The Monthly Progression of Ice Fishing on Lake of the Woods

Fish House Lake of the Woods

The Monthly Progression of Ice Fishing on Lake of the Woods

ice fishing lake of the woods, mn
Fish House Lake of the Woods

Ice fishing on Lake of the Woods is more than just a pastime—it’s a way of life that showcases the area’s incredible natural resources and the resilience of its people. Known as the “Walleye Capital of the World,” Lake of the Woods transforms into a winter angler’s paradise each year, offering a carefully planned progression of ice fishing experiences. From the first frozen waters of late November to the bustling ice roads of midwinter, the journey is dictated by Mother Nature herself.

Early Ice: Spearing for Northern Pike

The ice fishing season typically begins at the end of November when the back bays of Lake of the Woods freeze over. This is the time for pike enthusiasts to break out their spears. Northern pike, known for their aggressive nature and large size, are a thrilling target for spear anglers. Resorts in the area cater to this unique method of fishing by renting heated spear houses, strategically placed in some of the best pike waters in the country.  Early-season ice, anglers enjoy an opportunity at a world class pike in these shallow back bays.

Progression to Snowmobiles, ATV's and Side x Sides pulling collapsible fish houses

As the ice thickens in early December, the focus shifts to marking and maintaining ice trails. Resorts and outfitters work tirelessly to prepare the lake for the next wave of activity. Snowmobiles, ATVs, and side-by-sides towing collapsible fish houses are the first vehicles to venture onto the ice. These lightweight machines allow anglers to access prime fishing locations while staying safe during this transitional period.

During this time, anglers often fish for walleyes and saugers in portable shelters, enjoying the mobility to chase schools of fish. The lake’s vastness means there’s always a hotspot to discover, and the excitement of the season builds as more and more people take to the ice.

Mid-December: Heated Day Houses and Light Ice Rigs

By mid-December—typically around the 10th—the ice is often thick enough for resorts and outfitters to place their heated day houses over schools of walleyes and saugers.  Mother Nature is in control, of course, and this is just an average, every year can be different.  Placing day houses one year might be earlier, the other year later.  Thankfully, resort guides and outfitters are constantly monitoring their own ice roads and make decisions regarding weight limits, etc.

Day houses are fully equipped fish houses are a hallmark of Lake of the Woods’ ice fishing culture. Anglers are transported to their cozy shelters via light ice rigs—mini SUVs pulling enclosed, heated trailers with extra suspension for a smooth ride. Upon arrival, everything is ready: holes are drilled and cleaned, houses are banked for insulation, and anglers can focus solely on fishing.

This is when the magic of Lake of the Woods’ renowned walleye and sauger population comes into play. Anglers are treated to excellent fishing, with a mix of eater-sized fish, trophy walleyes over 28 inches, and even the occasional eelpout, monster pike or jumbo perch.

The Arrival of Sleeper Houses and Heavy Vehicles

As the ice continues to thicken through late December and into January, sleeper fish houses are normally on the ice. These houses allow anglers to spend days at a time immersed in the ice fishing experience. Equipped with bunks, heaters, and cooking facilities, they offer the perfect blend of comfort and adventure.

Simultaneously, the ice roads open to heavier vehicles. Weight limits are gradually increased, allowing SUVs and light pickup trucks, and eventually gravitating to medium-sized pickups towing larger wheelhouses are common, and eventually, 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks are permitted. In particularly cold winters, the ice becomes thick enough to support semi-trucks, which haul supplies to island locations up at the NW Angle.

An Extended Ice Fishing Season

Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended season that lasts well into spring. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, while the walleye and sauger season remains open until April 14th. For northern pike enthusiasts, the season never closes, offering year-round opportunities to target these apex predators.

The combination of thick ice, a healthy fish population, and world-class amenities makes Lake of the Woods a premier destination for ice anglers of all skill levels. Whether you’re chasing trophy walleyes, enjoying the thrill of pike spearing, or soaking in the serenity of a sleeper house, this winter wonderland has something for everyone.

Plan Your Ice Fishing Adventure

For more information about ice fishing on Lake of the Woods, visit LakeoftheWoodsMN.com. The website offers detailed information about ice fishing, from trail updates to a list of resorts and hotels offering guided trips or lodging for anglers with their own gear. With an abundance of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch, this is one winter adventure you won’t want to miss!

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Pay It Forward Veterans Event Airs on Midwest Outdoors TV

Lake of the Woods charter boats on plane, Pay It Forward

Every year, Lake of the Woods becomes a place of healing, camaraderie, and honor as veterans gather for the annual Pay It Forward Veterans Event. This year, 90 veterans participated in the 11th annual event, and once again, the experience was filled with unforgettable moments and connections that went beyond fishing.  The event was captured in video by Midwest Outdoors TV and aired this past Veterans Day.

YouTube video

Since its inception in 2014, the Pay It Forward Veterans Event has aimed to honor, recognize, and celebrate all who have served. Organized by Lake of the Woods Tourism and Fishing For Life, this event offers two days of fishing on charter boats, meals, lodging at local resorts, and engaging speakers. While many might expect this event to cater solely to those who were injured in combat, Pay It Forward is dedicated to all veterans—whether they served overseas, stayed stateside, or supported the armed forces in any role.

This inclusive approach means that every veteran, regardless of their service experiences, has a chance to connect with others who understand the unique challenges and sacrifices of military life. Veterans often feel that events like these are reserved for those “more in need,” yet the true magic of Pay It Forward lies in how it uplifts all who attend, creating moments of healing, joy, and renewed purpose.

A highlight for many veterans is, of course, fishing on Lake of the Woods. For two days, veterans joined licensed charter captains on the lake, where they enjoyed outstanding fishing. Many veterans caught their limit of walleyes and saugers, with exciting catches of pike, bass, and perch adding to the experience. The thrill of pulling in trophy-sized walleyes over 28 inches added to the adventure, making the fishing a memory they won’t soon forget.

This three-night, two-day event with meals and accommodations is provided at no cost to veterans, thanks to generous donations from Lake of the Woods area resorts, guides, businesses, organizations, and individuals.

If you’d like to learn more about Pay It Forward, apply for the 2025 event, or make a donation to support this incredible cause, please visit the event website at www.PayItForwardLOW.org.  100% of the donations to this event go towards this event.

Media Contact:
Joe Henry
Executive Director, Lake of the Woods Tourism
Joe.Henry@LakeoftheWoodsMN.com
320-260-7727

Pay It Forward is an event under the 501(c)(3) organization, Walleye Master Charity Events | PO Box 42 | Baudette, MN 56623.

Pay It Forward Veterans Event

Info about Lake of the Woods

Lodging and Fishing on Lake of the Woods

Webcams…A Great Option Between Seasons

WebCams have become very popular these days and that’s very true at Lake of the Woods. There are many ways to stay connected to this area through social media, our website LakeoftheWoodsMN.com, resort fishing reports, etc.  Sometimes we forget about webcams that resorts have put it place for you to see the condition of the lake whether it’s the boat docks, wind conditions or if the water has started to freeze over.  Webcams allow guests who can access the internet to see conditions in real time the conditions, weather, waves, boat activity, and just life up at Lake of the Woods based on where the camera is located.  There are many webcam options on Lake of the Woods, the Rainy River and up at the NW Angle.

One newer feature at Lake of the Woods is the wave buoys that have been placed in the water. Of course, this is when the water is not frozen but anglers wishing to travel these waters now can have the availability to check out the wave conditions on the lake. There are three of these buoys placed on the lake. Of course, this is not a video, but none the less is very important information that can be accessed by going to the Lake of the Woods website.

Here’s some of the great web cams around the area:

Arnesen's Rocky Point webcam 062724 Arnesen’s Rocky Point Webcam.

On the southwest portion of Big Traverse Bay is Arnesen’s Rocky Point.  This is a great area to watch a variety of boat and ice fishing traffic coming and going from the resort.  Arnesen’s looks out over Muskeg Bay on the southwest corner of Lake of the Woods.

Typically, there will be boat traffic from April into November and then based on Mother Nature, some ice traffic with the snowmobile trail and sometimes bombardiers if the river ice gets thick enough.  Other views include views of the docks and resort area.  The camera is preset to move to different positions.  This is also a fun camera to check out.

Not only is it fun checking out the conditions of the lake, the webcam gives a fun look at the outside activities at a popular sport fishing resort.

The busier times are normally in the morning just before and after sunrise when people are headed out fishing or around supper time when anglers are coming in off of the ice or via boat for a bite to eat in the Rock Harbor Lodge.

web cams Border View Lodge Webcam. 

Overlooking the Rainy River, Border View’s cam is perfect to see charter and boat activity in the open water months.  If you are an early riser, check out how early fishing guides will be down getting boats, tackle, bait, lunches, etc ready to roll for a day of charter fishing on Lake of the Woods.  It is also fun to watch the variety of birds and wildlife on the webcam.

Don’t forget what some call the “boat parade” each morning during the traditional fishing season starting with the MN Fishing Opener in May and extending through October.  There are a number of resorts along the Rainy River and each day, right around 8am, the charter boats will make their way out of the river, through Four Mile Bay and out on to Lake of the Woods.  The goal is to put their customers on schools of walleyes, making memories and making sure there will be a fish fry of fresh walleyes and saugers if so desired.

During ice out and ice in, this is a great vantage point to see what ice conditions are on this stretch of the Rainy River.

Dale's on Lake of the Woods webcam Dale’s on Lake of the Woods Webcam. 

Located on the bottom of their website’s homepage is Dale’s on Lake of the Woods web cam.  This webcam gives a great view of the lake just to the east of twin rocks and to the west of Long Point overlooking Big Traverse Bay.

With sleeper fish house rentals, beautiful camping facilities, ice access for customers of theirs and a boat ramp, there is lots to see as this camera overlooks the access on the shores of Lake of the Woods.

Whether it’s ice transportation, boats, checking out the snow falling or the wave action on the main lake, this camera poses a beautiful view.

Morris Point Lakeview Lodge.

web cams Located on the south shore of Big Traverse Bay, which is the big basin of Lake of the Woods, is Morris Point Lakeview Lodge.  This is a great camera to get views of the big water.  Whether it is a beautiful sunny and calm day or Mother Nature whips up something special to make the water churn, this is a fun camera to watch.

Check out ice anglers accessing the ice road in the winter.  During the open water months, watch anglers work the shoreline or perhaps check out the activity during one of their Saturday evening fish frys.

web cams NW Angle Edge Riders Webcam at Young’s Bay Resort.

If you have ever been to the NW Angle, you may have been through the ice access or harbor at Young’s Bay Resort.  It is a hub of activity and where the main ice road heads out to island resorts and in some cases, where local resorts access the lake.

In addition, during the open water season, this is the main harbor to boat out to the resorts, cabins and other attractions throughout the NW Angle islands and even Ontario islands on the western side of Lake of the Woods.

This camera focuses on the boat ramp, harbor, ice access and even picks up some of the northernmost point buoy and Jerry’s Bar and Restaurant.

Hwy 72 webcam, Baudette, MN 062724

Hwy 72 webcam south of Baudette, MN in Dawson Township.

A main travel route for travelers coming to Lake of the Woods, highway 72 runs north and south where it meets Hwy 11 just to the east of Baudette.  This camera provides a view of weather conditions and is in an area with beautiful scenery to watch the various colors of the foliage change throughout the year.

Hwy 11 webcam near Roosevelt, MN.

Located in Lake of the Woods County, this webcam gives an idea of weather conditions and provides a good view of highway 11 which runs east and west across the south end of Lake of the Woods and is a main travel route.

Hwy 11 webcam, Roosevelt, 062724 This camera also picks up the railroad tracks which are active with trains heading across the south end of Lake of the Woods.

Webcams are also great to view the variety of bird activity throughout the year.  There is a great migration both in the spring and fall that is exceptional, as well as a resident population of birds unique to this northern Minnesota area.

Weather events are also very interesting to viewers.  Being nice and cozy while checking into the various weather events in the area is something of interest to many.  From the beautiful sunrises and sunsets to storms moving through the area, they are all part of life and interesting at the same time.

It is also interesting to see the various perspectives from the Rainy River, big open waters of Big Traverse Bay and the islands area of the NW Angle.

There are many great ways to keep in touch with Lake of the Woods.  Another option you may just want to add to your routine are webcams.  What a fun way to keep in touch in real time with The Walleye Capital of the World.

 

 

Click Here for a list of lodging options around Lake of the Woods.

Also see our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn

Venison Meatballs

“I learned to cook game while my husband was a forestry student,” recalls Sheila Reed from Fredericton, New Brunswick. “We lived off the land as much as possible. I still enjoy these savory meatballs in a slightly sweet barbecue sauce. I make a big batch for an annual pool party and there are never any left.”

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup uncooked instant rice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

    venison
    PHoto by Taste of Home
  • 1 pound ground venison
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup condensed tomato soup, undiluted
  • 1 tablespoon ground mustard
  • 2 teaspoons paprika

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Crumble venison over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place in a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over meatballs.
  2. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 35-45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Nutrition Facts

4 each: 314 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 96mg cholesterol, 1016mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (24g sugars, 2g fiber), 29g protein.

Fishing Report 11.12.2024

On the South Shore…  It’s deer hunting season in MN and not many are out fishing.  Those that are fishing are taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and excellent walleye and sauger bite that is happening across the lake.

The best depths on the south end of LOW are 22-28 feet of water.

No surprise, vertical jigging with frozen emerald shiners is the program for most anglers.  Anglers are going through a lot of frozen emerald shiners as the walleyes and saugers are all mixed sizes.  You will catch small ones and your eaters.  Depending upon where on the lake you are fishing, some slots and big trophies are in the mix as well.
Anglers are also reporting very good numbers of jumbo perch this fall.  Watch out for an occasional pike or even lake sturgeon mixed in with the walleyes.
Good numbers of fish are staged in great spots for the upcoming ice fishing season.

fishing
Eelpout

On the Rainy River…  Good numbers of shiners again in the river this past week. Typically, if there are shiners, there will be walleyes, and there definitely are.

Walleyes are coming from various spots from Four Mile Bay to Wheeler’s Point, to Baudette all the way to Birchdale.  With so many anglers taking advantage of the deer hunting season, there are not a lot of boats on the river.
Walleyes are being caught in 10-25 feet of water in various stretches of the river.  The bait and consequently, walleyes, are moving around.  Once you find some fish, you will be rewarded.

Jigging with live or frozen emerald shiners is the way to go. Some anglers are also still trolling crankbaits upstream to cover more ground and find fish. Both methods are producing solid results.

Sturgeon fishing remains strong.  The catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is open into the spring when it changes to the “keep season” on April 24th.

Up at the NW Angle…  For those not in the woods hunting, fall fishing continues to be excellent.  It is areas with structure holding walleyes in this part of the lake.  Points, neck-down areas with current, shoreline breaks, and transition zones from rock to mud are all productive locations for walleye right now.

A nice mixed bag with perch, pike and crappies being caught as well.

Good muskie fishing with the colder water temps and shorter days.  Some big fish and some good numbers are being caught amongst the islands.  Both casting and trolling is getting it done.

For more information on lodging, fall fishing and ice fishing packages, visit LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.

Venison Stew

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 pounds venison stew meat
  • 3 large onions, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed venison
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 cups water
  • 7 potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • Browning sauce, optional

Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Brown meat on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onions to the same pan; cook and stir until crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Add water, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Return meat to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
  2. Add potatoes and carrots. Continue to cook until vegetables are tender, 30-45 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. In a small bowl, mix flour and cold water until smooth; stir into Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. If desired, stir in browning sauce.

 

 

Great Lake of the Woods Hunting – Be Safe!

Minnesota is a hunting paradise thanks to millions of acres of public hunting land. But finding a great place to hunt is often as challenging as the actual hunting. hunting hunting

Minnesota hunters are fortunate that the search is not nearly as difficult as it is in many states, where public land is rare. The most commonly hunted public lands in Minnesota are state wildlife management areas (WMAs), state forests, national forests and federal waterfowl production areas (WPAs). Be sure to check the Minnesota DNR website for complete details on seasons and licensing.

Lake of the Woods County, a hunting haven, offers thousands of acres of public hunting lands in addition to the waters of the Rainy River, Big Traverse Bay on the South Shore and the Northwest Angle. Ample hunting opportunities of all kinds exist including field hunting, jump shooting, and hunting over decoys, river, sloughs, big water, islands and more.  Here are some examples of the species you will find in this area.

hunting
Grouse Hunting

GROUSE: Lake of the Woods County offers thousands of acres of hunting land with three species of grouse, the ruffed, spruce and sharp tailed. Dirt roads, walking trails and ATV trails cross thousands of acres at Beltrami Island State Forest, Lake of the Woods Forest and Pine Island.

Grouse hunters must wear at least one visible article of clothing above the waist that is blaze orange or pink. This could be a hat, jacket or hunting vest. Remember to stay abreast when walking with other hunters in the woods so you remain visible and behind the line of fire.  Ruffed and Spruce grouse season is now open running until January 1, 2025. The Ruffed & spruce grouse combined limit is 5.

HUNTING HAVEN FOR DEER:  Soon, Lake of the Woods will declare its “National Orange Season”. This is affectionately labeled as everyone wears orange during the season for the beautiful Whitetail deer. With so much public land, deer hunting opportunities abound. Both archery and rifle seasons are permitted in this part of Minnesota. Locals joke that there are probably more deer in Lake of the Woods County than people. Trophy bucks are shot each and every year in the area.

hunting
This Whitetail Buck was searching for doe along this very colorful tree line. 

Your deer license and site tag comes as a two-part form. The upper half is the site tag for tagging the deer in the field. The lower half is the deer license and registration slip. Hunters must do the following:

  • Detach the site tag from the deer license/registration slip.
  • Before moving the deer, the hunter whose name is on the license validates the tag by using a knife or similar sharp object to cut out the notches indicating the month, date and time of day the deer was killed (AM/PM).

Hunting season is unique at Lake of the Woods because avid sportsmen can don blaze orange for whatever hunt they want and then they can get in their boats and hunt for that trophy fish. Big Traverse sees walleye, perch and northern moving towards the bays and the river area when the waters start to dip in temperature.

Shiner Minnows travel up the Rainy River and do their spawning and the walleyes that are hungry all the time, chase them up-river.  The bite is still on and anglers can launch their boats easily up-river at Vidas Landing, Frontier Landing and Birchdale Park.

All are dressed for the cooler temperatures found during hunting season and cooler waters underneath their boats. Catch hunting and Release is practiced during this time of year which protects the great fishery of Lake of the Woods. Fish for that trophy walleye but don’t be surprised if you happen to snag a sturgeon. What a fight they give the anglers, but once again it’s catch and release.

So, get out your orange duds and make sure you have your poles in good condition and come hunting at Lake of the Woods for the time of your life!!!

For more information and lodging opportunities, visit our website at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

For lodging see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging

Also see our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn

 

Fishing Report 11.5.2024

On the South Shore…  With unseasonably warm weather, there are still some anglers hitting the water and most have been rewarded.  Limits of walleyes and saugers being caught, and the forecast looking ahead is favorable.

The best bite on the south end of LOW has been in 22-28 feet of water. Water temperatures are dropping and as the temps cool further, the bite has been excellent.

Vertical jigging with frozen emerald shiners has been the program for most anglers.  Bring plenty of bait, as you’ll need to sort through some smaller fish and short biters.  Plenty of eater fish to be had, just have to do a bit of sorting.  Anglers are also reporting very good numbers of jumbo perch and occasional pike mixed in with the walleyes.  fishing
For those fishing structure, if you slide up on top of a rock pile, don’t be surprised to catch a big smallmouth bass, there are plenty around.
This week’s hot colors have been gold, gold/glow white, gold/chartreuse, gold/orange, and gold/glow white/pink.
One tip, a stinger hook on your jig will catch you more fish if you start missing too many fish.

On the Rainy River…  Bait dealers are reporting good numbers of shiners in the river this past week.  Interesting, each night is different.  Some areas have the small shiners called pinheads.  Other areas have the larger minnows.

The river is producing some nice walleyes in various spots from Four Mile Bay to Wheeler’s Point, to Baudette all the way to Birchdale.  There are 42 miles of navigable Rainy River from the mouth to Birchdale with plenty of public boat ramps along the way.
Walleyes are being caught in various depths, but 15-25 feet of water has been good.

Jigging with live or frozen emerald shiners has been highly effective. Some anglers are also trolling crankbaits to cover more ground and find fish. Both methods are producing solid results.

Sturgeon fishing has been strong.  The catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is open into the spring when it changes to the “keep season” on April 24th.

Up at the NW Angle…  Fall fishing continues to be excellent. Points, neck-down areas with current, shoreline breaks, and transition zones from rock to mud are all productive locations for walleye right now.

It is traditionally a mixed bag up around the many islands in this part of the lake and this fall is no different.  In addition to walleyes, pike, jumbo perch, and crappies are in the mix.  A jig and minnow has been the most effective presentation.

Good muskie fishing is the norm during the fall of the year and area reports have been good.  In addition to casting, trolling shorelines, points and neckdown areas has been effective.  Muskies are often targeting schooling tullibees this time of year.

The weather forecast for the next couple of weeks is conducive for fall fishing.  If you don’t deer hunt, or if you have harvested your deer, consider some bonus walleye action before the ice forms.  The bite continues to be excellent.

For more information on fall fishing and ice fishing packages, visit LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.