Lake of the Woods

The fish are still parked over the deep mud, and spinners and crankbaits remain the best options for getting at them. But there's a change in the air: water temps are starting to drop, now sitting in the mid-60s. That cooling trend is the first nudge toward the fall patterns Lake of the Woods anglers look forward to all year. Here's where things stand across the three areas this week.
Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)
The deep-mud bite is still going strong on the south end, and the two go-to presentations continue to deliver. For spinners, pink and firetiger blades have been the ticket. For crankbaits, start with blue/chrome, firetiger, shiny gold, or pink UV firetiger. As always, rotate your colors throughout the day and let the walleyes tell you what they want.  Some days they'll show a clear preference, and dialing it in makes a real difference.
Keep an eye on those falling water temps, too. As the lake continues to cool, the fish will gradually shift gears, and it won't be long before the jig bite starts to take over.
Rainy River
The Rainy River is producing a nice mixed bag right now, but the real excitement is what's on the horizon. As water temperatures fall, emerald shiners begin their fall run up the river — and the walleyes follow right behind them. That baitfish migration sets up the epic fall run of walleyes the Rainy River is famous for. It's one of the most anticipated bites of the year, and it's just getting started. If a fall trip is on your radar, the river is the place to keep an eye on.
Sturgeon anglers also mark September and October on their calendars as the bite really picks up.  Anchor up amongst the beautiful colors, watch the migration happen in front of your eyes and watch that rod tip!
NW Angle
Cooler water means things are only heating up at the Angle. Muskie activity typically picks up as fall approaches, and these world-class waters are a fantastic place to chase a giant. Beyond the muskies, some anglers love targeting the big black crappies tucked in among the islands out of the NW Angle, a real treat this time of year. Pike and bass fishing continues to be strong as well, rounding out a multispecies destination that only gets better as the season turns.
Walleye fishing also remains strong.  The beauty of the fall up at the Angle is hard to beat.
Before You Go
Looking ahead, September and into October bring a great jig bite across Lake of the Woods, making it one of the best times of the year to make a trip. Cool mornings, comfortable days, and outstanding fishing — it's hard to beat.
A quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.
There's still lots of open-water season left to enjoy. Plan your fall trip, come on up, and make some memories.
​

The successful summer pattern rolls on at Lake of the Woods, with big numbers of fish stacked over the deep mud. Most anglers are pulling spinners and crawlers or trolling crankbaits, and both are producing with great success. 
Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)
The deep mud on the south end remains the place to be. Big schools of walleyes are roaming the basin, and the same two presentations continue to shine: crawler harnesses pulled slowly behind a bottom bouncer, and crankbaits trolled to cover water and trigger active fish. Watch your electronics, get your presentation down to the fish, and the rest tends to take care of itself.
Just how good is that deep-mud bite? Good enough that the AIM Pro Walleye Series held its Minnesota Championship here this past week, and the winning bag of five walleyes tipped the scales at 54.29 pounds — right around an 11-pound average per fish. Many of the tournament anglers were using forward-facing sonar to sharp-shoot individual walleyes out over the deep mud, and the huge weights that came to the scale tell you everything you need to know about the caliber of fish swimming out there right now.
Most anglers are finding eater walleyes (under 19.5"), saugers, some slot fish that must be released (19.5 - 28.0 inches), and an occasional trophy (over 28").
Rainy River
For a change of scenery, the Rainy River is always a rewarding option. A resident population of walleyes lives here year-round, joined by good numbers of smallmouth bass, pike, and sturgeon, so there's plenty to keep a rod bent. Some anglers make the river their main destination this time of year, while others treat it as a great fallback when the wind kicks up on the big water. With miles of navigable, fish-filled current to explore, it rarely disappoints.
NW Angle
Up among the islands at the Angle, variety is the name of the game. Walleyes are being caught on both the Minnesota and Ontario sides, with spinners and crankbaits doing much of the work, though guides who favor structure will keep jigs tied on all summer with good results. Whether the fish are spread out over mud or schooled tight to a reef, good numbers and a genuine mixed bag are the rule up here — walleyes, pike, smallmouth, perch, and more all in play.
There's lots of good muskie activity throughout this part of the lake.  Reports are overall very good, with anglers casting shorelines with a variety of lures from spinners to topwater to hardbaits, nice fish are being caught.
Before You Go
We appreciate the tournaments that choose to come to Lake of the Woods, and we especially appreciate the catch-and-release format the vast majority of tournament circuits have adopted. Sending those big, healthy walleyes back to the water is a big part of what keeps this fishery as strong as it is.
A quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.
Fishing has been excellent, and there's still plenty of open-water season left to enjoy. Plan your trip, come on up, and make some memories.

A strong walleye bite continues across Lake of the Woods, with tons of eaters under 19.5 inches and good numbers of trophy walleyes over 28 inches and slot fish in the 19.5 to 28 inch range mixed right in. Two techniques have been doing the heavy lifting: pulling spinners and crawlers on crawler harnesses, and trolling crankbaits. Here's how it's shaping up across the three areas.Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)On the south end, the deep mud is holding big numbers of walleyes. Sizable schools are roaming the basin, and electronics easily pick them up.  Pulling spinners has been especially effective at 1.0 to 1.3 mph. The best colors this week have been gold/chartreuse, gold/pink, pink with a white back, and straight gold. It's worth understanding why spinners produce so well as they deliver flash, color, vibration, and scent all at once, and as you ease along at around 1.25 mph, you're also putting that presentation in front of a lot of fish. Add those factors together and you have a recipe for success.Crankbaits are putting plenty of fish in the boat too. As a rule, the fish in the basin are in 30 to 35 feet, so the trick is getting your bait down to them. There are several ways to do it.  You can use downriggers, leadcore line, snap weights, deep-diving cranks on superline, or a 4-ounce bottom bouncer paired with a 6-foot piece of monofilament and a shallow-diving crankbait.Trolled at 2.5 to 3.0 mph this time of year, a crankbait emulates an injured minnow. You pull it through thousands of fish while covering water and locating active, feeding schools. Some walleyes will strike purely on instinct even when they aren't in a feeding mood, this is one more reason trolling cranks is so deadly this time of year.Rainy RiverThe Rainy River is giving up a fun mixed bag. Between a resident population of walleyes and good numbers of smallmouth bass, pike, and sturgeon, there's always something to chase. Some anglers target the river specifically this time of year, while others keep it in their back pocket as a solid backup plan when the wind is blowing hard on the big water. Either way, 42 miles of navigable, fish-filled water makes the river a genuinely fun option.NW AngleUp at the Angle, walleyes are being caught in big numbers on both the Minnesota and Ontario sides. Once again, spinners and crankbaits are catching plenty of fish, though some guides who like to work structure will stick with jigs all summer long and do very well. It really comes down to where you're fishing and whether the fish are spread out or schooled up tight. Whatever the case, good numbers and a mixed bag are the rule among the islands.Muskie anglers are reporting a good bite.  With over 14,000 islands, there is plenty of structure and forage that supports this world-class muskie population.  Low light periods have been especially good.Before You GoA big thank-you goes out to the Warrior Boats David A. Andersen Memorial Walleye Shootout, which drew 184 boats this past Saturday. The winning bag? Five walleyes for 55.25 pounds — better than an 11-pound average per fish. Lake of the Woods usually produces, and these strong anglers clearly did their part too.A quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.
Fishing has been great, and there's still lots of open-water season left to enjoy. Charter boats, guides, and beautiful lodging are available. Plan your trip, come on up, and make some memories.

The walleyes remain locked into their deep summer patterns, and the caliber of fish coming off Lake of the Woods right now is turning heads. Numbers have been strong, the average size is impressive, and the trophies are showing up in a big way. Here's a look at the three areas this week.
Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)
On the south end, drifting spinners and crawlers and trolling crankbaits have been the go-to methods for most anglers. Both are excellent for locating fish, and once you find a school, things tend to go pretty well — lots of limits have been coming in.
The size structure is what really stands out. Anglers are boxing their eater walleyes under 19.5 inches, but there have been plenty of reports of good-sized slot fish in the 19.5 to 28.0 inch range that must be released, along with many true trophies over 28 inches. Need proof? The Minnesota Tournament Trail held its two-day event on the lake this past week, and the winning team's top ten walleyes weighed an incredible 96.30 pounds. That's a 9.63-pound average across ten fish. In a catch-and-release format, with most teams sharp-shooting big walleyes using forward-facing sonar, that kind of weight leaves no doubt: Lake of the Woods is a genuine trophy walleye lake. 
Colors...  Hammered gold, hammered silver, gold/red, gold/pink and bubble gum are good colors to start with.  Every day can be different based on cloud cover, sunny skies and the forage the fish are pursuing in your fishing spot.
Rainy River
The Rainy River keeps offering up a satisfying mixed bag. The approach for walleyes mirrors what's working on the main lake.  Some anglers jig key spots while others troll spinners and crawlers or crankbaits and a variety of species keeps things interesting. Sturgeon season is open as well, with the deep holes holding good numbers of these prehistoric giants for anyone looking to bend a rod on the biggest freshwater fish they'll ever catch.
NW Angle
Among the islands up at the Angle, structure continues to be the key. Walleyes are relating to the humps, reefs, and nearby mud, and the multispecies action is as good as anywhere on the lake — big pike, muskies, smallmouth bass, jumbo perch, and crappies all share the water. With so many spots to explore, a little time on the electronics goes a long way toward finding the day's best bite.
Before You Go
With so many big fish around, it's a good week for a regulations refresher. The combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required. When you do release those slot fish and trophies, a little care handling them goes a long way toward sending them back healthy.
Late summer is a wonderful time to be on Lake of the Woods, and lodging, guides, and charters around the lake are ready to put you on fish. It's a great stretch to plan a trip or maybe you are looking ahead to a fall trip.  Lots of options.
To find out more about fishing Lake of the Woods, check out our website at lakeofthewoodsmn.com/fishing/.
Stay connected on social media for daily updates all week long!

August carries a reputation as the "dog days" of summer, when the walleye bite on a lot of lakes slows to a crawl, Lake of the Woods is often crankin'. This is a fantastic month for walleyes and summer patterns are still firmly in place with lots of fish willing to cooperate. Here's a look at how the three areas are shaping up this week.Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)When you find a school, jigging is hard to beat right now. Anglers are doing well in 30 to 32 feet with a jig tipped with a frozen emerald shiner, a minnow, or a piece of crawler. Others are staying on the move and reporting good success pulling spinners and trolling crankbaits, which are great options for locating scattered fish and covering water to find fish.Colors this week... For spinners and jigs, bubblegum, gold and pink, and gold and red have been the standouts. Colors in general can change day to day depending on water clarity and whether it's sunny or cloudy.  For crankbaits, as a general starting point, shiny gold, chrome/blue, pink UV firetiger, and chartreuse are all worth trying. Let the fish tell you which one they want, then run with it.Rainy RiverThe Rainy River continues to serve up a mixed bag, and the approach mirrors what's working out on the lake. Some anglers are jigging key spots, while others are trolling spinners with crawlers or crankbaits.  Whatever the method, a variety of species are being caught. Sturgeon season is open, and the deep holes are holding these prehistoric giants for anglers looking to tangle with the biggest freshwater fish they'll ever catch.NW AngleUp at the Angle, structure is the key this week. Humps and sunken islands on the Minnesota side have been holding good numbers of walleyes, and pulling spinners tipped with a crawler has been an effective way to catch them. A good tactic here is to use your electronics to see if fish are present and what part of the structure they are holding.  Start deep, work up and over the top of the bar, then back down the other side. That lets you figure out whether walleyes are home and, just as important, which part of the structure they're living on that day. 
Muskies, pike, smallmouth bass, jumbo perch and big black crappies are also being caught amongst the 14,000+ islands in the area.Before You GoA quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. Lots of "slot" fish are being caught which provide a great fight and a good pic for memories.  August and September are excellent months to fish Lake of the Woods.  Some cool mornings and warm afternoons, and (hate to even mention it) fall right around the corner. It's the perfect stretch to get in one more summer trip before the seasons turn, so make your plans now. Lodging, guides, and charters around the lake are ready to help.

Some anglers write off August as the "dog days" of summer when it comes to walleye fishing.  A common theme on many bodies of water are weeds, warm water, deep fish and millions of minnows and young of the year fish that make it tough on walleye anglers.  Lake of the Woods is a huge exception and walleye fishing continues to be excellent.  
The summer patterns that have treated anglers so well are still firmly in place, and there are plenty of fish willing to cooperate. If a late-summer trip is on your mind, this is a great time to make it happen. Let's run through the three areas.Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)The deep mud is still the story on the south end. Big schools of walleyes and saugers are holding out over those flats, and the presentations that have carried the summer are as reliable as ever.Drifting or slow-trolling spinners and crawlers behind a bottom bouncer remains the bread-and-butter approach for putting good numbers in the boat. Trolling crankbaits over the same deep water is producing nicely too, and it's a great way to cover ground and pick off active fish. In the stained water Lake of the Woods is known for, gold paired with a bright accent — pink, orange, chartreuse, or glow white — continues to be a winning combination. Between the two techniques, there's no shortage of ways to stay on fish through the day.
No disrespect to the jiggers, many are setting up over and on the edges of reefs as well as over deep mud and doing well.  As long as you are on fish, vertical jigging with a minnow, leech or piece of crawler has been effective.Rainy RiverFor anglers craving variety, the Rainy River is a place to consider. It's a genuine mixed bag this time of year, including resident walleyes that live in these forage-rich waters year-round, smallmouth bass holding on rock and current breaks, pike patrolling the bays, and the river's legendary sturgeon in the thick of their summer harvest season. Bring a range of tackle and stay ready, because you never quite know what will pull back next.NW AngleUp among the islands, the multispecies action is hard to beat. Walleyes lead the way, but the Angle is loaded with options such as big pike, muskies, smallmouth bass, jumbo perch, and crappies, all part of the daily mix. Fish continue to slide between the rock structure and the adjacent mud, so a little exploring goes a long way, and the next spot may well serve up a different species than the last. It's a paradise for anyone who likes to catch fish and keep the day interesting.

Fishing has been very good on Lake of the Woods, and the numbers tell the story. Some years, anglers have to sift through small walleyes and saugers to put eaters in the box. Lately it's the opposite problem — anglers are sorting through slot fish in the 19.5 to 28.0 inch range, which must be released, to find their eaters under 19.5 inches, with an occasional trophy over 28 inches thrown into the mix. What a problem to have! Here's a look at all three areas this week.
Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)
Spinners and crawlers over the deep mud have emerged as the standout tactic for catching numbers of fish. The setup is simple and deadly effective: run a 2- to 3-ounce bottom bouncer or weight ahead of a two-hook crawler harness — a snelled spinner — tipped with a nightcrawler. Leave just a few inches of crawler trailing off the back hook and pinch the rest off. The fish will still hit it, and you'll turn more of those bites into hookups.
For colors, hammered gold, hammered copper, gold/orange, straight orange, and gold/pink have all been getting it done.
Crankbaits are worth keeping rigged up as well, and a number of anglers are trolling them with good success. With so many fish stacked over the deep mud in 30 to 38 feet, putting something that looks like an injured minnow in front of a walleye is awfully hard to beat. Between the two approaches, there's plenty of opportunity to stay on active fish all day.
Rainy River
The Rainy River is serving up a true mixed bag right now, which is exactly what makes it such a fun change of pace. Resident walleyes call these forage-rich waters home year-round, and alongside them you'll find smallmouth bass tucked into the rock and current breaks, pike prowling the back bays, and the river's famous sturgeon — the largest freshwater fish most anglers will ever tangle with — now in their summer harvest season. 
The river is beautiful in the summer months and doesn't see many anglers.  It's a nice option or perhaps an addition to fishing on the lake.
NW Angle
The NW Angle continues to deliver outstanding multispecies action, and that variety is its calling card. It's a beautiful area where the lake's 14,552 islands begin, and it is loaded with fish.  
Walleyes are the headliner, naturally, but big pike, muskies, smallmouth bass, jumbo perch, and crappies are all in the mix among the islands. With endless structure to explore and fish sliding between the reefs and the nearby mud, it's the kind of place where the next spot can produce a completely different fish than the last one. For an angler who loves a little of everything, it's tough to top.
There isn't a lot of big water in these parts.  The islands break up the big water, making it feel more like a number of small lakes versus one large body of water.  Fishing is world class!
Before You Go
A quick reminder on the regulations, since you'll be handling plenty of fish this week: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.
Whether you bring your own boat, book a guide, or step aboard a charter, the summer walleye bite is as consistent as it gets right now. Lodging and fishing opportunities around the lake are available for that summer getaway.
To find out more about fishing Lake of the Woods, check out our website at lakeofthewoodsmn.com/fishing/.
Stay connected on social media for daily updates all week long!

The summer patterns continue with great success on Lake of the Woods. The hot weather has the walleyes fired up and eating, and coolers are being filled with walleyes and saugers across the system. Three techniques are dominating right now, spinners and crawlers, jigging, and trolling crankbaits.   
Hot colors remain gold paired with brighter shades such as pink, chartreuse, orange, glow white, or a combination of these. Here's where things stand across the three areas this week.
Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)The big schools of walleyes and saugers are out over the deep mud, and all three of the go-to presentations are producing. Spinners and crawlers, jigging, and trolling crankbaits will each put fish in the boat.  Oftentimes, it's just a matter of matching the method to how the fish are set up on a given day.Crankbaits deserve a closer look this week. Both shad-style baits and the thinner minnow-style baits are doing well, so don't be afraid to alternate cranks until you find what the walleyes want that day. A lot of little factors go into that choice: Is it sunny or cloudy? What forage is prevalent in this part of the lake? Is the water stirred up or clean? All of these matter, and they can change from one day to the next.It also pays to experiment with speed. This time of year, 2.2 to 3.0 mph is a good bet. And think about where you're positioning the crankbait in the water column.  Sometimes, they want it right in their face, and other times it's better to run it above the fish and make them chase. Small adjustments like these often turn a slow stretch into a good one.Rainy RiverThe Rainy River continues to offer up a nice mixed bag. The walleyes here don't stack up the way they do during the spring and fall runs, but there's a strong resident population that lives in these forage-rich waters year-round, and the same summer presentations working out on the lake translate well to the river.The sturgeon harvest season is underway too, and these prehistoric giants remain one of the river's biggest draws — in most cases the largest freshwater fish an angler will ever catch. Smallmouth bass round out the mix around rock, current breaks, and shoreline structure.NW AngleUp at the Angle, there's endless structure and plenty of fish, so there are always walleyes relating to the rocks and reefs. As with the south end, though, many walleyes have slid off that structure and out over the adjacent mud, where the same spinner, jig, and crankbait programs are getting it done. It remains a true multispecies destination, with walleyes, saugers, pike, jumbo perch, and smallmouth all in the mix.  In addition, the muskie fishing is in full swing on some of the best water in the nation.Before You GoLake of the Woods absolutely shines this time of year. While many bodies of water struggle to produce consistent walleye catches through July and August, the fishing here stays strong right through the heat of summer.It's a great time to show the kids, or someone who doesn't fish much, some quality walleye action by stepping aboard a charter or hopping in with a guide. All guides on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River are licensed charter captains, and they're among the most talented in the walleye belt. All fishing equipment, bait, and fish cleaning is provided, so all you have to do is show up and enjoy the day. Lodging and fishing opportunities around the lake are available.A quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.To find out more about fishing Lake of the Woods, check out our website at lakeofthewoodsmn.com/fishing/.Stay connected on social media for daily updates all week long!

Summer walleye patterns are in place on Lake of the Woods. Big schools of walleyes and saugers are out on stretches of deep mud, and fishing has been excellent across the system. Most anglers are drifting spinners and crawlers right now, but some are still jigging or trolling crankbaits, and all three methods are working nicely. Here's where things stand across the three areas this week.
Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)
The big schools are out on the deep mud across Big Traverse Bay, and there's more than one good way to get at them. A common question this time of year is when to pull spinners or troll cranks versus when to jig, so here's a quick way to think about it.
When fish are spread out over a large area, spinners and crankbaits do a great job of covering water and putting your presentation in front of numbers of fish. The flash and vibration of a spinner blade, combined with the scent and action of a nightcrawler, is tough for a walleye to resist. Crankbaits work a little differently because they mimic an injured minnow or baitfish, and instinctively, walleyes notice that "injured" action. Even when they aren't actively feeding, instinct kicks in and they will often react.
Jigs, on the other hand, shine when fish are more concentrated over mud, or schooled tighter by a piece of structure. Vertical jigging with a minnow, a piece of crawler, or at times even a leech can be dynamite when you're sitting on fish. In fact, amongst the islands around the NW Angle, some guides leave their jigs on all year long.
As for color, two things guide the choice. The first is the color of the water you're fishing. In the stained waters of Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, gold combined with a bright color such as pink, orange, chartreuse, or glow white is a good bet. The second is the forage you're trying to imitate.  For emerald shiners, lean on silver and blue.  For crayfish, use orange, red, and gold.  For perch, use green, gold, and orange.
Rainy River
The Rainy River continues to produce a nice mixed bag. Some anglers are heading there specifically to target sturgeon, while others are simply taking a day, or part of a day, away from the walleyes to hook into a dinosaur. Either way, tangling with one of these prehistoric giants is an experience that's hard to top, and they're in the river in good numbers.
Specific sturgeon regulations and dates for Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River are:
-Harvest (Keep) Season: April 24–May 7, and July 1–September 30.
-Catch and Release Season: May 8–May 15, and October 1–April 23.
-Closed Season: May 16–June 30
The river is home to a number of fish all year long including walleyes, sauger, smallmouth bass, pike, crappies and the list goes on.  This is small water and doesn't see much traffic in the summer months compared to spring and fall.  
NW Angle
Up at the Angle, there's a ton of structure in these parts, and it's loaded with fish.  Walleyes will always relate to structure. That said, much like the south end of the lake, many walleyes are now sliding off the reefs and out over stretches of mud.
On the Minnesota side, Little Traverse Bay, which extends along the Canadian line south of Oak Island and east of Little Oak, is holding good numbers of fish this time of year. Making long drifts with a 2-ounce bottom bouncer paired with a spinner and crawler is tough to beat here. Similar pockets of mud exist off the deep sides of structure throughout the islands region.  Other areas with a mud bottom may not be as large, but they can still be super productive.
The muskie fishing is living up to its reputation, too. Good numbers of muskies are being caught and released right now. These waters are known for some of the best muskie fishing in the nation, and the current reports are proving that.
Before You Go
A quick reminder on the regulations. The combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.
Summer fishing has been excellent, and the walleye action is about as consistent as it gets. Whether you jump in with a fishing guide, hop aboard a charter, or bring your own boat, there's good fishing to be had right now.  When walleye fishing in other parts gets tough during the summer due to millions of minnows and young of the year fry, excessive weed growth and heavy recreational boat traffic, summer walleye fishing shines up at Lake of the Woods and is very consistent. 
To find out more about fishing Lake of the Woods, check out our website at lakeofthewoodsmn.com/fishing/.
Stay connected on social media for daily updates all week long!

Walleyes are being caught all over the lake right now in a wide variety of depths. This time of year, walleyes get dialed in on forage, and there are a lot of options for them — thank goodness there are millions of walleyes! Great reports came in this week with good numbers of fish, and the techniques producing are about as classic as they come. Here's where things stand across the system.Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)Two main techniques are doing most of the work right now: drifting or trolling spinners and crawlers, and vertical jigging. A third method, trolling or casting crankbaits, is producing for plenty of anglers as well. Here's how each is shaping up.For crawler harnesses, a go-to bottom bouncer is the 2-ounce size. That weight is effective both in shallow water and out over the deep mud. If it's windy and you're fishing deep (over 25'), shifting up to a 3-ounce weight helps keep your line at about a 45-degree angle just off the bottom. Run a two-hook harness with a #3 or #4 blade. Good color choices are gold, gold/pink, gold/red, pink, orange and chartreuse. One trick worth using: pinch off the back portion of the crawler so only a few inches hang past the back hook. The walleyes and saugers will still hit it, and your hookup percentage will climb. Ideally drift, or slow troll on calm days, at a go-to speed of about 1.25 mph. A little slower or faster is fine too — as long as the blade is spinning, you're in business.For vertical jigging, the go-to bait on a jig is a frozen emerald shiner. They've been tough for some folks to find, so a rainbow or fathead minnow will work just as well, and there were good reports this week from anglers tipping a jig with a piece of crawler. Jig colors to lean on are gold, or a combination of gold and orange, pink, or chartreuse.Trolling crankbaits is always a proven technique, and it'll catch just about everything that swims. The key is getting the right bait in front of the fish. If you're trolling shorelines, pick a crankbait with the right diving depth. If you're working the deep mud, tools like downriggers, leadcore line, snap weights, or even a 4-ounce bottom bouncer with a 6-foot piece of fluorocarbon or mono and a shallow-diving crankbait will get you down where the fish are.Rainy RiverA nice mix of fish is available on the Rainy River. A strong resident population of walleyes lives in the river year-round, and they're always available for anglers who put in the time.  Some anglers with their own boats did exactly that this week on some breezy days and did well.Smallmouth bass tend to get overshadowed by the great walleye fishery, but they're in good numbers and the fishing has been excellent. In a nutshell, target rocky points, rock reefs, and current breaks. 
A reminder for the sturgeon crowd, the sturgeon season re-opens July 1st. This is a keep (harvest) season, and these prehistoric fish are in big numbers in the river.  Target them with a no roll sinker about a foot up from a good sized circle hook loaded with crawlers.NW AngleWalleye fishing continues to be on fire up at the Angle as well, using the same spinner, jig, and crankbait programs working elsewhere on the lake.  All of that rock structure around the islands is holding good numbers of smallmouth bass as well.   Casting shorelines will catch you bass as well as a nice mixed bag.  
Muskie season is in full swing up at the Angle, and lots of big fish are being caught for anglers working amongst the 14,552 islands. Lake of the Woods is a world-class muskie fishery, and there's no better place to be in the middle of it. Before You GoLots of 4th of July celebrations are taking place on and around the lake, and there's still plenty of availability for that last-minute trip. Come on up, fish a little, celebrate a little, and make some Lake of the Woods memories.To find out more about fishing Lake of the Woods, check out our website at lakeofthewoodsmn.com/fishing/.Stay connected on social media for daily updates all week long!