Lake of the Woods Fishing Report

On the south end... It is ice fishing time! Some resorts (not all) have pulled out fish houses and it is game on. Some ice trails are marked and open. Check weight limits on each ice road as conditions can vary.

Resorts who have fish houses on the ice will typically transport you out to their houses using light ice rigs for convenience and safety.

As we often say, ice conditions vary greatly on Lake of the Woods. Some resorts have trails marked across Four Mile Bay out to fishing areas in front of Pine Island on the big lake. Some resorts are not quite open as the ice where they go out still needs some time to thicken up.

Watch your favorite resort / outfitter social media pages for up to date info. Work through resorts and outfitters on the ice, stay on the marked trails for safety, please don't exceed weight limits and drive slowly on the ice.

Anticipation is high. The early ice bite is normally very good!

Please remember to Keep It Clean, pick up everything around you and secure your garbage.

On the Rainy River... The Rainy River is frozen up. Some locals who know the river have been checking ice and ice fishing with some walleyes and saugers in the mix. As ice thickens, more areas will become accessible.

Ice conditions vary and on the river there is current, so much like the lake, we encourage visitors to work through a resort or outfitter for safety.

Up at the NW Angle... Resorts have been monitoring ice conditions and starting to stake trails. They are not ice fishing yet, but the ice is looking good and some guides scouting for fish give the thumbs up. Stay in touch with your favorite NW Angle resort for further info.

Driving through Canada to reach the Angle no longer requires COVID vaccinations or the use of the ArriveCan App (which is optional).

For those looking to access the Angle while avoiding customs, there are few options.

1. When ice conditions allow, the snowmobile trail will be groomed and staked from the south shore up to the Angle.

2. The Lake of the Woods Passenger service provides round trip bombardier service across the lake.

3. Lake Country Air provides air service to both the south end and NW Angle.

A complete list of lodging, fish house rentals and sleeper fish house rentals at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.