Lake of the Woods Tourism Bureau

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Lake of the Woods Tourism Bureau Check out our virtual visitors' guide at
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Uffdah! There's a big fish party happening at Lake of the Woods.
12/07/2025

Uffdah! There's a big fish party happening at Lake of the Woods.

Yesterday's winning weight... 56.42 lbs. for 5 walleyes for the winning team of Stephen Roller and Pat McSharry. Congr...
11/07/2025

Yesterday's winning weight... 56.42 lbs. for 5 walleyes for the winning team of Stephen Roller and Pat McSharry. Congrats guys, that is a 11.28 lb. average per fish!

4 teams had over a 50 lb. bag for 5 walleyes.

Lake of the Woods is really living up to it's reputation as a trophy walleye factory.

Today is the second of two separate Minnesota Tournament Trail one-day tournaments. A big thank you to all anglers who participated and all involved.

10/07/2025

10lb average per walleye. Lake of the Woods!

If you like pursuing big walleyes on Lake of the Woods, this video is for you!
10/07/2025

If you like pursuing big walleyes on Lake of the Woods, this video is for you!

Lake of the Woods MN Fishing Report...It’s classic midsummer on Lake of the Woods, and the fishing is living up to its w...
08/07/2025

Lake of the Woods MN Fishing Report...

It’s classic midsummer on Lake of the Woods, and the fishing is living up to its world-class reputation. Right now, anglers are catching walleyes and saugers three main ways: jigging with frozen emerald shiners, pulling spinners with crawlers, and trolling crankbaits. Each of these techniques is putting plenty of fish in the boat.

On the South Shore… Good limits of walleyes and saugers continue to be the story. Fish are being caught in a wide range of depths, from 12 feet all the way out to 36 feet. Many walleyes have made their summer move over the deep mud, where both eater-sized fish and plenty of slot fish (19.5 – 28.0 inches) are being caught.

If you’re looking for hot colors this week, try pink/gold, blue/white, gold/red, or orange/chartreuse. Jigging with a frozen emerald shiner is still going strong, but spinner rigs tipped with crawlers are really picking up steam. Running spinners at 1.0 – 1.25 mph is a great way to cover water and find active fish. Trolling crankbaits is also very effective, whether you’re using leadcore, snap weights, bottom bouncers with a shallow diving crank, or downriggers to target the 25-36 foot range.

On the Rainy River… July 1st kicked off the sturgeon “keep season,” which means if you have a sturgeon tag, you can harvest one sturgeon between 45-50 inches or over 75 inches per calendar year. Catch and release is still allowed as well, offering plenty of chances to battle these prehistoric giants. The river is loaded with sturgeon right now, so it’s a perfect time to try your hand at these big fish that can reach weights over 100 lbs.

Walleyes and saugers are also being caught in the Rainy River, especially in deeper holes and around current breaks. Don’t overlook the river’s strong smallmouth bass population either — there are some real footballs to be caught.

There are some great summer options for fishing the 42 miles of navigable Rainy River. It is also a nice option if the wind blows or you want a change of scenery.

Up at the Northwest Angle… Most anglers are still jigging around the thousands of islands in 15-30 feet of water. As the summer progresses, bottom bouncers paired with crawler harnesses become even more effective, letting anglers cover ground across flats and along edges where mud meets structure.

It’s also muskie season up at the Angle, and fishing is going strong. Anglers are catching and releasing some beautiful fish. Remember, muskies are sensitive predators, so please take extra care when handling and photographing them to ensure a healthy release.

Why Lake of the Woods Shines in Summer. Across much of the walleye belt, summer can bring tough fishing. W**d growth, millions of young-of-the-year perch and other baitfish, and heavy boat traffic make them harder to catch. But that’s not the case on Lake of the Woods. The massive mud basin, countless reefs and rock piles, and sheer abundance of walleyes keep the bite consistent all summer long. More info at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com.

The weather the next couple of weeks looks excellent for fishing Lake of the Woods and catching some nice walleyes! Som...
06/07/2025

The weather the next couple of weeks looks excellent for fishing Lake of the Woods and catching some nice walleyes! Some good summer pricing available, act now! www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/lodging

05/07/2025

Some tips on jigging up walleyes on Lake of the Woods.

-Alternate colors and sizes along with what bait you put on a jig with others on the boat until you dial the walleyes in. An emerald shiner on LOW is tough to beat

-Pound the bottom and lift the jig into the strike zone, it gets the walleyes attention. Oftentimes, walleyes sense vibration through their lateral line before they ever see their prey. This is especially true in stained water lakes like LOW.

-Use a large enough jig so you can easily detect the bottom and have good control. On LOW vs clear water lakes, the walleyes and saugers aren't so picky and oftentimes like a larger profile.

-Shake the jig. Just like ice fishing, keep the jig in the strike zone and shake it like heck with short little shakes, and then hold it in place.

-Lift the jig slowly a few feet off of the bottom and slowly let it descend. Just like ice fishing, fish oftentimes will chase it up instinctively. Others will hit it on the drop. Fish see up better than down so you can actually attract the attention of nearby fish who otherwise may not notice your jig.

-Periodically, lift you rod tip to see if there is extra weight. Oftentimes, a walleye will have your jig in it's mouth with no "tap". Lift periodically and if there is extra weight, set the hook!

The jig bite is still hanging on nicely, as it often shifts to pulling spinners / crawlers and crankbaits during July and August.

With that being said, there are some guides who fish the islands up at the NW Angle who keep a jig on for their customers all summer long!

The good thing, the walleyes and sauger bite continues to be super good on Lake of the Woods.

What caption would you use for this awesome photo?A young person catching a fish. There is something so special about t...
03/07/2025

What caption would you use for this awesome photo?

A young person catching a fish. There is something so special about the excitement and feelings it provokes. An experience like this can get a kid into fishing the rest of their life. This photo is from a back bay on the Rainy River.

02/07/2025

Summer walleye fishing is going strong. Some are jigging, some are pulling spinners and yet other anglers are trolling crankbaits.

It's been a special year and it has no signs of slowing down. The time to book your trip is now!

It's July 1st and the summer sturgeon season on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River are open!
01/07/2025

It's July 1st and the summer sturgeon season on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River are open!

Lake of the Woods MN Fishing Report — Fishing Remains Excellent!Fishing continues to be outstanding on Lake of the Woods...
30/06/2025

Lake of the Woods MN Fishing Report — Fishing Remains Excellent!

Fishing continues to be outstanding on Lake of the Woods. Whether you’re jigging, pulling spinners, or trolling crankbaits, anglers are enjoying steady action and taking home plenty of walleyes and saugers.

On the South Shore... Good numbers of walleyes are now gravitating to the deep mud basin. This time of year, it’s common to see bug hatches over the deep mud, which attracts hungry walleyes looking for an easy meal. Fishing anywhere from 27 to 35 feet has been productive.

The jig bite remains strong. Many anglers are still anchoring up or spot-locking and working a jig tipped with a frozen emerald shiner. Hot jig colors this week include orange and chartreuse, gold combined with orange or pink, as well as glow white. Mixing up your colors and letting the fish tell you what they want can really pay off.

Spinners and crawlers are also gaining momentum. Drifting or slowly trolling at 1.0 to 1.25 mph with a 2 - 3 ounce weight or bottom bouncer, a two or three hook harness with a hammered gold blade paired with pink, orange, chartreuse, or glow red or white beads has been very effective. This technique is a great way to cover water and entice walleyes spread out over the basin. Many anglers report catching a mix of walleyes and saugers using this method.

Trolling crankbaits is another excellent option right now. Some anglers are trolling using downriggers to get their lures down to the fish. Others are using leadcore line, snap weights, or a 3-4 ounce bottom bouncer paired with a 6-foot mono or fluorocarbon leader with a shallow diving crankbait. These setups are helping anglers reach the right depth and keep their baits in the strike zone. The ability to cover lots of water while presenting wobble, vibration, and color makes trolling cranks a very effective way to locate and catch walleyes.

On the Rainy River... The Rainy River is still producing some nice walleyes, and it won’t be long until anglers start shifting their attention to sturgeon again. Sturgeon season opens on July 1st, and the river is loaded with these prehistoric giants. If you’re planning a trip in July or August, soaking a few crawlers on a sturgeon rig can give you the chance to hook into one of the biggest fish of your life.

Up at the Northwest Angle... Excellent fishing continues at the Angle. Walleyes are being found from 12 to 24 feet, relating to both mud and structure. The jig and minnow bite remains solid on rock and sand transitions, while other anglers are also pulling spinners or crankbaits along shoreline breaks and over deeper mud areas. This is producing not just walleyes, but also a nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, and even smallmouth bass.

Muskie anglers have been busy with nice numbers of fish and some big ones. Some fish exceeding 53 inches were caught this past week.

Plan Your Trip. Lake of the Woods is living up to its reputation as the Walleye Capital of the World. With a healthy population of walleyes, saugers, pike, smallmouth bass, and soon, sturgeon back in season, now is a perfect time to get out on the water. Whether you’re fishing with your own boat, hiring a guide, or jumping on a charter, the opportunities for success are excellent.

For more information on resorts, guides, charters, or trip planning tools, check out LakeoftheWoodsMN.com.

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Welcome to Lake of the Woods

The Lake of the Woods area including the Rainy River, City of Baudette, Northwest Angle and Lake of the Woods County welcomes you to The Walleye Capital of the World. Find more info at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com