It’s classic midsummer on Lake of the Woods, and the fishing is living up to its world-class reputation. Right now, anglers are catching walleyes and saugers three main ways: jigging with frozen emerald shiners, pulling spinners with crawlers, and trolling crankbaits. Each of these techniques is putting plenty of fish in the boat.

On the South Shore…  Good limits of walleyes and saugers continue to be the story.  Fish are being caught in a wide range of depths, from 12 feet all the way out to 36 feet. Many walleyes have made their summer move over the deep mud, where both eater-sized fish and plenty of slot fish (19.5 – 28.0 inches) are being caught.

If you’re looking for hot colors this week, try pink/gold, blue/white, gold/red, or orange/chartreuse. Jigging with a frozen emerald shiner is still going strong, but spinner rigs tipped with crawlers are really picking up steam. Running spinners at 1.0 – 1.25 mph is a great way to cover water and find active fish. Trolling crankbaits is also very effective, whether you’re using leadcore, snap weights, bottom bouncers with a shallow diving crank, or downriggers to target the 25-36 foot range.

On the Rainy River…  July 1st kicked off the sturgeon “keep season,” which means if you have a sturgeon tag, you can harvest one sturgeon between 45-50 inches or over 75 inches per calendar year. Catch and release is still allowed as well, offering plenty of chances to battle these prehistoric giants. The river is loaded with sturgeon right now, so it’s a perfect time to try your hand at these big fish that can reach weights over 100 lbs.

Walleyes and saugers are also being caught in the Rainy River, especially in deeper holes and around current breaks. Don’t overlook the river’s strong smallmouth bass population either — there are some real footballs to be caught.

There are some great summer options for fishing the 42 miles of navigable Rainy River.  It is also a nice option if the wind blows or you want a change of scenery.

Up at the Northwest Angle…  Most anglers are still jigging around the thousands of islands in 15-30 feet of water.  As the summer progresses, bottom bouncers paired with crawler harnesses become even more effective, letting anglers cover ground across flats and along edges where mud meets structure.

It’s also muskie season up at the Angle, and fishing is going strong.  Anglers are catching and releasing some beautiful fish. Remember, muskies are sensitive predators, so please take extra care when handling and photographing them to ensure a healthy release.

Why Lake of the Woods Shines in Summer.  Across much of the walleye belt, summer can bring tough fishing. Weed growth, millions of young-of-the-year perch and other baitfish, and heavy boat traffic make them harder to catch. But that’s not the case on Lake of the Woods. The massive mud basin, countless reefs and rock piles, and sheer abundance of walleyes keep the bite consistent all summer long.  More info at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com.