Ice Anglers Catching Good Numbers of Fish

[lakeofthewoodsmn]

On the south end...  Ice fishing is in full swing and a great week it was.  As the ice thickens, some resorts / outfitters are using bombardiers and others are allowing one ton trucks on ice roads.  Check with ice road operators for specifics as ice conditions vary.  Stay on marked ice roads, trails, etc.

Fishing reports for walleyes and saugers are good.  Ice anglers are still catching numbers of walleyes and saugers, sorting through smaller fish to find keepers.  Slot and trophy walleyes in the mix along with eelpout, jumbo perch, pike, tullibee, and sturgeon. 

Good action in 25 - 28 feet of water.  Jig one line.  Vibration and rattles on some days, other days no rattles.  Even if the fish aren't hitting noisier presentations, it still helps others in the fish house to attract them.

Deadstick your second line.  Gold, glow, pink, glow red, glow green are all effective colors.  Often, a plain glow hook, colored hook or an ice jig tipped with a live minnow 6" - 1' off of the bottom is the ticket.

For those who are portable, the morning / evening walleyes are being caught 10-15' along shore and can be a fun way to start or end the day.  Must be set up early and stay till just after dark ideally.

On the Rainy River...  The Rainy River is ice covered and where there is good ice, anglers are still finding walleyes primarily morning and evening.  Gold and glow with one jigging line and one deadstick working well.

Sturgeon bite continues for anglers wanting to catch a dinosaur through the ice.  A few frozen shiners and even crawlers if you can get them on a hook with a 3/4 ounce egg sinker or on a spoon fished on or near the bottom is the goto. 

With the current of the river, knowing where and where not to travel and working through resorts / outfitters who know ice conditions is key.  The snowmobile trail is marked from Baudette to Wheeler's Point up to the Angle.

Up at the NW Angle...  The walleye fishing remains strong with saugers, jumbo perch, and pike being caught as well.  Fresh fish frys are the norm!

A nice morning / evening bite in 15 - 18' off of shoreline / island points and adjacent to structure. More of a daytime bite on deeper structure and mud. 

Again, the one two punch, jigging and deadstick.  Glow and bright colors have been effective much like the south shore. Glow minnow baits like a jigging rap tipped with a minnow head on the middle treble hook effective.

Travel to the Angle without crossing the border.  The snowmobile trails along both the west and east sides of the lake are full of snow, groomed and staked for travel up to Angle resorts.  The ice runway for Lake Country Air is open and flights from South St. Paul, Baudette, Warroad and other adjacent cities available.  Round trip bombardier service across the lake to your favorite resort via Lake of the Woods Passenger Service is another good option.

Driving via land to and from the Angle through Canada is open.  Must be vaccinated and have a negative PCR COVID Test less than 72 hours from when the test was taken. Get tests before you travel up or rapid tests are available in Baudette and 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 LOW, the NW Angle, Baudette and the Rainy River at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.