If you are an outdoorsy person, fall in MN is an incredible season.  “Sweatshirt weather” as some call it features the changing colors of the leaves, the migration of birds coming from the north and in these parts, means the shiner and walleye run on the Rainy River.

It’s a fall tradition for many.  Coming to the Rainy River to take advantage of the fall run of walleyes chasing the millions of emerald shiners running up the river is what many anglers dream of.  Some anglers will bring their own boats, and you don’t need a very big boat to fish the relatively small Rainy River.  Other anglers will jump on a charter boat or in with a guide from a local resort.

If you chat with a resort owner or bait dealer, they talk about the shiners in terms of “gallons”.  This is the time of the year folks in the bait business really to stock up on the effective and popular bait that is used four seasons per year.  Emerald shiners are an awesome bait both alive and frozen.  These minnows are normally netted off the ends of docks with big lights at night.  When the shiners are running, literally huge schools of bait will swirl under the lights.  As we have seen over the past couple of weeks, walleyes and pike are often mixed in with these minnows.

There has been a good number of shiners this fall so far.  How do we know?  A few ways.  First, those who have lights out at the end of the dock see them at night.  Second, in the river and Four Mile Bay, there will be various kinds of fish eating birds diving into the water all in the same area, many coming up with shiners.  Finally, anglers can see some big schools on their electronics.

Anglers are excited as some walleyes have started coming into Four Mile Bay and up the river.  Walleyes are being caught from the mouth of the river all the way up river to Birchdale.  These fish are a combination of local fish that live in the river along with the new walleyes coming in from the lake chasing the shiners.  It hasn’t been a slamfest for the walleyes yet, but things are definitely happening and fish are being caught.

Most anglers will go after these walleyes with a jig and minnow.  Often a frozen shiner is the bait of choice.  The shiners are a staple for Lake of the Woods walleyes, they are flashy and have a great stink to them in which the walleyes can hone into in the stained waters of this body of water.

Some anglers will actually pull crankbaits for these fish.  A few years ago on a nice fall afternoon while I was jigging up a few walleyes jigging, a couple of Ranger boats slid by me trolling.  The boats had Iowa boat licenses and were consistently catching walleyes as they approached.  In a kidding manner, I commented to them, “You can’t catch walleyes trolling now, the water is too cold.”  They smiled as they reeled in another fish, “Yeah, we know.  And so do the two trophy walleyes and dozens of other fish we caught today.  We actually target the Rainy River trolling each year as we have such good luck.”

Charter boat captains comment they can tell when a shiner run has entered the bay and river as they drive out in the morning, they can see clouds of bait on their electronics.  There is a ton of bait and walleyes staged in front of the Lighthouse Gap currently waiting to enter the river.  The entire south shore of the lake has had a good bite in 15-24′ of water depending upon the day.  This also bodes well for ice anglers for the upcoming ice season.  If the walleyes are along the south shore in the fall, they normally stick for the ice season.

Many anglers enjoy the small water experience of the river vs the big open water of Big Traverse Bay, especially if they have a smaller boat.  The river is a great asset for small boats.

Fall is a great time on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River.  The fish are biting nicely.  A mix of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch and pike are being caught on a consistent basis right now.  Fall is clipping along and now is a good time to get that last special fishing trip in.

For more info on fall fishing on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, check out some of the great fall specials offered by area resorts.

General info about Lake of the Woods

Info on Fishing the Rainy River

Lodging and Guides

Many sportsmen look forward to this time of year and start getting out their hunting gear. While many anglers are still chasing those great walleyes in the waters of Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, others are getting their bows out and sighting in their guns for the deer season.

Hunting season safety precautions should not be taken lightly and should most definitely be followed. Adhering to the standards of safety hunting is of utmost importance and could actually be your ticket to a great and successful hunting experience. Wearing the hunters orange is a safety law in most hunting areas and there are a multitude of reasons why you should never neglect this law. This is also important for grouse hunters walking the woods.

Bow season is now in session for whitetail deer and orange apparel is a necessity. Wearing the blaze orange or hunter’s orange is for your safety as a hunter and in addition, having clothing that has a bright hue can help rescuers find you easily in case you get lost .

Deer hunting with a bow is a great way to enjoy autumn. Whether you use a compound bow, crossbow, recurve bow or traditional long bow, you are in for a special experience.

Archery season opens more than a month before the statewide firearms season and continues long after the firearms season has closed, giving you plenty of time to hunt when pressure is low.

Archery deer hunting can be quite inexpensive. All that is truly needed are bow, arrows and a knife for dressing the deer.

The most common form of deer hunting in Minnesota is to simply sit in an elevated stand or ground blind and wait for a deer to come to you. Yes, some hunters “still hunt,” which means they walk slowly, quietly and rhythmically and stop often in hopes of seeing a deer.

Similarly, some hunters hunt in groups that conduct “deer drives.” Deer drives typically involve splitting into groups: those who have the job of driving deer out of heavy cover and those who have the job of trying to shoot them as they elude the drivers. Deer drives work best in landscapes and habitats where escape routes are fairly predictable, such as a wooded draw between two open farm fields.

Since deer hunting is largely about sitting quietly, especially during prime deer movement times near dawn and dusk, there are some things you should be looking for when selecting a hunting site.

During the rifle hunting season laws require to wear gear that has at least 20 inches of hunters orange in it. The main point of it is to be seen in the woods and fields by others and prevent other hunters mistaking you for a deer or shooting at your direction altogether.

The deer can’t tell!  Deer can’t exactly see things like we humans do. They are only able to see colors with smaller wavelengths like dark green, dark blue and even ultraviolet light! And more importantly, deer may be color blind but they are able to differentiate the environment from humans through shapes so the more blaze orange there is on your clothes, the more noticeable you are likely to become for the deer. The deeper you are in the woods, the harder it is to see you even if you’re wearing a full blaze orange jacket.

All in all, a deer’s eyesight isn’t the same as humans. They are able to see shorter wavelengths down to the ultraviolet light, but not bright red and orange. This is the reason why hunters wear blaze orange for safety purposes when hunting. It appears brown or gray to the deer but is very bright and clear to the human eye. Not only does blaze orange help other hunters distinguish game from humans, but it can also be helpful when being rescued. Safety first is always the motto for a safe hunting season at Lake of the Woods.

For information on hunting lands, guides or lodging, see our website at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com or www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging

Visit the MN DNR site at: Hunting deer with a bow and arrow | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us)

Also check out our Face Book page at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn

I guess having a choice is a good thing.  Take ice fishing on Lake of the Woods for example.  There are many choices when planning an ice fishing adventure on The Walleye Capital of the World.  Let’s break things down a bit in an effort to help you make the best decision for you.

WHAT PART OF THE LAKE OR RIVER SHOULD I FISH?

When planning ice fishing on Lake of the Woods, take into consideration there are three parts of Lake of the Woods.

1.Rainy River.  Yes, there will be walleyes in the river when we get ice this year, but we caution anglers about ice fishing the river unless you are with a resort or outfitter, so we are careful to say too much about it.  Locals fish it as do a few resorts / outfitters.  We encourage visitor and locals alike to communicate with resort owners, bait shops, etc. before traveling out.  Safety first, both on the river and lake.

2.  Big Traverse Bay.  This is the main basin of the lake and is targeted by resorts at the mouth of the Rainy River as well as on the south shore of the lake.  This is big ice that extends about 30 miles north / south by 25 miles east / west.  Resorts and outfitters offer a variety of day house and sleeper fish house rentals.  There are ice roads once the ice is thick enough that you can drive to your fish house on your own.  Resorts will transport you out both during the early ice season and when bombardiers and track rigs are being used by resorts and outfitters vs ice roads.

3.  NW Angle.  This is the northernmost point of the contiguous U.S. and is where the 14,552 islands begin.  To travel by land, one must travel through Canada and then back into the U.S. up at the Angle.  This means having the proper credentials to enter Canada, a passport, passport card or birth certificate and government issued ID.

The 40 mile drive through Canada is beautiful and part of the adventure to the Angle.

For those who want to avoid customs in traveling to the Angle, there is the option of taking the snowmobile trail across the lake or utilizing the Lake of the Woods Passenger Service which takes you up to your favorite resort via bombardier during the winter months.

In these scenarios, you are staying in MN the entire trip and do not need credentials to cross the border because you aren’t.

HOTEL, RESORT LODGE ROOM, CABIN, LOG CABIN, VILLA?  

With about 60 lodging facilities up at and around Lake of the Woods, there are options.  There is really something for every taste and every budget.  Check out our list of lodging options around the lake or check out our lodging availability request tool which sends your request to the lodging facilities in the geographic area in which you choose.

Deciding on what type of accommodations often depends upon what kind of group you have.  Some may want lodging a bit nicer and private.  A group of young guys, for example, may not be as particular and are just looking for a clean hotel or cabin to lay their head at night.  The point is, there are many nice options and doing a bit of research on the Lake of the Woods Tourism Lodging Page to what exists can pay dividends.

COOK MY OWN MEALS OR EAT OUT?  

Some groups do both.  Depending upon where you stay, you might have a restaurant and bar right at your resort.  If not, there are surely lots of options in very close proximity.

Lake of the Woods resorts and area restaurants have some incredible food options.  If part of the enjoyment of your trip is eating out and not having to cook, you have some wonderful food options.  Whether you appreciate a hand pressed cheeseburger and fries, a homemade pizza, authentic Italian night or a thick juicy steak with shrimp, there are options.

BRING YOUR OWN FISH HOUSE, RENT A DAY HOUSE OR RENT A SLEEPER FISH HOUSE?  

1. Bring your own fish house.  There are lots of options.  A number of resorts plow ice roads in which you can bring your own equipment after paying a road fee.

2.  Rent a fish house.  When planning ice fishing, some might consider to rent a fish house for the day. Some call these “day houses”, as you use them during daylight hours and come back to shore at night.

The house is all set up in an area where the guides believe the fish will be.  The holes are drilled and the heat on.  There are no worries with snow drifts, slush, cracks, mobility.  The work has been done for you and you spend your time fishing.

In some cases you drive your own vehicle to the door of your fish house and come and go as you please.  In other cases, the resort will transport you to the door of your house with no ice roads around.  In most cases, ice guides check on you throughout the day to make sure everything is going well.  At around sunset, they pick you and your fish up and transport you back to the resort just in time for happy hour.  Some will actually clean your fish as well.

3.  Sleeper Fish Houses.  There are some ice anglers when planning to ice fish really enjoy sleeping and cooking on the ice.  This is almost like ice “glamping”.   It isn’t quite ice camping as the thermostat is set at around 70, there are cooking facilities and some of the sleeper houses are very nice.

A number of resorts and outfitters offer sleeper fish houses for rent.  Usually set up with a couple of bunk beds, people enjoy fishing all day and even have the line in at night.  Not known as a night bite lake, anglers will pull eelpout and an occasional walleye from the depths at night.

Imagine waking up early in the morning in a warm, cozy fish house, having a hot cup of coffee watching your electronics as the bottom starts to come to life.

Others enjoy the spectacle mother nature can put on.  Not only is this icescape beautiful during the day, the night sky is normally lit up with so many stars, brighter than you have ever seen.  Milky ways.  The brilliance of the night sky is awe inspiring partly because of how far north you are and partly because of no light pollution.  The scenery can be spectacular. Ice fishing up at Lake of the Woods is a tradition for many.

Check out a “Bar on the Ice”

That’s not a typo!  There are two options to have a cold one out on the frozen ice of Lake of the Woods.  One option is the Igloo Bar out of Zippel Bay Resort.  This Igloo is actually in two pieces, and is hauled out on the ice when the ice is about 15 inches thick.  It is placed, typically, about 3 miles out on the frozen lake.

The Igloo is 1,000 square feet, has two big screen TV’s, instant cash machine, almost full bar and a limited food menu.  Oh, and one other thing, you can actually fish inside the bar.  That’s right, for a small fee, you can watch tv, have your favorite beverage and ice fish.  Each year, many pike over 40 inches and some nice walleyes are caught inside the bar.

The second ice bar is the Angry Walleye.  Accessed through Cyrus Resort, this bar is a short drive out and offers a beautiful setting with most of your favorite beverages and homemade pizzas available.  Many come from land, while others stop in to check on the bite during the day or when they are driving off at the end of the day.

Whether you are a hard core angler and running around the lake looking for big fish or you are a beginner and maybe have never tried ice fishing before, one thing this area offers is choices for planning ice fishing!

Click Here for planning ice fishing or to Access Lake of the Woods lodging options.

Click Here for the Lodging Availability Finder.

Click Here to return to the Lake of the Woods Tourism website.

Hunting and Fishing at Lake of the Woods is incredible, and the seasons are in full swing right now!! Plan to take your trip to take part in all that the season offers.

First off…Grouse hunting season is on! We offer 3 different type of grouse in the area, the Ruffed Grouse, Spruce Grouse, and Sharp-tailed Grouse known as Sharpies. Ruffed Grouse and Spruce grouse roam the same type of area habitat while the Sharpies mainly stay in agricultural lands.

Getting off the trail is key to getting more flushes in this area. Not many hunters will go break brush so many of the birds go unseen and unflushed. Ruffed and Spruce Grouse season runs from September 16^th through January 1, 2024. Sharp tailed grouse season runs from September 16^th to November 30^th.

There is an area just to the west of Baudette, Beltrami Island State Forest has thousands and  thousands of acres of land, dirt roads, ATV trails and walking trails which is very good grouse habitat. There is so much habitat and such a variety of habitat that grouse have everything they want and need to flourish.

Waterfowl season is next week. North ducks coots, mergansers season starts September 23 and runs until November 30^th.  Lake of the Woods is heavily visited and hunted as it is a prime destination. Hunters used the multiple  bays and fields in the area as many residential birds flocked over-head. Goose season runs from September 23- December 22. They are already flying in their formations and landing in our fields to feed for their trek south.

Minnesota regulations require a seasonal license as well as Duck and Goose Stamps to legally hunt. Lake of the Woods is located in the North Zone. Lake of the Woods has the perfect locations to invite this waterfowl to land and get ready for their retreat south. The weather has been perfect for duck and goose hunters with fall colors spurring on the action.

Points of interest: on the Rainy River is 4 Mile Bay, then you head west on the South Shore towards Bostic Bay, Zippel Bay, and Swift Ditch, which all offer great cover, the rest is located north to the NW Angle to hunt points off the main land, as well as many bays and points of islands. Geese hunters sit in blinds located in fields or swamp marshes.

Hunters that were new to the area used our resorts as their personal guided outfitters to find that perfect niche. That’s right, resorts do not just cater to the angler. They are your one stop shop for all your outdoors-man (and women) wants and needs. Many resorts offer cast and blast opportunities. Check out our hot deals page here as deals pop up during the fall.

Hunting and fishing also includes the White-tail Deer Season. Archery hunting started September 16^th and runs through December 31^st. Firearm season runs from November 4^th through 19^th for most of the north country. If you are a muzzle-loader hunter, your season runs from November 25- December 10^th.

Something you might not have thought of is trapping beaver. Yes, there is a season for that also and those dates are October 28^th-May 15, 2024. Hwy 72 which leads you to the northland is very wooded and has deep ditches on each side. The beaver population is already busy falling trees to build their dams for the winter. Hunting these animals is almost a lost art but also serves the area in keeping their population down.

As you can see, hunting and fishing in this area proves to be a sportsman’s paradise. Fall fishing has already started drawing fish from the deeper waters of Lake of the Woods into shallower areas and also into the bays and especially into the Rainy River.

Trophy fish are a usual sight during these fall months. So…the ability to go smack a limit of walleyes and hunt for grouse, geese, or ducks in the same day is enough to get sportsman’s and sportswomen’s blood pumping for fall.

Remember during this hunting and fishing season that color is very important. Be sure to get out your orange and/or red apparel and practice all of the hunting safety that you can. Safety is always the most important element when hunting and fishing.

Also, be sure to check out the Minnesota Department of Resources site for all rules and regulations, limits and licensing necessary for a successful experience.

For more information on the area see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

Lodging: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging

See our Face Book page at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn

If you follow Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, have probably heard the fall bite has started in many areas.  A good number of the walleyes being caught these days is on a jig and minnow.  As water temps cool and days become shorter, this technique will only rise in popularity.  There are a number of nuances when it comes to jigs and minnows and each angler hastheir favorites.  It is good to have a number of tools in your jigging tool belt when it comes to jigging.

One thing is for sure, fall is the season to jig for walleyes.

Color.  Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River have stained water.  Consequently, there are some go to colors that work quite consistently.  Gold is one color that absolutely shines and is a staple color in anglers fishing this system.  As many long time LOW anglers will tell you, use any color on LOW as long as it’s gold.  In some cases, the gold is combined with other colors such as glow red, glow, pink or orange.

Other strong colors are pink, orange, chartreuse and glow.  Glow is an interesting choice in colors as it really shows up nicely in stained water.  The other caveat is the different colors of glow that are available now.  Glow red, glow pink, etc.  Glow is also a nice complimentary color that is added to other colors.

There are also jigs now that have many different edges, almost like a disco ball.  These jigs reflect light differently and some anglers swear by them. 

Shape and noise.  Some jigs have different shapes.  Most are round but there are other shapes that can be attractive to walleyes.  In current, thinner molded jigs can cut the current allowing a different action and allow a lighter jig to be used.

Some jigs have extra noise attractants on them.  In some cases it’s a rattle, in other cases a propeller or spinner.  It is amazing how, in some cases, a little bit of noise can make such a difference.

Hooking the minnow.  Most anglers who jig simply hook the minnow through the lips.  This technique is effective unless the walleyes are short biting. Many of the charters on LOW have their customers hook the frozen shiners through the mid body.  Basically, place the hook of the jig through the mouth and out of the gill of the shiner, push it all the way up to the lead head and then hook the minnow through the mid section.  In the stained water, the walleyes are less finicky about the presentation and this allows for a better percentage of successful hooksets.

Add a Stinger Hook.  Stinger hooks can make the difference between a great day of fishing and just an OK day of fishing.  A stinger hook is a small treble hook on a short piece of fishing line attached to your jig.  The purpose of the stinger is to get a hook in the tail area of your minnow if the walleyes are short biting and you are missing bites.  It has amazed me over the years first off how delicate a nice walleye can bite.  Secondly, how such a small stinger hook can stick a bit walleye and keep it buttoned up to the net.

Jigging can be an easy way to fish, certainly effective and relaxing.  At the same time, there are ways to get this technique to be more productive.  Thinking about the nuances and understanding how to use them can up the ante on your walleye jigging performance.

Here is a taste of what can happen on the Rainy River this fall!

To learn more about Lake of the Woods, check out the Lake of the Woods Tourism website.

To find a guide, charter boat or lodging, check out our lodging page.

Looking for a great adventure? Come to Lake of the Woods in the fall and fish the Rainy River. Along this river you will find great access points. Rainy River is the border that separates the United State from Canada in Minnesota. It’s a huge and beautiful river that flows from Rainy Lake near International Falls to the big basin of Lake of the Woods. The fall of the year finds anglers fishing these waters for trophy walleyes.

It serves to mention here that the Rainy River regulations in the fall state that fishing is only catch and release, so bring that camera to record your great catch.

Great access points for anglers fishing the Rainy River in the fall are a great way to take a break, pick up lunch or some snacks for the boat. Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River are serviced by a number of beautiful river access points.  The closest access to Four Mile Bay, Pine Island and Big Traverse is at Wheeler’s Point.

The MN DNR maintains this access and it is like a four lane highway for boats to be launched. During tournaments, a spectator will be amazed at the hundreds of boats with contestants from all parts of the country waiting in their boats like horses in stanchions before they depart on their race. Wheeler’s Point river access is the headquarters.

We’re starting our tour of river access points here because as the waters cool, walleyes move in from the big waters and are found in shallower depths along Pine Island, etc. Then another illusive phenomenon happens. A small fish called the emerald shiner moves up the Rainy River to do its spawning.

The emerald shiner is one of hundreds of small, silvery, slender fish species known as shiners. The identifying characteristic of the emerald shiner is the silvery emerald color on its sides. It can grow to 3.5 inches in length and is found across North America from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, commonly in large, deep lakes and rivers, though sometimes in smaller bodies of water as well. It feeds on small organisms such as zooplankton and insects, congregating in large groups near the surface of the water. It is a quite common fish and is often used as a bait fish.

The next public accesses on the Rainy are located in the town of Baudette. Near the Canadian Border crossing, you will find a popular public dock at the rest area known as Peace Park. There is a boat ramp with ample parking for boats and trailers at this site.

Moving into the center of town on the Baudette Bay is a boat dock where you can tie up your boat and walk up Willie Walleye Hill to get a coffee or find groceries and supplies at the local grocery store.

At the eastern side of Baudette at Timbermill Park you will find a great place to dock your boat and again there is plenty of parking area available.

Moving to the east six miles from Baudette crossing into Koochiching County is Vidas Landing, a beautiful public access point that sees a lot of travel. About 11 miles to the east is Frontier Landing with fire rings, rest rooms and the availability of camping right at the access. It’s not unusual to see vehicles with boat trailers lining the roads for quite a distance at these access points. However, it’s worth the walk to fish this river.

Further down Hwy 11 at the town Birchdale, Nelson Park is located on the road traveling north off of Hwy 11. Here again, you’ll find a great access point for your boat and the campground is one of the most beautiful spots along the river. (Be sure to stop in to the Birchdale Store while in the area. It is probably one of the most unique country stores to be found in the state.)

The enclosed photo is a great diagram of the access points in the area. Like walleyes follow the shiners up river in the fall to get their fill of their favorite food, you can also follow the Rainy for the river fishing while you are able to access that river in many many spots.  Come north, enjoy the beauty and stay at a beautiful resort to make your fall experience complete.

For more information and lodging possibilities, please visit our website at: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging.

See our Face Book page at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn