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.

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. 

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.

Vertical jigging with frozen emerald shiners remains highly effective. Bring plenty of bait, as you’ll need to sort through some smaller fish, but you’re likely to land keepers as well as larger walleyes. Anglers have also reported good numbers of jumbo perch and occasional pike mixed in with the walleyes.

Good Jig Colors: This week’s hot colors have been gold, gold/glow white, gold/chartreuse, gold/orange, and gold/pink.

On the Rainy River…  Shiners and walleyes continue to move into the Rainy River, making it an ideal spot for targeting large walleyes. Anglers are experiencing success up and down the river, especially in areas throughout Four Mile Bay.  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: With cooler days and shorter daylight hours, sturgeon activity has picked up. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is open, providing anglers with an exciting opportunity to hook into these prehistoric giants.

Up at the NW Angle…  Fall fishing is firing on all cylinders up at the Angle, where walleyes continue to be concentrated around traditional areas with structure. Points, neck-down areas with current, shoreline breaks, and transition zones from rock to mud are all productive locations for walleye right now.

In addition to walleyes, anglers are catching pike, jumbo perch, and crappies. Using a jig and minnow is a tried-and-true approach and continues to yield excellent results.

Muskie fishing is also hot this time of year, with anglers casting and trolling to find these predators. Big muskies over 50 inches are being caught and released.

For those looking to enjoy some fall fishing at its finest, now is the time to head to Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. With cooling water temps, great weather on the horizon, and prime fishing conditions, it’s a fantastic opportunity to jig up some walleyes and saugers for a fish fry. So, bundle up, gather your gear, and come experience the unforgettable fishing that awaits you up north!

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

Like any fishing, being flexible pays dividends.  If you are fishing on a charter or with a guide, your guide will make necessary adjustments to put you on fish.  If you are fishing on your own, some considerations…

-If water clarity isn’t good as maybe a big blow has muddied up the water, find an area of cleaner water.  This could be a different area of the lake or switching to / from the river or NW Angle.

-Things change quickly.  One group went way out on the lake from a resort on the river, only to get a call from their buddies the walleyes moved in the river.  They came back and fished in front of their resort and limited out with nice fish.  No wonder there were so many seagulls on the river that morning!

-Don’t be afraid to trailer your boat to a different shoreline, which is often easier and more economical vs making long runs on the water, especially on days with some wind.

-Trailering your boat to different sections of the Rainy River is not only effective, it’s enjoyable to learn other areas.  So beautiful this time of year.

-Fishing reports, resort owners, guides, other anglers, bait shops, social media groups are all sources of info.

-Dress warm, be comfortable.  Wear ice fishing gear in the morning when it is chilly.  As the day gets warmer, shed clothing.  Hat and gloves or mittens are also helpful.

Walleyes and saugers are being caught in a variety of locations across the south shore from 20 to 27 feet.  Water temps are in the low to mid 50’s.

Jigging with frozen, or live emerald shiners is catching a pile of fish.  Anchor up and jig over the side of the boat.  Typically, lots of small fish to sort through but you will get your keepers along with some larger walleyes.

Jig colors to consider are gold, glow white, glow red, chartreuse, orange, and pink.  Gold combined with any one of these colors is often a good choice.

On the Rainy River… The river continues to get better and better with more walleyes moving in each week.  Good fish being caught in many sections of the river.  The morning and evening hours have had the best bite.

Walleyes are actually being caught using three methods.  Jigging with frozen or live emerald shiners, pulling spinners and trolling crankbaits.  15 – 25 feet of water has been the norm.

Sturgeon fishing continues to pick up as the water cools.  The “Catch and Release” sturgeon season is in place right now.

The river holds a myriad of species of fish.  Crappies, pike, smallmouth bass, suckers, bullheads and even an eelpout or two are being caught up and down the river.

Four Mile Bay is also holding some nice walleyes as they make their way in from the lake.  Various areas on the edge of the current and channel break are good spots to begin.

Up at the NW Angle... Another great week of fall fishing up at the Angle.  Walleyes are keying in on various areas with structure.  Points, neck down areas with some current and transition areas from rock to mud are good right now.

Walleyes are the most sought after but in the fall, lots of muskie and crappie anglers are around as well.  Good reports on a variety of species including jumbo perch and pike as the waters cool.

Put on some warm fall clothes, make sure your camera is ready and make some incredible fall fishing memories.  There is still time to get in that last fall trip.

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

Jigging with frozen, or live emerald shiners, is catching most of the fish.  Locating fish on your sonar and anchoring up for about 30 minutes will normally give you a good idea of what is living in the area and a good strategy.

Areas across the south shore including the Lighthouse Gap (where the Rainy River enters Lake of the Woods) west to the Morris Point area, west to Zippel Bay area to Long Point are all still producing nice fish.

Successful jig colors in the stained waters of LOW are gold, glow white, glow red, chartreuse, orange, and pink.  Gold combined with any one of these colors is often a good choice.

On the Rainy River… The river continues to get better and better.  There are definitely more shiners and walleyes in the river this week.  Good fish being caught in many sections of the river.

Trolling crankbaits in the fall is also a well known strategy to catch hungry walleyes chasing shiners.  A great way to cover water and get that reaction strike.

Sturgeon fishing is really picking up as the water cools.  Sturgeon are catch and release right now into the month of April, 2025 when the “keep season” begins again.

Some nice crappies, pike and smallmouth bass were also in the mix for fall anglers fishing the river this week.

The river is a great option for small boats and also a nice option if it is windy.

Up at the NW Angle… Fishing is flat out excellent up at the Angle.  Some anglers are fishing the MN side, others the Ontario side.  Walleyes are using a variety of areas, but structure such as points and neck down areas with some current are good right now.

A mixed bag of fish is the norm in these parts.  Walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, crappies, pike, smallmouth bass and muskies are all being caught.

Fall fishing leading into early ice is some of the best fishing of the year and a beautiful time to be out.

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

Jigging with frozen, or live emerald shiners is the ticket.  Locate fish on your sonar, anchor up and give it 30 minutes.  If not to your liking, relocate different fish and repeat.  Normally things will work out nicely over the course of the day.

Areas from right in front of the Lighthouse Gap where the Rainy River enters Lake of the Woods west to the Morris Point area, Zippel Bay area to Long Point are all producing.  There aren’t fish everywhere but there are various schools spread out across the entire south shore of the basin.

Successful jig colors in the stained waters of LOW are gold, glow white, glow red, chartreuse, orange, and pink.  Gold combined with any one of these colors is often a good choice.

Drifting spinners / crawlers or trolling crankbaits is still working for anglers as well.

Some really nice perch and an occasional pike are being caught mixed in with the walleyes and saugers.

For the anglers targeting smallmouth bass, there is a good bite on both the lake and Rainy River.

On the Rainy River… The river continues to produce some nice walleyes.  There are definitely some schools of shiners up and down the river and consequently, some nice walleyes in the river too.  Not the heavy run yet, but respectable for sure.

Sturgeon fishing continues to pick up as water temps cool.  The sturgeon is catch and release from October 1st into the month of April, 2025 when you can keep one again.

The river is relatively small and a great option for small boats.  With a variety of boat ramps from the mouth of the river all the way to up the river to Birchdale, there are many options.

Up at the NW Angle… Walleye fishing remains strong on both sides of the border. Walleyes are using a variety of areas from mud flats to various areas with structure and neck down areas with some current.

It’s fall, which means a mixed bag of fish is common in these parts.  Walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, crappies, pike, smallmouth bass and muskies are all being caught.

As water temps cool and the days get shorter, the bite will get even better!

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

Again this week, many anglers have reported success jigging with frozen emerald shiners, but fathead minnows are also working well too.  Areas from right in front of the Lighthouse Gap where the Rainy River enters Lake of the Woods west to the Morris Point area, Zippel Bay area to Long Point.  Some nice schools of fish. 

Prominent jig colors this week are gold, chartreuse, orange, and pink.  Gold combined with a color is often a good choice too.

Many of these fish across the south shore are over mud.  No structure, just a lot of forage that holds the fish.  Get out amongst the fish, anchor up and get your jig on.

Some nice perch and occasional pike are being caught mixed in with the walleyes and saugers.

Drifting spinners / crawlers or trolling crankbaits is still effective for many anglers.

On the Rainy River… The river is producing some nice walleyes, but with the warmer temps, not the big traditional run as of yet.  There are definitely some nice fish in the river however and it will only get better as water temps cool and days get shorter.

Sturgeon fishing continues good and should pick up as water temps cool.  The sturgeon “keep” season goes through September 30th.  After that, it is a catch and release season through April 23rd.  The season extends through May 15th and then closes through May 30th.

The river is relatively small and a nice option for most sized boats.  Depending upon the day, Four Mile Bay and even the south shore is accessible depending upon the wind which varies day to day.

Up at the NW Angle… Fall up at the Angle is a special time with multi species action.  Walleye fishing remains strong, with fish located across different areas with structure as well as flat areas.

The deep mud east and northeast of Little Oak Island. Effective methods continue to be a mix of jigging and spinners, with crankbaits also producing good results.

Pike and muskies are active in weedy areas over rocks.  Jerkbaits and inline spinners are catching some good fish.

Smallmouth bass are showing up strong, particularly around scattered rock areas extending from points.  Tube jigs, swimbaits and crankbaits working well.

For more information and to plan your next fishing trip, visit LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.

Some anglers are jigging on or adjacent to structure.  Others are finding schools of walleyes and saugers out over deep mud.  Using sonar to find fish is helpful.

Spinners and trolling crankbaits continue to yield good results, offering multiple effective strategies for anglers targeting walleyes and saugers.

For those pulling spinners, a two-hook crawler harness with spinner blades in gold, pink, orange, glow red, or glow white has been successful. Adjust your weights to 2 – 3 ounces to match the depth and breezy conditions.

Trolling crankbaits remains a strong option for covering water, especially with walleyes spread across the mud flats in Big Traverse Bay.  Areas with structure, such as rock reefs, or fish adjacent to these spots, are also holding fish.

Good numbers of walleyes along the south shore with some big schools and some big fish.  The bite has been excellent and is really shaping up nicely for the fall jig bite both on the lake and in the Rainy River.

On the Rainy River… A variety of species continue to be caught on the Rainy River. The presence of decent current is still drawing extra fish into the river, and there have been positive reports from anglers targeting walleyes and sturgeon alike.

Sturgeon fishing remains productive, with anglers anchoring up and using a combination of crawlers and frozen emerald shiners. The key is patience—let the bait soak and wait for that big bite.

Walleye anglers are also having success on the river, with some nice-sized fish reported. There are already signs of emerald shiners in the river, which typically draw in walleyes. Jigging, trolling spinners with crawlers, or trolling crankbaits are all working well and will continue to be effective as the fall run approaches.

Up at the NW Angle… Walleye fishing at the NW Angle remains excellent. Fish are being found on the structure as well as on the flats. As always, different forage in various areas influences where these predators are focused.

The deep mud east and northeast of Little Oak Island holds numbers of walleyes with mixed in perch.  Good fishing around Four Blocks, and north of Garden Island as well, continuing to produce solid walleye catches.

Spinners with crawlers and trolling crankbaits are ideal for covering water and locating active fish in these areas. Anglers are finding success in 15 – 32 feet of water.

The cooler temperatures, with some days dipping into the 40s, are beginning to slowly lower water temperatures, which will only increase the walleye bite as we move deeper into August.

Fall and winter lodging and fishing packages are all available at LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.