Ice fishing is in full swing on Lake of the Woods.  Every year, there is reason to say, “You Never Know What You Will Catch on Lake of the Woods.”  If you have any history fishing Lake of the Woods, you know this statement to be very true.  Every time you set the hook, it could be a monster walleye, huge pike, 100 lb sturgeon, state record eelpout, or, as a couple of ice anglers experienced most recently, maybe even a muskie or a lake trout!

Both of these fish were caught on the south end of the lake, and coincidentally, both in the Zippel Bay area.

South Shore… 50 inch Muskie caught by a 10 year old

Fishing with her dad and brother, 10 year old Leah Saffert of Rice Lake, WI was tip up fishing during the day in shallower water.  Knowing the walleye bite in the shallows is best morning and evening, Leah’s dad put out tip ups during the day looking to catch Leah a trophy pike.

There are a good number of pike over 40 inches in Lake of the Woods and offer anglers a fish of a lifetime throughout the ice fishing season.

When the flag went up on the tip up, the reel was spinning and Leah set the hook.  After being hooked, the fish shot underneath the hole a couple of times.  Leah’s dad, Jamie, thought to himself how pale the fish looked.  Nonetheless, it was huge and the fight was on.  When the fish made it’s way up the hole, there was surprise and most likely a bit of shock.  Jamie pulled Leah’s trophy through the 10 inch hole, over a 50 inch muskie.

They didn’t get a specific measurement, but Jamie knew the fish was at least 50 inches due to a piece plywood he knew the length on, 48 inches.  The tail exceeded this by at least a couple of inches.  He did have the chance to weigh the fish, however, and it weighed 34 lbs.  An absolute giant!

The story was picked up by various media, including KSTP TV who did a story on Leah and her dad.

Lake of the Woods is known as a trophy muskie lake, that isn’t the surprise.  What is not very common is to catch a big muskie on the south end of Lake of the Woods.  Typically, muskies are targeted up at Minnesota’s Northwest Angle as well as the Ontario side of Lake of the Woods.  This is the area of the lake where the Canadian shield begins and is home to 14,552 islands.

South Shore…  Lake Trout caught by the Keith Mills Group

It happens every once in a while, but it is very rare.  Lake Trout are prevalent in Lake of the Woods, but normally way up and east, over in Whitefish Bay in Ontario.  This area has very deep water, over 200 feet deep, and is where most target lake trout on Lake of the Woods.

Lake trout prefer very cold water, which the deep water can provide on a consistent basis.  During the winter months, the water under the ice is cold throughout the lake, and once in a while, a lake trout will roam down to this end of the lake.

Once again, in the Zippel Bay area.  You never know what you will catch on Lake of the Woods!  A nice lake trout was caught by the Keith Mills group ice fishing this past week.  One can pretty much attest, when the hook was set, nobody would have thought lake trout!

Other surprises this year for ice anglers include big pike, eelpout, sturgeon, crappies.  Pike are very prevalent in all parts of the lake, but when fishing walleyes and catching a slimer that exceeds 40 inches is not only a surprise, but a thrill.

Eelpout, or burbot, are a unique fish to many and don’t live in most Minnesota lakes.  Setting the hook on a good sized fish and watching the mug of an eelpout come up the hole, can be a surprise.

In most recent years, eelpout have become a welcome surprise for many as they are good table fare.  Many call them “poor man’s lobster” as they have a firm meat that has similarities to the texture of lobster.  Most will boil cubes or small pieces of the fish in 7UP or salt water, and then dip the pieces in melted butter.  Bon Appetit!

Sturgeon live both in the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods, but for an unsuspecting walleye angler, hooking a big sturgeon through the ice is quite a battle.  Most of the time, it takes about an hour to land one.  For many ice anglers, it is the fish they will ever catch. 

And finally crappies.  Crappie fishing is excellent fishing out of the NW Angle.  Catching crappies on the south end of Lake of the Woods has been more of a rarity, until the past few years.  More and more crappies are ending up in ice anglers pails who are targeting walleyes.  Their numbers certainly have seemed to increase in the basin of Big Traverse Bay.

There are also some good reports of crappies coming from the Rainy River.  As there isn’t as much ice fishing on the river, crappies make more of an appearance during the open water months.

“You never know what you will catch in Lake of the Woods!”  The saying is true, and most recently, has certainly brought this fun topic to light.

 

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