Rod

Other Prizes over Two Days Longest Eelpout 19.5 inch Danielle Denny from Blufton, MN – Prize Pack
Longest Bullhead 12.5 inch Joe Lorenzen from Felden, MN – Prize Pack
Longest Sucker 24.5 inch Jill Strom from Eveleth, MN – Prize Pack
Powder Puff 58 inch length, 23.75 inch girth Cindy Hunter from Grand Forks, ND – Prize Pack
Kid Division – Largest Sturgeon caught by a kid 29 inch length, 12 inch girth Prize Pack
Best Boat – Zach Omdahl – PowrTran Kicker Steering

Over $7,000 worth of cash and prizes were awarded. Thank you to the contestants, staff and sponsors for making this such a successful event. Bryan “Beef” Sathre, Icatchandrelease.com, Rapala, Northland Tackle, Fish Addiction TV, 13 Fishing, Glacier Fish Houses, Lake of the Woods Tourism, St Croix Rods, SpeedyWorms.com, PowrTran, Fibertech, Dak Shack and Airwave Pedestal Seats.

Sturgeon catch and release season is open through May 15 and then re-opening July 1.

Walleye Opener is this Saturday May 14

It’s that time of year again! Time to start reeling in the walleyes again! The river and the bay are full of fish and we think it is going to be a great opener. No boat, no equipment? No problem! We have charter trips available starting at just $112 per person per day including a full day trip aboard a 27’ Sport Craft, experienced guide, us of poles, bait, tackle, assortment of pop and water and fish cleaning. Lunch? Sure we can take care of that too! Ask about our shore lunch and box lunch options.

The bite
Shallow shorelines between 6’-20’ are going to be the best using a jig and a minnow or a jig and a spinner. Gold is always good as well as pink and orange in the stained Lake of the Woods waters. Drifting or trolling is going to work well. If pulling crankbaits is more your style that should produce some nice fish too. The current water temperature is 55 degrees and the current is normal. Northern pike season is also open and Lake of the Woods has a huge population right now of trophy pike. Pitching dead ciscos with a bobber on a quick strike rig on bottom or just 6 inches off bottom are great ways to lure in these monsters along shorelines in weedy bays. Get your fishing buddies together and get ready for some fishing! Lodging starting at only $45* per person per night and guided trips are available. Call 800-862-8602 or book online here.

*plus tax and based on double occupancy Sportsman’s Rainy River location

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!

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!

LET US GUIDE YOU TO THE BIG CATCH WITH OUR GUIDED OUTFITTER FISHING TRIPS IN MINNESOTA

April 11, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

LET US GUIDE YOU TO THE BIG CATCH WITH OUR
GUIDED OUTFITTER FISHING TRIPS IN MINNESOTA

Spring & Fall is a great time to get in on some great river walleye, northern or lake sturgeon action. Our 20′ Guided Lund Alaskan trips are a great way to navigate the river and inlet waters. The boat holds up to 4 passenger plus the guide.

$450 per day includes the guide, boat, poles, bait & fish cleaning.

Choose a day that includes one or two species. Trips available to reserve by early April through May 31 & September 1 – October 31.

Click for our spring & fall rates or available dates or call us at (866) 533-8998 for more information.

CATCH THE ACTION AT THE SPORTSMAN’S LODGE RAINY RIVER LOCATION THIS SPRING!

March 28, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

CATCH THE ACTION AT THE
SPORTSMAN’S LODGE
RAINY RIVER LOCATION THIS SPRING!

Spring Fishing Fever 2016

The extended walleye season we enjoy on the Canadian border allows for a phenomenon not available for much of the state. The warming weather and increased currents at the beginning of April work to open the Rainy River just as the walleyes are beginning their spring run. The action is fast, and the fish are huge, pulled up one after another. Most fishermen prefer jigging with minnows this time of year. Walleye season closes from mid-April to mid-May, giving anglers an opportunity to try their luck with Minnesota’s largest fish – the mysteriously prehistoric lake sturgeon and the frisky fighting northern pike. Lake of the Woods is proud to be one of the top ten lakes in Minnesota offering the best catch opportunity for you to catch a trophy sized sturgeon or pike in the whole state.

Spring Lodging Rates available March 14 – May 26

Lodging as low as $40 per person per night
$40 midweek/$45 weekends cabin or lodge room based on dbl occ.
Enjoy our new villas $59

For our spring rates and packages Click here.

All boat landings now open from Birchdale to Wheeler’s Point

March 24, 2016 by Sportsman's Lodges

All boat landings now open from Birchdale to Wheeler’s Point

All boat landings are now open from Birchdale to Wheeler’s Point. Sturgeon fishing has been good! Anglers are finding some nice sturgeon in and on the incline of the deep holes of the Rainy River. 5/0 hooks 2-4 ounces of weight and a gob of night crawlers is working well. Reel in one of these huge dinosaurs!

The water temperature is currently 34.5 degrees. Water level is low and clarity is 6-12 inches and getting better by the day. Walleye bite has been sluggish but improving. Bite should get better in a few days. The current is fast. 1 oz gold or pink jigs tipped with a minnow works well.

Minnesota Lake of the Woods Fishing seasons:
-Walleye open until April 14 and re-opens May 14
-Pike – continuous – never stops!
-Sturgeon – catch & release until April 23, keep 1 (within size limits) April 24-May 7, catch & release May 8-15

Limits:

Walleye & Sauger
Rainy River & Four Mile Bay
(Four Mile Bay is the SE bay of Lake of the Woods near Wheeler’s Point)
March 1, 2016-April 14, 2016
Limit of 2 Walleye 19 ½” and larger must be immediately released.

May 14, 2016-Nov 30, 2016
Limit of 6
Not more than 4 can be walleye; only 1 walleye over 28″; walleye 19 ½” through 28″ must be immediately released.

Lake of the Woods
Dec 1, 2015-April 14, 2016
Limit of 8
Not more than 4 can be walleye; only 1 walleye over 28″; walleye 19 ½” through 28″ must be immediately released.

May 14, 2016-Nov 30, 2016
Limit of 6
Not more than 4 can be walleye; only 1 walleye over 28″; walleye 19 ½” through 28″ must be immediately released.

Northern Pike
Limit 3
Only 1 over 40″; all northern pike from 30″ through 40″ must be immediately released.

Lake Sturgeon
October 1 – April 23
Catch & release only

April 24 – May 7
One per calendar year. Fish must be 45″-50″ inclusive or over 75″. Immediately upon reducing a fish to possession, you must validate and attach your sturgeon tag. Harvested sturgeon must be registered within 48 hours.

May 8 – May 15
Catch & Release Only

May 16 – June 30
Closed

This information has been taken from the Minnesota Fishing Regulations information printed by the DNR and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Regulation books are available at the lodge for your convenience or can be viewed online here. Border Waters information starts on page 44,

Minnesota Fishing licenses are available at Sportsman’s Lodge or by purchasing online here

For more information about spring fishing and our great lodging and guided fishing rates click here