Enjoy the MN Fishing Opener on Lake of the Woods
It is tradition for many anglers who fish Minnesota waters. The annual Minnesota fishing opener. This year the date is Saturday, May 14th and like the past couple of years, it is shaping up to be a successful opener at Lake of the Woods and on the Rainy River.
The past couple of years have seen colder than average winters with thick ice. Thick ice combined with a colder than average spring saw ice on parts of the lake. Even with ice on the lake, the 40 miles of navigable Rainy River and Four Mile Bay were loaded with hungry walleyes giving anglers some of the best openers in recent memory.
This year we are ahead of schedule with open water well into the lake already. With this being said, the prediction for a more normal opener will be walleyes on shoreline structure. In addition to the Rainy River and Four Mile Bay as key spots to look at, all along the south shore of the lake will hold walleyes. Areas like the Lighthouse Gap, Morris Point Gap, Pine Island, Zippel Bay Reef, Long Point, Twin Islands, Gull Rock, off of points and shoreline breaks across the NW Angle.
The go to method is typically a jig and a minnow. Anchor up and jig within a foot of the bottom. Some anglers like live minnows, some prefer frozen emerald shiners. Either will catch good numbers of fish.
Don’t be afraid to troll crankbaits in this cold water. Many anglers will locate fish faster by covering water and can catch good numbers of fish in a hurry with this method.
Another option to make life easy is jump on a resort charter boat. Everything is provided, including a big boat, a licensed charter captain, rods and reels, bait and the understanding of where the fish are living. Many resorts will also clean your fish. Nothing to think about but catching fish. This is a great option for many including those who don’t want to bring their boat up, business groups, couples, families and seniors. Many resorts will allow pricing for individuals in the event you don’t have 6 people to fill a boat. Up at the NW Angle, the boats are typically smaller and will hold 3 people plus the captain.
Consider fishing Lake of the Woods this fishing opener. Typically, there is plenty of lodging available and the walleyes, sauger and pike are extremely cooperative.
To explore resorts, charters, guides, boat accesses and other activities around Lake of the Woods, check out Lake of the Woods Tourism.
