Fall Migration Across Lake of the Woods and Rainy River

Fall is in the air and the fall migration is on. Ducks are flying, geese are landing and feeding and flying over in practice formations to head further south.

Waterfowl hunting. Waterfowl hunting kicks off in early September and remains open until late October. Hunters come to Lake of the Woods, the Rainy River, NW Angle and surrounding fields for some of the best waterfowl hunting in North America during fall migration.  If this is your first time, we recommend contacting one of our outfitters or resorts in getting a “lay of the land” and helping to ensure a successful and enjoyable hunt.  Hunters enjoy a nice variety of puddle ducks, divers, and Canada geese.

The Fall Migration often gets overlooked.  After all, this is The Walleye Capital of the World and the fish are biting excellent both on the lake and in the Rainy River.  There are also hundreds of thousands of acres (no exaggeration) of public hunting land available to grouse hunters with plenty of birds around.  With all of those possibilities, the great waterfowl hunting, and in this case, duck hunting gets overlooked by many.  If you are a waterfowl hunter, you may want to consider a trip to LOW.

Water is everywhere, which means there are so many places to hunt.  In fact, having a few extra hunters on a huge bay can actually make hunting better as it pushes the birds around a bit more rather than them rafting up in the middle.

Youth waterfowl hunt  

On September 9-10, waterfowl hunters age 17 and younger, when accompanied by a non-hunting adult (age 18 and older) may take ducks, geese, mergansers, coots and moorhens from ½ hour before sunrise to sunset.

There is also a weekly outlook (PDF) which is updated on Thursdays of each week during the waterfowl hunting season. It is compiled from state and federal wildlife manager reports and waterfowl surveys from across Minnesota.

Some “go to” spots.

1.  Four Mile Bay.  This bay is long and sits between the mouth of the Rainy River and Bostic Creek and the big water of Big Traverse Bay.  In addition to a good population of local birds, the northern flight will use Lake of the Wood on their migration and often stage here until the very cold weather kicks them farther south.  With access points at the mouth of the Rainy River (Wheeler’s Point) and various resort access spots on Bostic Creek, access is good.
2. Bostic Creek.  This area of back water extends from Hwy 11 near Ken Mar Ke Resort all the way into Four Mile Bay.  There is plenty of backwater, cuts in the reeds, and area to set up decoys.  Some hunt the mouth near Four Mile Bay to get the birds coming off of the lake.  After a hunt or two, you will discover the key spots in this area.
3. Zippel Bay.  About the size of an inland lake, long and narrow extending off of the main lake with plenty of duck friendly vegetation and cover, Zippel Bay is a favorite amongst many waterfowlers.  The bay splits into two branches when you get towards the back of the bay with many fingers and reed points to set decoys.  Zippel Bay Resort and Zippel Bay State Park both have boat accesses.
4. Swift Ditch.  Again, a backwater coming off of the main lake with plenty of cover and a favorite place for ducks to stop on their way through.  Located west of Arnesen’s Rocky Point, this area bodes great habitat that waterfowl love.
5. The NW Angle.  With thousands of ducks migrating through the area, the NW Angle can offer, if you hit it right, some of the most memorable duck hunting available.  Often times, some of the best hunting takes place off of a rock point or island sticking out into the lake.  You might find yourself huddled amongst the rocks for cover.  If it works out, a variety of diver ducks will whistle by offering the opportunity for a memorable shoot.  There are backwater spots as well, but most hunt the more open water with decoys.

One of the unique things about duck hunting this area is the wide variety of ducks.  Puddle ducks, divers and even a few sea ducks show up each year.  If you are an avid waterfowler, you recognize the enjoyment of identifying ducks in the area, listening for their different sounds and harvesting a wide variety that perhaps you don’t see back home.

Layout Boat Hunting.  Lake of the Woods is actually one of the few lakes in Minnesota where layout boat hunting is legal.  Imagine, laying back in your small boat designed for this type of hunting out in the open water with decoys all around you.  Groups of diver ducks are buzzing you and your decoys from different directions.  If you haven’t done it, it is one of those hunts that you won’t forget.  There are actually duck hunting guides with layout boats up at the NW Angle.

With the onset of fall, sounds overhead are heard making a lot of noise. Yes, that’s the sound of geese flying overhead practicing their formations as they head to their feeding grounds. It’s a happy sound and can be heard for quite a distance.

Early Goose Hunting is part of the fall migration and the season begins in September and typically runs for 16 days and has a six bird daily limit for licensed hunters. You can find the actual dates at the MN DNR site. The Early goose season is an opportunity to get the first crack at reducing the local good population here in Minnesota.

Public land is also another option if the geese are feeding or resting in wildlife management areas, waterfowl production areas, or other state or federal hunting areas. If you’re not hunting near the water, seek out permission from private land owners before attempting to hunt on dry land.

Be sure to plan your trip to Lake of the Woods soon as fishing is hot and the fall migration is beginning.

For more information see our website at: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

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