On the south end… Summer fishing patterns are producing good numbers of walleyes and saugers. The deep mud is holding a lot of fish, which is a typical scenario this time of year.
Two main techniques are catching the majority of fish.
1. Pulling spinners. A two or three hook crawler harness, a juicy nightcrawler and a gold, chartreuse, pink, orange, glow red, glow white, or combo of these colors spinner blade colors working well.
Team the spinner up with a 2 ounce, or if fishing 30+ feet of water, even a 3 ounce bouncer to maintain a 45 degree angle is effective.
2. Trolling crankbaits. With so many walleyes spread out over the miles and miles of mud over Big Traverse Bay, covering water and putting your lure in front of thousands of walleyes works well also.
Charters that troll normally use downriggers. Other ways to get lures down to deeper depths are lead core line, snap weights or even a 4 ounce bottom bouncer with a 6′ leader and shallow diving
Some are still anchoring up over schools of walleyes and jigging with a frozen emerald shiner with success. Lots of ways to get it done.
Most popular depths on the mud are 28′-34′ of water over the mud basin.
On the Rainy River… The flow of water on the Rainy River has decreased and some good fishing taking place.
Sturgeon anglers are catching. Fish of all sizes with some good action.
Walleye anglers are pulling spinners or crankbaits upstream to cover water, or, if fishing isolated spots, using a jig and minnow.
Smallmouth bass tend to relate to rocky areas and areas with structure. Tube jigs, small crankbaits and bladed jigs with a plastic trailer getting the bronzebacks.
Up at the NW Angle… The walleye fishing continues to be consistent. Jigging with a 3/8 ounce jig and minnow or plastic, drifting or trolling crawler harnesses and trolling crankbaits all catching fish.
There are fish being found in various depths, with the most common ranges being 15-20′ or 27-33′.
A mixed bag on this part of the lake with perch, crappies, pike, and bass common.
Muskie anglers getting after it amongst the 14,552 islands and reporting some good fish.
Good availability this time of year. Book some memories!
Lodging, complete fishing packages, small boat guide trips, and charter trips are available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.
Canoe or Kayak Lake of the Woods to enjoy the great landscape and pristine waters of this northland. These vessels are used for another great sport over the years to get an “up close and personal” view of waters traveled. Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River, as well as its tributaries, are no exception. These waters were first explored using long boats and canoes and history hasn’t changed its adventure. Today’s voyageurs young and old find great enjoyment and good exercise traveling back into places that motorboats can’t go.
The historic Rainy River is the original “Voyageur’s Highway,” which linked the entire Great Lakes area with the northern waterways of Canada. Lake of the Woods
hosted early trading posts in the 1700’s and is still the living legacy for this era. Getting out on the water is a great way to experience all of the history and nature Lake of the Woods has to offer.
For Shorter Routes: Explore Baudette Bay right in the heart of Baudette. You can start from Peace Park or Timber Mill Park for a relaxing paddle around the bay.
Zippel Bay offers a lot of good wildlife viewing due to its marshy environment right on Lake of the Woods. The best access for Zippel Bay is at Zippel Bay State Park.
Silver Creek – This short jaunt, about a mile up and down the creek, is suitable for enjoying the birds, flowers, and wildlife. To access Silver Creek, go east of the Hwy. 11 – 72 junction for 3.6 miles, turn south 0.4 miles, and then turn east for 0.3 miles. Put in at an old bridge crossing. Paddle in the early spring, and you’ll likely see a lot of waterfowl. Water levels may get low in late summer, so inquire locally.
Canoe/Kayak waterway
Winter Road River – Turn north on Hwy 172, then west on Cty. Rd 88/4th ST. NW. Put in 2.5 miles west of Hwy 172 at the bridge. This is about a 3 mile trip with lots of opportunities to view wildlife and waterfowl, especially in the spring. Take out at the public water access at Hwy 172.
Wabanica Creek – Put in right behind Wabanica Lutheran Church, located east of Hwy 172. This is a short, 2-3 mile trip up and back the Wabanica Creek. The creek forks, so you have a couple of routes to explore.
For Longer Routes: The Rapid River Canoe Route covers approximately 50 miles of one of the Rainy River’s major tributaries – the Rapid River. The sections designated as the Rapid River Canoe and Kayak Route cover 33 river miles with a few small riffles and Class I rapids.
Beginning at the trailhead and paddling to the trail end takes 8 to 12 hours under optimal water levels. The narrow, winding waterway is perfect for short canoes and smaller recreational kayaks.
2-day trip down the Rainy River – Imagine what it was like to travel the water highways like the voyageurs. Put in at the public access just east of Pelland Junction, where Hwy 11 and Hwy 71 come together. Follow the waterway downstream 31 miles to Franz Jevne State Park. Camp overnight and paddle 28 miles to Baudette the next day or linger awhile longer to enjoy the hiking offered at the park. Wind can be a factor on the Rainy River, particularly if it is from a northerly through westerly direction.
The Northwest Angle, Zippel Bay State Park, other tributaries of the Rainy River, and the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area, are all other wonderful areas for a serene canoeing getaway.
There is also a River Runners Canoe and Kayak Club based in Baudette. Be sure to ask about their group activities when planning your next adventure!
There’s a new kayak out there that is catching on fast. This is called the Hobie Kayak and is very unique in its build. We’ve included a video here to watch about the kayak being used at Lake of the Woods. It can be paddled and even peddled to move it. What an interesting adventure. It holds one person, but also holds fishing poles, coolers and the like for that great fishing adventure on Lake of the Woods.
For more information on lodging at Lake of the Woods see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging.
Our facebook page is at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries or 1 can (15 ounces) water-packed wild blueberries, well drained
Streusel topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla. Gently fold in blueberries.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. For streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
On the south end… Summer fishing is going great with solid numbers of walleyes and saugers being caught, and consequently as is tradition in these parts, plenty of fresh fish frys.
Deep summer patterns are holding true, but with that being said, things are always changing. The fish are definitely stacked on the expansive mud flats of Big Traverse Bay. The parts of the fishing equation that change are bug hatches, pressure systems, wind direction, and even the walleye’s mood at times.
Some days you mark fish and action is consistent. Other days, the fish you mark are stubborn. That is when you need to mix it up. Changing areas if there is a bug hatch and the walleyes on the graph won’t eat, changing techniques from jigging to pulling spinners to trolling crankbaits.
If you are fishing with a guide, between a good understanding of the lake and being networked with other guides, they normally figure it out and get fish.
Be observant, be flexible. Someone is always catching fish on LOW.
One consistent technique right now is drifting or trolling crawler harnesses. Use a two ounce bottom bouncer and a crawler harness with a gold, gold/pink, gold/orange, chartreuse or combo of these colors spinner and a crawler.
A second technique catching good numbers of walleyes is trolling crankbaits over the mud basin. To get crankbaits down to schools of fish normally in that 28 – 32′ range, lead core line, snap weights, downriggers and even a 4 ounce bottom bouncer with 6′ mono or fluorocarbon leader with shallow diving crankbait will work well.
Some anglers are still anchoring up over schools of walleyes and jigging with a frozen emerald shiner with success. Lots of ways to get it done.
Most popular depths on the mud are 30′-36′ of water over the mud basin. Some anglers reported success in that 12-17′ range over rocks and rubble areas this week as well.
On the Rainy River… The flow of water on the Rainy River continues to decrease and this past week was very good fishing.
Sturgeon anglers are reporting some nice fish caught this week. Fish of all sizes, from small to huge, and everything in between.
Sturgeon anglers are also catching some nice walleyes while soaking nightcrawlers and frozen emerald shiners. There are definitely fish to be had. Most walleye anglers are pulling spinners or crankbaits upstream to cover water, or, if fishing isolated spots, using a jig and minnow.
Father and Son with sturgeon
Smallmouth bass anglers are working areas with rock and bridges using tube jigs, small crankbaits and bladed jigs with a plastic trailer.
Up at the NW Angle… The walleye fishing continues to be excellent. There are three techniques getting it done. Jigging with a 3/8 ounce jig and minnow or plastic. Drifting or trolling crawler harnesses. And finally, trolling crankbaits.
There are fish being found in various depths, with the most common ranges being 15-20′ or 27-33′.
This time of the year, it is common for walleyes to slide off of structure over deep mud. Electronics are certainly helpful in finding numbers of fish.
Trophy size pike over 40 inches continue to be caught. Most anglers aren’t targeting them, but fishing for either muskies or walleyes. Pike are in good numbers.
Good muskie reports again this week throughout the islands area of the lake.
Most resorts have availability this time of year. Summer is going fast, get that last summer trip in and make some memories.
Lodging, complete fishing packages, small boat guide trips, and charter trips are available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.
During Blueberry season in northern Minnesota it’s always great to look forward to that great blueberry pie. Here’s a recipe from Taste of Home that will do the trick!!
Ingredients
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pastry for a double-crust pie (9 inches)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon 2% milk
Coarse sugar, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine blueberries, lemon juice and lemon zest. In another bowl, combine sugar, tapioca, cornstarch and cinnamon. Add to berries; toss gently to coat.
On a lightly floured surface, roll half the pie dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate. Add blueberry mixture. Dot with butter.
Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; cut into 1-in.-wide strips. Arrange over filling in a lattice pattern. Trim and seal strips to edge of bottom crust; flute edge. Whisk egg and milk; brush over crust. If desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake 30 minutes. Cover edge loosely with foil. Bake until crust is golden brown and berries have burst, about 30-35 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches): Combine 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp. salt; cut in 1 cup cold butter until crumbly. Gradually add 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
Beautiful and Delicious Blueberries are making their show at Lake of the Woods. They are ripening fast and are in abundance as reported to this writer recently. Within two weeks of this writing, the berries will be at their peak. Lake of the Woods is known for its vast amount of this natural berry that is not only beautiful but delicious beyond measure.
Where do I find these beautiful blueberries? Well, we’ll have to list quite a few areas. A park along Hwy 11 between Baudette and Warroad is actually named Blueberry Hill. People camp there and also pick these beautiful berries. Another area is south or Baudette in the Beltrami Forest Area also known by the Faunce Tower area. This natural habitat is known or its beautiful pines and roads through what once was the pioneer area of Lake of the Woods County. Homesteaders there must have really enjoyed the abundance of food found throughout that land and harvested many many berries. See bountiful-blueberries-now-at-lake-of-the-woods
-area
People come from far and wide to harvest these natural blueberries. They arrive with buckets for the harvest and leave with those buckets full. If you’re one of these visitors, be sure to also bring mosquito spray and dress to keep those
insects off of you. There’s another species that also enjoys these berries and that is the black bear. It’s wise to keep on the lookout for these creatures as they enjoy the harvest as well.
A one-gallon ice cream pail with a handle works well to hold the fruit. You can set it on the ground and drop berries into it as you pick, and unlike a plastic bag, it won’t snag on sticks and thorns as you walk. Hiking boots are great for rough or steep areas. Lighter footwear is fine for easy hikes, but don’t be tempted to wear sandals, which don’t offer enough foot protection. Long-sleeved shirts and pants are recommended to avoid scratches, scrapes, and mosquitoes; I also carry insect repellent and drinking water, particularly in warm weather.
Blueberry shrubs are 1 to 2½ feet tall and
often grow in colonies. Leaves are shaped like an elongated football, typically 1 to 1½ inches long; they grow alternately on greenish-brown branches. Common lowbush blueberries have smooth leaves with fine teeth along the edges, while leaves of velvet-leaf blueberries are hairy and toothless. Fruits of both grow in clusters from branch tips. Underripe berries are green, becoming pinkish before ripening to deep blue with a whitish bloom; ripe berries look just like supermarket blueberries but are smaller—typically ¼ to 1/3 inch across. A key ID feature is the short five-pointed crown that is present on the top.
Ripe berries detach easily from the bush. Although you can use opened fingers to comb through a cluster of blueberries, you’ll get less debris if you pluck individual fruits. Velvet-leaf blueberries are tarter than common lowbush blueberries, which are also called sweet lowbush blueberries. Both can be used like domestic blueberries, but because they’re so small they pack together more closely—so you can use a smaller measure of wild blueberries in muffins or similar recipes. Wild blueberries make outstanding jam and pie.
Another area to explore for these beautiful blueberries is Zippel Bay State Park. This beautiful park has been kept to its natural beauty and as you travel the paths, you can find bushes and bushes of berries to enjoy picking from. While you’re there, enjoy the vast sandy beach and beautiful waters of Lake of the Woods where you can walk out in shallow water for many yards.
Be sure to add this Blueberry adventure to your list of great things to do while visiting Lake of the Woods. Send dad out fishing and let the ladies bring in the bountiful berries for a great eating treat.
For more information contact: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com and click on the lodging page for great places to stay. Come soon!
On the south end… Summer fishing is prime time right now up at Lake of the Woods. Good numbers of walleyes being caught. A nice variety of sizes, which bodes well for the fishery. Small fish, eaters, slot fish which must be released (19.5 – 28.0 inches) and trophy walleyes over 28 inches all in the mix.
The mud is holding big numbers of fish and two main fishing techniques are being used to get it done.
The first technique is drifting or trolling crawler harnesses. Using a two ounce bottom bouncer and a two snelled spinner will do the trick. Best spinner colors have been gold, gold/pink, orange/chartreuse.
Huge Pike
Making sure your weight is near the bottom, but not dragging the bottom is key. Try to maintain a 45 degree angle and make sure the spinner is spinning, normally 1.0 – 1.3 mph. Walleyes will load up, almost feeling like you are dragging a wet sock. A good feeling!
The second technique catching good numbers of walleyes is trolling crankbaits over the mud basin. To get crankbaits down to schools of fish normally in that 28 – 32′ range, lead core line, snap weights, downriggers and even a 4 ounce bottom bouncer with 6′ mono or fluorocarbon leader with shallow diving crankbait will work well.
Most popular depths on the mud are 30′-36′ of water over the mud basin. Not every walleye in the lake is focusing on the same forage base. There has also been success in that 12-20′ range over sand and even shallower along shore.
Reefs can be their own ecosystem and can always hold fish. Fish can be on top, sides, on the rock to mud transition or even adjacent to reef out in the mud. Go fishing, watch electronics.
On the Rainy River… With drier weather, the flow of water is decreasing on the Rainy River. Water clarity has improved and so has fishing.
Most are targeting the edges of the main current where water is slower moving. Points, bridges, underwater structure, docks and bends in the river can all change current flow, creating good spots for fish to live.
Jigs, spinners and crankbaits are all catching fish. There are 42 miles of navigable Rainy River with literally thousands of fun spots to fish.
The sturgeon season is open. Some nice fish were caught this week. Anchor up on a hole or adjacent to a hole in the river and soak some nightcrawlers. Local tackle shops have flat no roll sinkers and sturgeon rigs.
There is a big population of smallmouth bass in the Rainy River. Although they don’t receive much attention due to walleyes, they are abundant.
Up at the NW Angle… Great walleye fishing is the rule of thumb using three techniques, jigging, trolling spinners and trolling crankbaits.
Reports of walleyes sliding deeper off of structure. If fishing a “spot on a spot”, jigging is the preferred method. If fish are spread out or you are searching a flat, spinners and crankbaits will cover more water and walleyes are normally cooperative.
Some big pike caught again this week. These predators are often hanging around schools of walleyes and saugers, but rocky points, bays and sunken islands are great spots as well.
Muskie anglers continue reporting good success fishing a variety of structure amongst the islands.
Lodging, complete fishing packages, small boat guide trips, and charter trips are available at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.
On the south end… Ice fishing continues strong for some resorts and the bite is excellent. Other resorts decided to pull fish houses off for the year. There is still ice fishing happening and available. Fish houses are available at some resorts. At other resorts, they are allowing guests to bring collapsible fish houses only. Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics.
Step 1:
In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients and set aside. In another small bowl, combine the flour, lemon-pepper seasoning, baking powder, garlic salt and parsley flakes.
Pike fishing is heating up around Lake of the Woods. Becoming more and more active as the weather starts shifting to warmer temperatures. Late February and March is prime time to target pike via tip ups or angling. Already pike monsters are showing themselves.
The Northern Pike is one of Minnesota’s largest and easiest fish to catch. Found in abundance at Lake of the Woods, the northern pike is a voracious predator known for powerful runs that strip line from your reel. Though somewhat challenging to fillet, the northern pike is excellent table fare.
Nothing gets the heart racing more than a flag flying on a tip up. And it’s now that time for Lake of the Woods, time to target those monster Northern Pike that is. Dust off your tip ups and get your gear ready. February and March brings the Pike into the areas adjacent to breeding grounds in bays or near streams. There is nothing like putting down a 10” sucker minnow or cisco and seeing a flag go off. Big bait equals big fish.
These fish spawn in bays, back sloughs, streams, rivers and similar areas adjacent to key shoreline structure with soft bottoms and are always looking for an easy meal. Shallow water is the ideal place to lay your tip up. Some say that dead bait produces better than live bait when targeting large pike. Some anglers also prefer to use both and let the pike decide the bait.
Hand over hand reeling brings back fishing to its primal roots and there is nothing like bringing in a 45” pike with your two bare hands. You get to feel the full force of the fish, the head whips, rolls, and then dives.
Quick strike rigs seem to be the go to for anglers as it usually equals better hookups when compared to conventional lures. A quick strike rig is shown in the picture. Many anglers will construct them on their own and add different color beads and blades to add flash.
Other anglers will purchase as there are a number of quality rigs on the market. One of the new rigs out is called a “Zero Rig” by Clam. This rig has two trebles on a circle wire allowing the extra treble that is not hooked in the pike to slide down to the
fish accomplishing two things.
First, that extra hook typically will not hook the pike in the side during a ferocious fight. Second, there is less chance of that dangling treble to get caught on the ice while pulling the pike through the hole.
If you have never tried tip-up fishing now is the time to give it a try. When the weather warms and spring is peeking through, there is nothing like enjoying a nice day on the ice with a group of friends.
A tip-up rig is different than a rod-and-reel combination because there is no rod at all. Instead, a tip-up is an apparatus in which the reel is placed in the hole you drilled, and when a fish unspools line a signal flag “tips up.” Tip-ups can be purchased at virtually any bait shop or retail fishing outlet.
Once you have lowered your tip-up line into the water it is largely a waiting game. It is smart to check your sucker or shiner minnow every half hour or so, and even to jig it once in a while. Still, northern pike tip-up fishing is mostly waiting for a flag to pop up. When the flag flies it’s a mad dash for the tip up. Once a flag does fly, avoid the temptation to run toward it. Northern pike often take a large minnow sideways in their mouth, swim with it for a while then turn the minnow head-first to swallow it. This feeding technique gives you plenty of time to get to the tip-up, grab hold of the line with your bare hands and gently sense what it is going on.
The cool thing about this specie is that the season never closes at Lake of the Woods. Check that out at the MN DNR sight if you’d like. That being said, watch for details about the Annual Northern Pike Tournament held each year at Zippel Bay. Zippel Bay Resort hosts the event and many anglers team up to see just how big of a monster they wrangle in early April.
Come for the excitement to Lake of the Woods. For more information see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com. Click on the Lodging tab and find multiple resorts to choose from for your perfect fishing adventure!
small they pack together more closely—so you can use a smaller measure of wild blueberries in muffins or similar recipes. Wild blueberries make outstanding jam and pie.
