Lake of the Woods Fishing Report

A strong walleye bite continues across Lake of the Woods, with tons of eaters under 19.5 inches and good numbers of trophy walleyes over 28 inches and slot fish in the 19.5 to 28 inch range mixed right in. Two techniques have been doing the heavy lifting: pulling spinners and crawlers on crawler harnesses, and trolling crankbaits. Here’s how it’s shaping up across the three areas.

Big Traverse Bay (South Shore)

On the south end, the deep mud is holding big numbers of walleyes. Sizable schools are roaming the basin, and electronics easily pick them up.

Pulling spinners has been especially effective at 1.0 to 1.3 mph. The best colors this week have been gold/chartreuse, gold/pink, pink with a white back, and straight gold. It’s worth understanding why spinners produce so well as they deliver flash, color, vibration, and scent all at once, and as you ease along at around 1.25 mph, you’re also putting that presentation in front of a lot of fish. Add those factors together and you have a recipe for success.

Crankbaits are putting plenty of fish in the boat too. As a rule, the fish in the basin are in 30 to 35 feet, so the trick is getting your bait down to them. There are several ways to do it. You can use downriggers, leadcore line, snap weights, deep-diving cranks on superline, or a 4-ounce bottom bouncer paired with a 6-foot piece of monofilament and a shallow-diving crankbait.

Trolled at 2.5 to 3.0 mph this time of year, a crankbait emulates an injured minnow. You pull it through thousands of fish while covering water and locating active, feeding schools. Some walleyes will strike purely on instinct even when they aren’t in a feeding mood, this is one more reason trolling cranks is so deadly this time of year.

Rainy River

The Rainy River is giving up a fun mixed bag. Between a resident population of walleyes and good numbers of smallmouth bass, pike, and sturgeon, there’s always something to chase. Some anglers target the river specifically this time of year, while others keep it in their back pocket as a solid backup plan when the wind is blowing hard on the big water. Either way, 42 miles of navigable, fish-filled water makes the river a genuinely fun option.

NW Angle

Up at the Angle, walleyes are being caught in big numbers on both the Minnesota and Ontario sides. Once again, spinners and crankbaits are catching plenty of fish, though some guides who like to work structure will stick with jigs all summer long and do very well. It really comes down to where you’re fishing and whether the fish are spread out or schooled up tight. Whatever the case, good numbers and a mixed bag are the rule among the islands.

Muskie anglers are reporting a good bite. With over 14,000 islands, there is plenty of structure and forage that supports this world-class muskie population. Low light periods have been especially good.

Before You Go

A big thank-you goes out to the Warrior Boats David A. Andersen Memorial Walleye Shootout, which drew 184 boats this past Saturday. The winning bag? Five walleyes for 55.25 pounds — better than an 11-pound average per fish. Lake of the Woods usually produces, and these strong anglers clearly did their part too.

A quick reminder on the regulations: the combined walleye and sauger limit is 6 fish total, with up to 4 being walleyes. All walleyes between 19.5 and 28.0 inches must be released immediately, with one walleye over 28.0 inches allowed. A 2026 Minnesota fishing license is required.

Fishing has been great, and there’s still lots of open-water season left to enjoy. Charter boats, guides, and beautiful lodging are available. Plan your trip, come on up, and make some memories.

To find out more about fishing Lake of the Woods, check out our website at lakeofthewoodsmn.com/fishing/.