Tag Archives: sportsmans lodge

Rainy River update!

March 23, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Rainy River Update!

3/23/2017
Frontier and Vidas landings now open to all boats! The Rainy River is open within 5 miles east of Baudette and open water spots within 3 miles of Baudette. Vidas, Frontier, Birchdale and Pelland landings are all open to all boats. Timbermill should open up in a day or so and Wheeler’s Point next. River has opened up 15 miles since Sunday. 16 miles left until it hits our docks! Won’t be long!

Lots of good fishing reports coming in! Jigging with gold jigs, rainbows or shiners. Tag us in your photos. We would love to share them!

Click here for an access map http://sportsmanslodges.com/…/7…/Rainy_River_Access_Map1.pdf

$99 Lodge rooms and 20% off cabins/villas this weekend. 20th Annual Mardi Gras Party is Saturday! Join us! 800-862-8602

For more information and reports like us on Facebook!

Vidas Landing on the Rainy River 3-22-2017

Frontier Landing Rainy River 3-23-2017

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.

Last week of ice fishing

March 15, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Fish house rentals available for 6 more days! Give us a call! Relax in a warm fish house and get in on the late season bite. March 21 will be the last day we will have houses out for the winter season.

What’s hot
Walleye and sauger bite has been good jigging gold and pink jigs, plain hooks and spoons tipped with a chub or shiner in 25’-33’ outside of Pine Island. An early morning and late afternoon bite has been best.

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 27-30 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. For conditions in other areas check with local resorts and outfitters as conditions may be different.

Trail Conditions
We have minimal snow on land and the lake. Grooming is done for the year.

Ice Fishing beyond March 21
Will there be good ice after March 21 this year? Chances are their will be some good ice on the lake for another week or so. If you interested in venturing out on your own, we have lodging available and some great specials too! $99 Lodge Rooms and 20% off Cabins and Villas March 22-31. Conditions change often this time of year so be sure to check with the ice road maintainer before venturing out. Adrian’s Resort and Morris Point Resort both have ice roads nearby. Check with them for the latest conditions.

Rainy River Spring Fishing start soon
From fish houses to boats. It is that crazy time of year when the lake can still maintain 30 inches of ice and the river starts to open up to our east. When temperatures start to increase the river opens up from the east and will continue to open up moving west. The spring bite is an aggressive sought after bite by many anglers looking to reel some nice walleye, pike and lake sturgeon. Walleye season is open until April 14, pike season is open year round and sturgeon season is catch and release through April 23, open season April 24-May 7 and catch and release again May 8-15. Derik checked river conditions yesterday and found it pretty locked up with ice for the most part still but with not much snow and warm temps coming up later in the week we expect it to change soon. Chances are we will see a few boat splashing around the Manitou(38 miles east of Baudette)/Birchdale (26 miles east of Baudette) area sometime within the next week. Open water spots were spotted 23 miles east of Baudette (35 miles east of the lodge) and Manitou area is wide open except for but 20 feet of shore ice on either side located 38 miles east of Baudette (50 miles east of the lodge). The Pelland Kuttes boat landing 57 miles east of is open. Click here for more information about spring fishing and a boat access map. Watch for inbox and our Facebook page for updates!

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!

Good bite yesterday!

February 21, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The bite yesterday was great, but overall spotty this week. Nice buckets of fish came in with a variety of walleyes and saugers. Best depth has been in 23-31 feet of water. Gold and pink jigs, rattle spoons and macho minnows have been working well tipped with a minnow. Mix of jigging and dead sticking is the best approach. Electronics users tend to do the best.

Ice Conditions
We have lost snow but not much ice if any. Weather is cooling off starting tomorrow. Back to ice making!

Trail Report
We have lost most of our snow so the trails are rough. Groomers will start again as soon as we get another shot of snow.

Ice Road from Young’s Bay to the Island
The ice road is in good shape. The landing is pretty muddy so trucks only. Cars will probably not make it out. Cooler weather is coming back tomorrow!

Check out these nice walleyes!

February 15, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

The afternoons have been favoring the mornings this week. Gold and pink jigs and spoons have been working well tipped with a minnow. Anglers have been having good luck in 23’-29’ on and off the reefs. It has been a 60% walleye/40% sauger bite. If you are looking to increase your catch rate we highly recommend using a fish flasher. They really help you pin point at what depth the fish are at. If you don’t have one, call us ahead of time to reserve one to rent.

23 inch walleye caught by the Prudhomme Group Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge

Kevin Coye 23.5 inch walleye caught on a gold jig and minnow Sportsmans Oak Island Lodge

Ice Conditions
Currently we have 20-24 inches of ice in the areas we fish and travel. We run a groomed trail to our houses. Forecasted highs this week are a little warmer than we like to see this time of year but with the lows below freezing we should only lose some snow. I am sure Mother Nature will be blowing in some subzero temps again soon.

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

Ice Road
The ice road is open. Take the 9 mile drive out from Young’s Bay to the lodge. Signs are posted.

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.

Glow, Plain Hooks & Vexilars!

February 9, 2017 by Sportsman's Lodges

Glow jigs, plain hooks tipped with a minnow and Vexilars, Marcums or whatever fish flasher flavor you like are the hot tips this week. Anglers using these tactics in 23’-33’ of water along with a mix of jigging and dead sticking realized an increase in their catch rate. Many reports of nice walleyes and saugers being found all over the water column 4-6 inches, 2’, sometimes 8’-10’ off bottom. If you don’t have a flasher and would like to give one a try, we have a few for rent. They do go fast so it is a good idea to call ahead to reserve. Travel time to the fish houses is about 30 minutes. The guides are moving houses daily to stay on the best bite. What are you waiting for? Come get your fish on. Ice fishing trips available through late March!

Look what the Swenson Group reeled in!

Ice Conditions
We have 22”-25” of ice in the areas we travel and fish right now.

Trail Report
Area lake and land trails are being groomed weekly. We received about four more inches of snow this week. We have 16-24 inches of snow on the ground. 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.

Treat your sweetie to a couple days of fishing this Valentines Day.
Two nights lodging in a lodge room or cabin and one day ice fishing $196 per person. Fish, relax and enjoy three nights of Valentine’s Day dining specials Feb 12-14.
*plus tax and based on double occupancy.