Anglers report strong walleye and sauger action on Lake of the Woods

24 inch walleye in fish house_Arnesen's Rocky Point_121921.jpg — Anglers on Lake of the Woods are finding plenty of walleyes in the 19.5- to 28-inch protected slot, such as this 24-inch walleye caught and released recently out of Arnesen's Rocky Point Resort.

By Lake of the Woods Tourism

December 20, 2021 11:22 AM

South shore

Ice fishing is going strong on Lake of the Woods. As the ice thickens, resorts / outfitters start increasing weight limits. Each area of the lake can have very different ice conditions; check ahead based on where you access the lake. Stay on marked ice roads, trails, etc.

Fishing reports for walleyes and saugers are excellent. Most anglers report catching numbers of fish and having to sort through many small fish to find keepers. Good for the future but make sure you have plenty of bait. Nice numbers of slot fish (19.5 to 28 inches) are being caught, quickly photographed and released. There is a good population of trophy walleyes over 28 inches in the lake, and they are being caught as well.

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Good action in 21 to 27 feet of water. For those who are portable, some morning / evening fish are being caught closer to shore in 9 to 18 feet of water.
The one-two punch – jigging one line and deadsticking your second line – is most effective. Gold, glow colors, lighted lures and lures with vibration and rattles are effective on jigging line. Use a live minnow set just off the bottom on the second line for the deadstick presentation. Some anglers use a plain hook, others prefer an ice jig.

Pike anglers are still finding good numbers of pike on tip ups, and plenty of pike also are being caught by walleye anglers. Eelpout, jumbo perch, tullibees, sturgeon and an occasional crappie are showing up as well. You never know on Lake of the Woods.

Sturgeon in fish house_Border View Lodge_121921.jpg — Anglers on Lake of the Woods also are hooking into the occasional sturgeon, such as this fish caught recently in a Border View Lodge rental house.

Rainy River

The Rainy River is ice covered, and where there is good ice, anglers are finding walleyes and sturgeon. With the current of the river, knowing where and where not to travel and working through resorts or outfitters who know ice conditions is key.

Fishing this week has been good. The walleye bite is best in the mornings and evenings. Sturgeon are still active and creating some sore arms!

Northwest Angle

Ice is progressing nicely ,and the walleye fishing is starting out good. Depending upon where resorts have fish houses, some are active mornings and evenings with a lull during the day. Others positioned in deeper water pick at fish all day but not the flurries. Both are good options.

The snowmobile trails along both the west and east sides of the lake are open, groomed and staked. The ice runway for Lake Country Air is open and flights are delivering anglers. Bomber service across the lake via Lake of the Woods Passenger Service is anticipated after Christmas.

Driving via land to and from the Angle through Canada is open, but proof of full vaccination and a negative PCR COVID test is required. Plan ahead with testing or signing up for rapid tests available in Baudette and this week in Warroad. Once at the Angle, no additional COVID testing is necessary for traveling back south from the Angle through Canada.

A complete list of lodging and ice fishing packages around Lake of the Woods, the Northwest Angle, Baudette and the Rainy River is available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging .