Tag Archives: Rainy River Fishing Report

Spring Thaw

April 4, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Most of last week the Rainy River clarity was up to 3’ and the current was mild. Walleye and sauger fishing was on fire! It wasn’t hard to catch 100+ fish in a day. Late last week the tributaries started to thaw, the river dirtied and the current sped up pushing anglers to change up their strategy to find the fish willing to bite. It was a mixed bag of success. Some anglers continued to do well and some didn’t. Some switched over to sturgeon fishing. Yesterday and early this morning the Little Fork and Big Fork opened up, a sure sign of spring. As we look towards this week we should start seeing the river clean up and the lake open up further making available more fishing opportunities and clearer water. As of today the lake is open about a mile and a half past Pine Island. The water temperature is starting to go up again, currently at 38.5 degrees after dipping to 35 degrees a few days ago. All boat landings along the river are open. The weather forecast looks dry and beautiful.

Yesterday, Guide Travis Madrazo and the Carisch group of 2 were out and did awesome. Late afternoon bite was best reeling in over 100 walleyes.

Nate Sailor reeled in a nice 28.5 inch walleye and some nice sturgeon caught by the Thomsen and Oelrich Group. Guided by Wes Harder.

29.5 inch walleye Christensen Group and some nice walleyes including a 29 inch with the Egan group. Guided by Baihly Hontvet

Fishing Seasons Tips for the week
Walleyes & Saugers – River shorelines, 13’-22’, lake 10’-20’jigging brightly colored 1/2 oz. to ¾ oz. jigs tipped with rainbows, shiners or chubs or pitching soft plastics towards shore.

Sturgeon – Anchor near or in deep holes in the River or Four Mile Bay with some current using a 3-5 ounces of weight using a 4/0 or 5/0 hook tipped with a gob of worms and a shiner. Lots of big sturgeons have been getting caught this week. Once you hook in, be ready! Some of these monsters take up to a few hours to reel in. It can be quite an adventure!

Pike – With more bays opening up the soft water pike season should start heating up as well. Cast spoons and jerk baits in shallow bays with structure.
Take a guide – A guided trip is relaxing, less hassle and it is a great way to learn new tactics. Contact us a for availability.

Walleye open through April 14, reopening May 13
Northern Pike open year round
Lake Sturgeon catch and release now through April 23, keep one season April 24-May 7, catch and release May 8-15, closed May 16-June 30, keep one season July 1-Sept 30, catch and release Oct 1-April 23.
For more information about seasons, limits and licenses click here.

Lodging Specials, Guided Trips, Boat Rentals, Dock Slips, Rainy River Boat Access Map click here!

Curious about the water temperature and flow? Here are some resources to check out.
Rainy River Wheeler’s Point Water Data
Lake of the Woods Control Board Basin Data

Wheeler’s Point landing is now open!

March 27, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Wheeler’s Point landing is now open!

Wheeler’s Point landing is just a mile away from the lodge.
Many great fishing opportunities opening daily!

Check out the view from the lodge 3-27-2017

Walleye season open through April 14, reopening May 13

Pike season open all year
Sturgeon season catch and release now through April 23, keep one (within size limit)
April 24-May 7 and catch and release again May 8-15 before closing for 6 weeks.

The Rainy River is opening up quick!

March 22, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The Rainy River is opening up quick!

The river opened up to 1/2 mile west of Clementson (6 miles east of Baudette) now. Frontier landing has 25 feet of shore ice and Vidas (2 miles east of Clementson) has about 50 feet shore ice.
Birchdale and Pelland landings are wide open.

Birchdale Landing 3-20-17

Frontier Landing 3-21-2017

$99 lodge room special and 20% off villas and cabins. Guided trips available! It’s spring fishing time!
Our 20th Annual Mardi Gras Party Saturday! 800-862-8602 www.sportsmanslodges.com

From one season to the next! The river bite is on!!

March 21, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Spring is in the air. Our ice fishing season closed Sunday on the lake and the river bite started with a bang on Monday. The Pelland and Birchdale landings are now open and the Frontier and Vidas landing are not far behind. There is open water 4-5 miles west of Frontier landing. Frontier landing has 25-30 feet of shore ice and rumor has it may be open tomorrow. Vidas landing should be open by the weekend and possibly even Timbermill (east side of Baudette) by the weekend at this rate. The bite has been hot! A few of our guides were out and landed and released a pile of walleyes yesterday, over 50% in the slot. Drift jigging gold/pink and gold ¾ oz. jigs tipped with a rainbow was the hot ticket. Clarity was 6-8’ and current speed was .7-1mph. Best time was in the late afternoon in depths of 13’-18’. Lodging specials and guided trips available now! Boat rentals and dock slips will be available soon! Time to book your spring trip! 800-862-8602

Click here to view the Rainy River Access Map

Pelland Landing 3-20-2017

Birchdale Landing 3-20-17

The spring river bite is on! Over 50 walleyes & over 50% of them slot size.

Open Season
Walleye season is open through April 14 on the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods. Pike season never closes and sturgeon catch and release is open now through April 23. Sturgeon keep one is April 24-May 7 and catch and release again April 8-15 before closing for a short 6 weeks.

Spring Specials
$99 Lodge Rooms & 20% off Cabins and Villas now through March 31. Lodging starting at $42 per person April 1-May 24 and up to 20% off lodging/charter packages May 12-May 24. Don’t miss out on these hot specials! *rates plus tax and based on double occupancy

Sportsman’s 20th Annual Mardi Gras Party is this Saturday, March 25!
Free Hurricanes 8pm-9pm, $100 cash for best costume, $100 cash for best lip sync, $2 beer specials,
entertainment and a whole lot more! You won’t want to miss it! Book your lodging now.

Sportsman’s Lodge Oak Island Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 3/9/2017

March 9, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The latest…..
Crazy weather week with wind, a few warm days and now subzero temps. I guess that is the way Mother Nature works sometimes. We currently are still maintaining 24-26 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. Not much snow cover on the ice right now so be sure to bring along your cleats or traction shoes. It has been a decent morning and late afternoon bite this week. The bite has mainly been nice eater size walleyes along with a few 22”+ walleyes, few pike, perch and some little ones to keep you paying attention. J A 35 inch northern was caught by a guest earlier this week. Plain hooks with a split shot using a whole or half minnow has been working well. Some days have been a finicky bite. Lots of fish showing up on the electronics. Guides suggest using a mix of dead sticking and jigging techniques, changing up bait techniques and lures for best results. Electronics have worked well to entice the suspended fish. If you are planning on venturing out on your own, we strongly suggest checking with local resorts and guides before going out and stay on the marked routes. Conditions change this time of year and the entire lake never freezes equally.

Ice Road Conditions from Young’s Bay to the Island
The ice road from Young’s Bay is open but we suggest calling out for the latest conditions and information before venturing out 800-772-8411. Due to the lack of snow and changing conditions our signs are no longer standing up along the road and some routes have changed. Give us a call!

Trail Report
Minimal snow cover on the ice right now.

At Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge & Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge we plan to be open through March 19 for the winter season and then re-open early May for the summer season. Sportsman’s Lodge on the south side of the lake near Baudette will be open through the spring. Walleye season runs until April 14 and excellent pike and sturgeon fishing can be had during April on the Rainy River and south shore. For reservations at Sportsman’s Lodge click here or call 800-862-8602. To make your last minute ice fishing and summer reservations for Sportsman’s Oak Island Lodge and Sportsman’s Eagle Ridge click here or call anytime 800-772-8411. Our office is open year round.

Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 3/9/2017

March 9, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The latest from Sportsman’s Lodge……
I saw a Facebook post today that said Mother Nature has gone bipolar. I believe that is correct! It has been quite the week. A few days of warm weather, a few days of gusts of wind up to 48 mph and now back to winter weather, below zero temps. What a week! The good news is we still have 27-30 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel and there is some good ice fishing going on. The guides check ice daily and we plan to keep fishing in our day houses until Mother Nature decides she is ready to warm up. Our sleepers last day will be Monday, March 13.. The ice has minimal snow cover right now so we suggest bringing ice cleats or traction shoes with you when you visit.

Ice Conditions
We have 27-30 inches of ice in the areas we travel and fish. We do not maintain a public road. If you are looking to venture out on your own we strongly encourage you to check with local resorts or outfitters for current conditions and information on what they are allowing out on their road before going out. We suggest, Adrian’s Resort 218-634-1985 who maintains a road that goes out on Four Mile Bay. Always stay on marked roads or trails. The entire lake never freezes equally even in the coldest of winters. Stay safe and call ahead!

The Bite
The best bite has been found in 27’-33’ 6-10 miles out of Pine Island. Chubs and shiner minnows on a glow pink or gold jig or plain hook with a few split shots has been working well. We supply the chubs with our fish house rentals; local bait shops have shiners if you are interested in trying a few. Lots of suspended walleyes in varying depths showing up so electronics really help. Saugers are hugging closer to bottom. Try jigging and dead sticking for the best results to see what works for you. A few eelpouts, perch and pike have also been biting. 36 Days of walleye season left on Lake of the Woods!

Trail Report
Minimal snow cover on the ice right now.

25% off Ice Fishing March 19-31
Hook a hot deal! 25% off ice fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location.
Book your trip today 800-862-8602

Spring River fishing is just around the corner!
Walleye season continues on Lake of the Woods until April 14, reopening May 13 and lake sturgeon and northern pike fishing heats up in April and May. Guided trips available, lodging starting at $42 per person per night and up to 20% off summer lodging and charter fishing trips available. Get your reservations in now. Click here for more information and make plans to reel in some monster fish!

The guides are on the fish!

February 15, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Walleye and sauger bite has been good! Houses are staggered off a nice quiet groomed trail about a 30 minute ride out on Big Traverse Bay. Anglers are reeling in a variety of sizes using gold, pink and orange macho minnows, plain hooks, buck shots, spoons and jigs. Tackle is tipped with a minnow or minnow head in 24’-33’ of water. Lots of suspended fish are being seen on electronics so if you have one, we encourage you to bring it along or call ahead to rent. We consistently see the catch rate of anglers who use them increase significantly.

Guests are reeling in some nice fish this week!

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 23-27 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run a groomed trail to our houses. It looks like we are going to warm up during the day this week. Lows are still below freezing so we shouldn’t see any ice loss just some snow. If you are looking to venture out on your own, Adrian’s road at Wheeler’s Point is recommended.

Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. We have 16-24 inches of snow on the ground. Trails are in good shape! For more information about the trails click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle & Islands. The NW Angle club will be hosting their annual Snowmobile Rally March 4 in the NW Angle area. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

25% off Ice Fishing trips March 19-31
Hook a hot deal! 25% off ice fishing at Sportsman’s Lodge Rainy River location.

Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-26-2017

January 26, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Fishing Time!
It has been a strong bite overall this week at Sportsman’s Lodge. Lots of nice walleyes and saugers coming through the ice holes as well as a few northern pike, jumbo perch and eelpout. Successful anglers have found that vexilars definitely increase your catch rate, jigging a small spoon, just a plain hook or a 3/8 oz. gold jig tipped with a minnow is working well. The best bite has been in varying depths between 19’-31’ in the mud.

Joe Hraban 27.25 inch walleye caught 1-24-2017. Sportsman’s Sleepers

Michael Cline one of our guides was out fishing on his day off and reeled in a nice 25 inch walleye on a charmer.

Michael Cline tackle 25 inch walleye

Poor Man’s Lobster! Krista Kappes,Thunder Seed group reeled in this huge eelpout on a bright green and yellow chartreuse lure

Kaylee Bjorklund reeled in this nice 29.5 inch walleye this week on a gold jig. Nice fish Kaylee!

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-24 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run a groomed trail to get to our houses. We received 4-5 days of highs in the mid to upper thirties last week but the weather has since cooled down and we are back to making more ice. Over the warm days we experienced a lot of slush but we did not lose any ice. If you are looking to go out on your own, Adrian’s road is a good choice located at the Wheeler’s Point/Four Mile Bay area off Hwy 172. They are allowing up to 1 ton trucks and wheel houses up to 28’.

Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. For more information click here for the Baudette area or here for the NW Angle & Islands.

Need a Vexilar?
They are available for rent at the lodge. Call ahead to reserve 800-862-8602.

Join us for the Big Game Feb 5!
12 Big screens, free apps, giveaways and great drink specials. Specials start at 3!

Ice Fishing trips available through the end of March
On Lake of the Woods we can have our fish houses out until March 31. Fishing and lodging packages still available starting at $191* per person. We have midweek stays open in February and weekend and midweek stays open in March. Book your trip today! *plus tax and based on double occupancy

Spring, Summer, Fall
It is never too early to start planning your spring, summer or fall trip. Get the gang together and contact us today. Click here to learn more about our packages.

Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-18-2017

January 18, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Fish in the Bucket!
A steady bite of walleyes and saugers this week. Anglers are reeling in a mix of walleyes and saugers. Real nice 14”-18” and a few 24”+ walleyes along with a steady bite of small walleyes and saugers. Pink and gold jigs, plain hook with a little weight, blade and rattle spoons tipped with a minnow or just a minnow head has been working the best in 20’-31’. If you get into a finicky bite try downsizing your lure. Another tip is to try dead sticking with one rod and jigging with the other. The one you use to jig with really pound the bottom stirring it up and jig up 4-8 inches. Some anglers have even had success jigging upwards of 2’ off bottom to draw attention to your bait. Flashers are a good idea to bring along or rent. They tend to really help your catch rate. Vexilars and Marcum’s are good choices. We rent Vexilars at the lodge; give us a call ahead of time to reserve if you would like to try one.

A nice eye!

Missy reeled in a nice walleye on a pink jig and minnow!

A fun way to spend a day with no school!

Thanks John and Kate for visiting us!

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20”-22”of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We travel on a groomed trail. If you are venturing out on your own, Adrian’s Road out of Wheeler’s Point is a good one to access the lake. They are now allowing out all size trucks and wheel houses up to 28’.

Trail Conditions
The lake trails are marked with black stakes and groomed from Baudette on the Rainy River and across Lake of the Woods to Oak Island. They are also marked from Wheeler’s Point to Warroad. It is about 50 miles from Baudette to Oak Island or Baudette to Warroad via the lake trails. We have a nice base of a couple feet of snow and the trails are in great shape. Click here for more information about the Baudette area. Click here for more information for the Northwest Angle & Oak Island area.

Ice fish with us until March 31!
Ice fishing packages available through March 31. Click here to learn more and book your trip today.

Short on time? Take a quick trip!
One night/one day trips available including lodging, ready to go fish house, transportation to and from the fish house, use of jig sticks, jigs bait and fish cleaning starting at only $144* per person. Available: Jan 22, 26, 29-Feb 2, 5-9, 12 & 22. One day fishing only trips $115* per person. Available: Jan 22, 23, 26, 27, 29-Feb 2, 5-10. Click here to reserve or call 800-862-8602.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy.

Sportsman’s Lodge South Shore Lake of the Woods Fishing, Trail & Ice Report 1-11-2017

January 11, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Bouncing off Bottom
Guides report it has been a good bite for the 11”-17” walleyes and saugers this week. A few big walleyes and another large eelpout were reeled in too. Varying depths between 19’-26’ jigging Rapala slab raps, gold and pink jigs, silver blade spoons and flutter spoons have been working well. Dead sticking a rock and roll jig or a red has also proved to be successful. Anglers found that bouncing off the bottom to churn up some lake bottom to get the attention of the fish at least 4-6 inches and sometimes even up to 2’ was a successful approach. Chub or shiner minnows are the live bait of choice.

Another big eelpout! The Albiston Group a group of 4 gals reeled in this 12lb and 30 inch eelpout while fishing in the Sportsman’s Sleepers. What a fish!

Doug Loos caught this 25.5 in walleye just over 7lb on a Gold Rapala Slab Rap guided by Troy. Doug and his son Dan caught over 90 fish on their recent trip to Sportsman’s!

What a nice walleye!

Ice Depth
17-20 inches of ice on the lake in the areas we fish and travel right now. The bombardiers are ready to bring you out fishing!

Adrian’s Ice Road
If you are planning to go out on your own, Adrian’s ice road out of Four Mile Bay near Wheeler’s Point 12 miles north of Baudette is a good option. As of Jan 1, they were allowing ½ ton trucks pulling up to 17’ wheel house and smaller vehicles pulling up to 21’ houses. ¾ ton and 1 ton trucks can drive out not pulling houses.

Trail Conditions
We have 15”-20” of really nice snow in the area. The lake trails are in good shape and being maintained weekly. As soon as we get more ice the heavier groomers will be out. The trails are staked across the lake with black stakes from Baudette to Oak Island and Wheeler’s Point to Warroad. Come enjoy our over 100 miles of lake trails and 500 miles of land trails! For area land trail information click here to contact the Lake of the Woods Drifters Snowmobile Club.

Ice fish with us until March 31!
Ice fishing packages available through March 31. Click here to learn more and book your trip today.

Short on time? Take a quick trip!
One night/one day trips available including lodging, ready to go fish house, transportation to and from the fish house, use of jig sticks, jigs bait and fish cleaning starting at only $144* per person. One day fishing only trips $115* per person. Available: Jan 12, 18, 19, 22, 26, 29, Feb 1, 8,12,16,19 & 22.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy.