Fishing Reports
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Fishing Reports for 2007
Lake of the Woods outflow will be reduced from 415 to 350 m³/s effective Monday, September 5th. Abitibi-Consolidated will be temporarily reducing outflows for 8 hours on Monday September 5th to about 100 to 150 m³/s to carry out electrical system maintenance. The outflow change will be effective at the end of that work.
As of August 20 the lake water level is currently right at the median level. The lake level was at it's peak around the first week of July (approx. 16" higher). The level is now at the level the Control Board is trying to maintain, and expects the lake to decline another 1-2". The mean lake level on July 12, 2003 was 322.49 m (1058.0 ft). 8th Lowest level.
To get the latest water level reports for Lake of The Woods call 1-800-661-5922
or go to this web site: Lake of the Woods Control Board
» Canada Customs Border Identification
  • March 7. Passports are NOT required to enter Canada from the United States. Starting 2007 all people flying into the United States (including coming from Canada) will need a passport. For all travellers entering the United States in 2008 (including coming from Canada) will need passports or. All you need to enter Canada is two forms of identification: one preferably with a photo (driver's license will do). The second piece of identification should show your citizenship on it i.e. birth certificate, baptismal certificate or passport remember passports are NOT mandatory). Please visit: www.canadawelcomesyou.net for up to date things you should know about bordering crossings! posted by scott.
    Visit the Official Government website: Canadian Food Inspection Agency

    » Walleye
    May Report

  • June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Smallmouth Bass
    May Report

  • June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Lake Trout
    May Report

  • June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Muskie
    May Report

  • June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Northern Pike
    May Report

  • June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Crappie
    June Report




    • Fishing Reports for 2006
    » Canada Customs Border Identification
  • March 7. Passports are NOT required to enter Canada from the United States. Starting 2007 all people flying into the United States (including coming from Canada) will need a passport. For all travellers entering the United States in 2008 (including coming from Canada) will need passports or. All you need to enter Canada is two forms of identification: one preferably with a photo (driver's license will do). The second piece of identification should show your citizenship on it i.e. birth certificate, baptismal certificate or passport remember passports are NOT mandatory). Please visit: www.canadawelcomesyou.net for up to date things you should know about bordering crossings! posted by scott.
    Visit the Official Government website: Canadian Food Inspection Agency

    » Walleye
    May Report

  • June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Smallmouth Bass
    May Report
  • May 14. It looks like we'll be on target weather wise for some outstanding early June Bass fishing. The Smallmouth will start to move up towards the beds when the water temps reach the 50s and will hit on tubes, plastic worms, top water and spinner baits. That is the time of year that we will be sight fishing Bass and it's lots of fun. posted by Mike.
    June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Lake Trout
    May Report
  • May 14. The weather has been cool with some spotty rain. The water temps are in the mid 40s and the Lake Trout are running shallow. It's a pretty good week trolling for Lakers using Countdown Rapalas using various colors. Some people are catching Trout shore fishing from islands using frozen Ciscos but they don't seem to be as successful as the trollers. Trolling and jigging with 3 inch tube jigs around reefs and pick up some of the shallow Lakers hanging near the surface. This pattern will continue until the water warms into the mid 50s when the Lake Trout start to go deep. The largest Lake Trout caught so far this year has been a 9 1/2 lb brute taken by trolling s blaze orange Rapala. posted by Mike.
    June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Muskie
    May Report

  • June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Northern Pike
    May Report
  • May 14. The Northern fishing has been pretty good so far with some nice numbers caught and a couple of 12 to 16 lb fish boated as well. It looks like it will be warming up over the next week or so but with the cool nights it will be awhile before the water temps start to climb. posted by Mike.
    June Report

  • July Report

  • August Report

  • » Crappie
    June Report




    • Fishing Reports for 2005
    Lake of the Woods outflow will be reduced from 415 to 350 m³/s effective Monday, September 5th. Abitibi-Consolidated will be temporarily reducing outflows for 8 hours on Monday September 5th to about 100 to 150 m³/s to carry out electrical system maintenance. The outflow change will be effective at the end of that work.
    As of August 20 the lake water level is currently right at the median level. The lake level was at it's peak around the first week of July (approx. 16" higher). The level is now at the level the Control Board is trying to maintain, and expects the lake to decline another 1-2". The mean lake level on July 12, 2003 was 322.49 m (1058.0 ft). 8th Lowest level.
    To get the latest water level reports for Lake of The Woods call 1-800-661-5922 or go to this web site: Lake of the Woods Control Board
    » Canada Customs Border Identification
  • May 28. I spoke to Canada Customs this morning to reconfirm what they told me back in April and they told me that you do NOT need a passport to enter Canada. He said that you may need one when entering Canada on an international flight but you wouldn't need a passport when entering Canada by vehicle in Fort Frances or Rainey River. He also said that it is recommended that you bring a copy of your birth certificate along with a picture identification, IE; drivers license. You just need the normal ID at the border. posted by Mike.
  • July 5. Due to the tightened security at the border, Canadian Customs will now require a proof of citizenship in addition to photo identification to cross. This would be a be either a birth certificate paired with a driver's license, or a passport. posted by scott.
    Visit the Official Government website: Canadian Food Inspection Agency

    » Walleye
    May Report
  • Walleye season opens on May 21st. It would be a great time to take advantage of the excellent early season Walleye. posted by Mike
  • May 20. The water temps are now into the low 50's. We've been having alot of rain this year, so the lake level is on the rise. We are at the just above normal level, but just received another inch last night. Fishing has been great. With the early ice out, patterns are at their norms for this year. posted by Scott
  • May 23. Walleye season opened on Saturday 5/21 and aside from the weather there were some good numbers reported. Typical day on Lake of the Woods for Walleye and get your limit including a four pounder. Getting their Walleye in 7 to 10 ft of water with either a jig and minnow or spinner rig and leach. Some boated over 30 Walleyes while fishing near Stoney Portage and in Turtle Pass on Lake of the Woods. The biggest was over 5 lbs. They were using red and white Hot and Tots and blue and white Rapalas in 5 to 10 ft. of water. posted by Mike
    June Report
  • June 1. Lake of the Woods is just hitting the 60 degree mark now. Walleye fishing has been good overall with some nice catches reported near Burroughs Bay on Lake of the Woods. Use Lindy rigs and leaches and working 10 to 12 ft of water during first few weeks of June. posted by Mike
  • June 11. The guys landed some very good numbers of Walleye out near Miles Bay. He said they found them in 8 to 12 ft of water and were catching them on a jig and minnow. He said that they were getting 50 to 60 Walleyes per day. posted by Mike.
    July Report
  • July 20, The weather has been HOT! Temps have been in the 90s with bright sunshine and as a result the water temps on Lake of the Woods have skyrocketed. The really amazing thing is that the high water temps extend down to the 10 to 12 feet level which is very rare. Usually the the surface temps will maintain down 4 to 6 feet and then drop back to colder water, but not this year. Because of the high water temps on Lake of the Woods we are starting to see an algae bloom which will affect the fishing. We are supposed to get some cooler temps which will hopefully get things back to normal.posted by Mike.
  • July 30. The weather has turned considerably cooler due to a few of cold fronts that moved through last week. The water temps have come down to more normal levels for this time of year. Low to mid 70s in the bays and low 70s main lake. Walleye fishing, like Musky and Lake Trout, has been spotty. Walleye are being found on reefs in 10 to 15 ft of water. At this time it was tough maintaining position due to the windy conditions so had to use jigs and leeches. posted by Mike.
    August Report
  • Aug 19. Walleye fishing has been pretty consistant with some nice fish caught in 20-30feet of water off reefs using a jig and minnow. The weather has turned cooler with highs in the 70s and low 80s and lots of sunshine. The water temps on Lake of the Woods is mid low to mid 70s with some high 70s in the bays. There is an algae bloom starting on Lake of the Woods but the cooler temps may keep it from getting too bad.
  • Aug 22. The walleye bite has been pretty good lately with no specific color being any worse than the next. As a rule of thumb, brighter colors (chartreuse, gold, white, pink, yellow, lime green, etc.) usually are better in the stained waters of Yellowgirl Bay, Chisholm Island and Sunset Channel areas. Depending on wind and depth your fishing, your best size to stalk up on is the 1/4 & 3/8 oz jigs. posted by Kevin.

    » Smallmouth Bass
    May Report
  • The smallmouth fishing has been doing quite well along the shallows. Lots of nice fish being caught. posted by Scott
  • May 12. The Smallies will move on the beds when the water temps hit the upper 40s and the action will get hot and heavy. Keep in mind that Bass is catch and release only in the month of June. posted by Mike
  • May 23. The Smallmouth Bass are still in their early season areas but a few have been caught by Lake Trout fishermen. The best areas to find Bass at this time is mid lake humps that top off at 10 to 20 ft. surrounded by deeper water. posted by Mike
    June Report
  • The Smallmouth Bass on Lake of the Woods are starting to move and we have had reports of some nice catches. Use yellow and green tube jigs and was also twitching stick baits on the surface. Looks like the Smallmouth are moving onto the beds on Lake of the Woods. Remember, Bass is catch and release only in June. posted by Mike.
  • June 11. The Bass were still staging and not on the beds yet but that water temps in shallow bays like Bass Bay and Cedar Tree Bay are at 58 to 60 degrees and the Bass should be moving up on the beds any day now. They were able to land about 20 Bass on Friday and had a couple 19 inch Smallies to show off. He said they got them in 10 to 12 feet of water off points and breaks using chartreuse tube jigs. posted by Mike.
  • June 18. The water temps have shot up and the Bass are finally moving up on the beds. Lake of the Woods has has high 50s main lake and low to mid 60s in the bays. The baits of choice were crayfish colored tubes, shallow running Shad Raps in black and white. They found the shallow bays to be the most productive. We should continue to see excellent shallow water Smallmouth Bass fishing for the next month or so. Remember, Bass is catch and release only in June. posted by Mike.
    July Report
  • July 9. Nice Bass hooked using green tubes, Mepps spinners and Sinkos in shallow bays and rocky areas. It seems that some of the Smallmouth have moved out from the spawning beds to the summer locations but some are still in shallow water in the bays. I think that the water temperature changes due to the numerous fronts has moved the Bass around and the Muskies also. posted by Mike.
  • July 20. The Smallmouth Bass like the Lake Trout are still scattered and being found in both shallow and deep water. Normally we would find the Smallies in 12 to 30 feet this time of year. posted by Mike.
  • July 30. The Smallmouth Bass continue to be active despite the cold fronts. Try using leeches and night crawlers in 10 to 20 ft of water or use brown/ speckled tube jigs with a 3/8 th. oz. sinker working the break lines at 12 to 15 ft of water was his most productive approach. This time of year also use a deep diving blue/green Rapala.posted by Mike.
    August Report
  • Aug 19. Smallmouth Bass fishing has been excellent. They have been very active for awhile now but they are in deep water off points and reefs. I was finding the Smallies in 30 to 40 ft of water and had good success using brown tube jigs. Tube Jigs, Mr. Twisters and plastic worms are an excellent choice of baits but Leeches with a split shot will always come through for Smallies. The Smallmouth Bass will be deep in 20 to 30 feet of water. The best baits will be tube jigs, plastic worms, Mr. twister type baits and deeper running crank baits. Leeches and crawlers will also be effective. posted by Mike.

    » Lake Trout
    May Report
  • May 1st. The weather was very warm until the begining of the week but has since cooled off. The weather forcast calls for warmer weather starting next week so it should make for some great early season fishing. Trout are biting on shinners slow trolled with a silver blade spinner rigs. Bank fishing with frozen Ciscos and trolling with #11 Countdown Rapalas in Blaze orange, Perch, Clown color and black and silver will be very effective as well. The best way to rig for Rapalas is to use a 3/4 to 1 ouce sinker about 2 feet up from the Rapala and let out about 50 to 100 feet of line. Troll at about 2 mph in 5 to 50 feet of water near points and in areas that hold schools of bait fish. Watch your fish locator for obvious hooks near the schools of bait fish and work your bait up and down in the water column. This time of year the Lake Trout will feed right at the surface under the right conditions but will also work deeper water if that is were the food is. posted by Mike
  • May 8.The Lake Trout spend the early part of the season chasing the shiners in shallow water. It is not unusual to see giant schools of these bait fish in bays and near shoreline areas that have warmer water. You will usually find Lake Trout near these schools of shiners. One of the more effective lures this spring has been Sutton spoons which are very thin, light, shiny silver spoons that replicate shiners. Slow trolling these baits with 1/2 to 1 oz. sinkers has produced some very nice Lakers this year so far. Sutton spoons are also very effective while trolling with downriggers later in the season when the Lake Trout are deeper. New method for catching early season Lake Trout this year - use 3 to 4 inch plastic tubes or jig bodies (Berkley Power baits) with a 3/8th to 1 oz jig head and cast or jig areas near reefs and points. The common method is to use # 11 Countdown Rapalas with a 1 oz sinker 2 feet in front of the lure and slow troll areas near reefs and points. Over the years I have found this to be a simple but very productive way to catch Lake Trout. posted by Mike
  • May 12. It was slow starting off right after ice out, but they are now beginning to catch some. The trout have been all over in depths and are finding them from 15 feet to 80 feet. Whitefish Narrows and the entrance to Knickerbocker Inlet have been the most active spots. The lake temperatures are in the mid 40's right now and our weather has been all over the map. We've had some mid 70's days and this past week we have been back into a cool spell. Low tonight is around the freezing mark and the temps this weekend to be in the 50's. We have been having some moisture along with the cool air, but mainly light rains and nothing very much. The lake level has been rising over the past couple weeks and is supposed to rise a couple more inches this week. posted by Scott.
  • May 23. The weather has been cool and rainy for the most part. The water temps on Lake of the Woods have been coming up slowly. Lake of the Woods water temp is in the low to mid 50s. The Lake Trout fishing has been consistently good with good numbers of Trout being reported. Use Countdown Rapalas with Clown color was the most productive but trolling with black and silver Rapalas worked also. It seems that the Lake Trout are moving up and down in the water column from 5 ft all the way down to 40 ft depending on the cloud cover and wind. Slow trolling with Rapalas, shinners and spinner rigs or Cow Bells and bait is the best approach right now. Most of the Lake Trout are being found near points and reefs with some found suspended in open water. posted by Mike.
    June Report
  • June 1. The Lakers seem to be scattered and moving up and down in the water column because of the constant changes in cloud cover and wind direction. Working lures or live bait near points and reefs is still very effective, and you can find Lakers suspended in open water in the morning and again in the evenings. posted by Mike.
  • June 18. Lake Trout fishing has been spotty. Best bet for getting Lakers trolling Cowbells and shiners in 20 to 60 feet of water because they are scattered. This is the time of year that the Lake Trout start going deep. It should take a few days, but we will start finding them in the usual spots in deep holes 90 to 150 deep. Jigging Buzz Bombs, Zingers and Sonars will produce good results. The keys to jigging for Lakers is finding them on your locator and boat control. Once you find them you need to keep the boat as stationary as possible. I use my trolling motor to nose into the wind and keep my line vertical. Get the bait all the way down and jig it all the way up. Lakers will sometimes follow your lure all the way to the surface before hitting. Hang on to your rod, because when they hit they head straight for the bottom and they will give you one tough fight. posted by Mike.
    July Report
  • July 9. Caught many big Trout trolling with downriggers at 42 ft. using Sutton spoons. It seems that the Lake Trout have not completed their migration to deep water yet but that will happen here in the next week or so. Boated some very good numbers of Lake Trout jigging in 70 to 100 feet of water with buzz bombs and Sonars.. posted by Mike.
  • July 20. The fishing has been very erratic for the most part. The Lake Trout are being found in 40 to 50 feet and also in the deeper 100 ft. plus areas. Normally we will find the Lakers in the deep holes at this time of year. Many people are reporting that they are graphing large numbers of Lake Trout in their normal spots but that they are finding it difficult to get them to bite. Some were getting Lakers at anywhere from 50 ft down to 110ft on Buzz Bombs and Sonars which is starting to get more normal for this time of year.posted by Mike.
  • The Lake Trout fishing continues to be spotty. For whatever reason they are still reluctant to bite even though we are graphing many Lakers in the their deep water locations. We are even seeing some Lake Trout in shallower water which is very unusual for this time of year catching fish in 60 feet of water with Buzz Bombs and Zingers. posted by Mike.
    August Report
  • Aug 19. The Lake Trout fishing has gotten better over the past several weeks. It seems that the Trout have settled into their deep pockets and have started to get more aggressive. We got Lakers on green Zingers and pink Buzz Bombs near High Cliffs which is one of my favorite Lake Trout spots. They were consistantly getting Lake Trout in 80 to 110 feet of water jigging with Sonars and Zingers. There seems to be an epidemic of large Lake Trout lost at the boat this season which means that we may have to start using a little heavier line. Most people use 8 to 12 lb test but that doesn't appear to be strong enough for the bigger ( 10 to 20 lb) Lakers. These fish put up such a strong battle that 20lb low diameter lines like Spider Wire or Fireline may be the solution. Fishing for deep water Lake Trout is easy. There are three keys to catching Lakers at this time of year.
    #1 - Find the Lake Trout on your fish locator. Right now they are in 60 to 160 ft. of water and there are literally hundreds of spots on Lake of the Woods that you can go to. I usually focus on about a dozen proven areas to find fish.
    #2 - Once you locate the Lake Trout on your fish locator you need to stay over them and follow the schools as they move around.
    #3 - Stay vertical. You will need to use your trolling motor to nose into the wind to keep the boat from drifting too fast. A slight drift is okay as long as you can keep the bait in the hit zone. If you drift too fast your bait will rise up and out of the zone. You need to get your bait to the bottom and work it up until you find the depth that they are hitting at. There are several baits that are most effective. Buzz Bombs, Sonars and Zingers are the most popular but there are many other jigging baits that have been used sucessfully. posted by Mike.

    » Muskie
    May Report
  • May 23. We are getting reports of Musky sightings in the warmer bays. It won't be long before we start to see them paired up getting ready for their spawning season. It is a real thrill to watch two mating Muskies cruise the shallows in search of just the right spot to do their spawning ritual but it is very important that we not disturb these fish and give them lots of room. It is the successful spawning process that will insure a healthy population of Muskies for the future. Just a reminder, Musky season doesn't open until Saturday June 18th. posted by Mike.
    June Report
  • June 11. Musky opener is a week away (Sat. June 18th) and we will be working the bays. The best place to find Musky at this time of year is working these bays and looking for blow downs or sandy areas. Old weeds and emerging weed beds can also produce fish. I will throw black and silver, red and white, red and yellow and Perch bucktails. Every year we have a new hot color emerge and I am sure it will happen again this year. This is the time of year we downsize on the baits a littIe. We also like to throw top water baits like Giant Jackpots , Docs and Top Raiders. Some of the smaller six to eight inch Jakes, Cisco Kids, Shad Raps type crankbaits will work as well. posted by Mike.
  • June 18. Musky opens today (Sat. 6/18) and the reports that I am getting from the Bass fishermen are that it should be great. They are seeing lots of Musky in the shallow bays right along with the Bass. This may be one of those years that everything comes together, water temps, weather conditions and wind, to produce an outstanding Musky opener. posted by Mike.
  • June 25. Musky season opened on Saturday 6/18/05. The weather was great with temps in the 80s and the water temps pushed into the 70s in many of the shallow bays. As a result the Musky fishing was excellent! Most of the Muskies caught this past week were in shallow bays on bucktails. The old faithful black & silver was best early on but red & silver or red & bronze seemed to get stronger as the week progressed. There were also a few fish boated on Giant Jackpots, Reef Hogs, Crane baits and a Sledge bait. We will continue to see Muskies back in bays for a while, but they will soon be moving out to the main lake basins. That's when we'll start working islands, spines, saddles and reefs. I have found that areas that have rock and weed with deep water near by will hold Muskies. This pattern will continue all the way through to the end of the season in November. The best baits will be Bulldawgs, Crank baits and jerk/glide baits but we will continue to move Muskies on bucktails and top water baits as well. As always, the weather will be the determining factor. If we can get some good stretches of stable weather, preferably warm, we will move fish. If we get numerous cold fronts, like we have had in past years, it may be tough. We will add trolling to the mix starting in July and running to the end of the season. Working points, reefs and humps with big baits like 13 inch Grandmas, 10 & 14 inch Jakes, Believers and other large crankbaits will be effective. Trolling over deep water in and around bait fish will produce suspended Muskies also. posted by Mike.
    July Report
  • July 9. Speaking of Musky, things were hot until we had all the storms and fronts blow through and then the Musky slowed down considerably. There were some nice ones boated from 34" to the very high 50" range all on a Perch colored Bucktail. Most of the Muskies are being caught on bucktails with a few on top water baits and twitch baits. Red and gold, black and silver and perch or firetiger seem to be the color for bucktails and perch pattern seems to work best with the top water and twitch baits. Slowly but surely the Muskies will be moving out to the main lake structure, which means that we will be working islands, spines, saddles and reefs. The many pockets of cabbage adjacent to rocks are a sure bet to hold Musky at some point in the day. Baits like BullDawgs, Jakes, and deeper diving crank baits will be effective, but we will continue to throw bucktails, jerk baits and top water baits as well. Most of the cabbage hasn't come up yet but with all the sun we've had it should be up very soon. The Muskies are transitioning to the main lake structure but without the normal weed growth we are finding it hard to pin them down on location. That will all change by the time you get here. posted by Mike.
  • July 20. Musky fishing has been good overall with some nice fish added to the board. Red/gold and yellow/black bucktails, Perch pattern crankbaits and glide baits seem to be the most effective baits right now. The Muskies have moved onto the main lake structure with the heat and higher water temps in the shallower water. We are starting to see more fish on reefs with deeper water nearby. We are seeing lots of Muskies and have put 125 - 30" or better Muskies on the board and there have been some real bruisers seen and lost so far this season. It appears as though the Muskies have adapted the best to this heat and high water temp conditions. posted by Mike.
  • July 30. The Musky fishing has slowed some in the past ten days. Those cold fronts really tend to put fish into a negative mood and as a result you have to work twice as hard to move Muskies. Bucktails continue to be the most effective baits. The colors seem to be all over the map from black and white , purple, black and silver and perch. We are starting to see more follows on crankbaits and deeper running baits as we move into the season. The cabbage has finally filled out and I will be working areas that have rock, weed and deep water nearby. This is prime mid summer ocation. Often we will find Muskies staging on the breaks (8 to 10 ft water and deeper) near rock and weed bed areas that drop quickly into 15 to 30 feet of water. The most effective way to thoroughly cover an area like this is to start from the outside (20 to 30 ft of water) and work a deep running crankbait or BullDawg over the break and methodically work your way into the shallower water switching to a bucktail or a topwater bait like a Giant jackpot or Dock's near the rocks and over the cabbage. Using this approach will allow you to cover the more productive areas and move fish that are holding on the first or even second (deep water) break. posted by Mike.
    August Report
  • Aug 19. The Musky fishing has been fair with some nice fish put on the board in the last couple weeks. Most Muskies continue to be caught on bucktails in various colors but we are seeing more fish moved on crankbaits and deep diving baits. Reefs and long points extending into deep water and spines and saddles between islands are getting to be more productive. Most of this type of structure will have pockets of cabbage on it and these are the areas that that should be focused on. These areas are perfect for Bulldawgs and deep running crankbaits but bucktails and top water baits like Giant Jackpots and Docs will move Muskies depending on the weather and water conditions. Trolling points, reefs and mid lake humps with big baits is one of the best ways to catch Muskies at this point in the season. This approach will continue through fall. This is the time of year that we really have a tough time gauging the Musky bite because we have so many family groups that are fishing for Lake Trout, Bass and Walleye and not targeting Musky. That will change as we approach the fall season and we have more hard core Musky fishermen in camp. So far we have put up about 200 Muskies on board this season. posted by Mike.
  • Aug 22. They have been catching a few muskies up around Yellow Girl point and the rockpiles around the west side of Shore Island. Also picking up a few around the southwest corner of Whitefish Bay along Bell Island. Mainly been using topwater's and Suick's. posted by Scott.

    » Northern Pike
    May Report
  • May 23. Northern Pike on Lake of the Woods on Friday and Saturday boated over 100 Pike in those two days with a few being in the 10 to 12 Lb. range. getting Northerns on Little Cleos in just about any color. posted by Mike
    June Report
  • June 18. On Lake of the Woods and despite the early weather problems ended up having a pretty good week catching Northerns. Were using white spinner baits in the weeds for Northern. Landed some good numbers of Northern and Smallmouth Bass. The biggest Northern was 39 inches. posted by Mike.
    July Report

  • August Report

  • » Crappie
    June Report
  • June 1. Haven't seen the Crappies move in yet but with the water temps coming up that should happen any day now. posted by Mike
  • June 11. The Crappies are starting to move in and he is finding some in his usual areas near Hay Island. They got their limits but found the Crappies in deeper water. posted by Mike.
  • Aug 24. Nice crappies being caught the other day way back in Blueberry Inlet. The crappies have been getting more active now that summer is winding down and the lake is cooling off. posted by Scott.




    • Fishing Reports for 2004
    » Walleye
    June Report

  • July Report
  • Right now the walleyes have been sitting off the rock ledges and shelf's at about 30 feet. The best way to catch them is to use a 1/4 to 3/8 oz jig tipped with either a minnow or leech and bounce it on the bottom along the edge of the dropoff. posted by Scott
  • Walleye fishing has been very good when the weather cooperates. We have had some nice catches of Walleye reported and they seem to running bigger than the last couple of years using a Yellow jig and leech combo in 14 ft of water and using deep diving crankbaits over mid lake humps and reefs.
    August Report
  • Walleye fishing has been good on Lake of the Woods. Had real good luck working the reefs and mid lake humps with bottom bouncers and using a spinner rig w/ yellow blade and night crawlers. posted by Mike

    » Smallmouth Bass
    June Report
  • Smallmouth Bass fishing slowed to a crawl as the fish apparantly moved off the beds into deeper water. They also developed a severe case of "lock jaw" which made things worse yet. The previous week had tremendous Smallmouth fishing with excellent numbers of bass being reported and some big bass as well. The cold fronts turned things off for now, so I guess we will have to wait for some stable weather to get the Bass moving again. posted by Mike
    July Report
  • Smallmouth Bass fishing on Crow lake has been fantastic!! It seems that they are still in shallow water and in a spawning mode. We have people reporting that they are still taking good numbers of Smallies near spawning beds. Got 25 nice Bass in an hour and a half working green grubs and brown/sparkle tubes. Using a 1/4 oz. jig head and and a smoked/sparkle tube jig. The Smallmouth Bass will be moving deeper as their spawning cycle ends and the water warms up. Finding Bass off rock points and reefs in 10 to 20 ft.of water will become the norm. Deep diving crankbaits, 3/4 oz jigs and tubes or grubs will be the ticket. Of course leeches and crawlers on a small #2 or #4 hook with a 1/8 oz to a 1/4 oz split shot will be the best overall bait. posted by Mike
    August Report
  • Smallmouth Bass fishing has been good with some very nice catches being reported. At this time of year the Smallmouth Bass will be stacked up on points and reefs in 10 to 30 ft of water, tube jigs, Mr. twisters, pastic worms and deep running crankbaits will produce Bass. But as is always the case finding the concentrations of Smallies is key to catching them. In this clear water it is always a good idea to bring Polorized sunglasses to be able to locate fish. posted by Mike

    » Lake Trout
    June Report

  • July Report
  • Lake Trout are now being found in deep holes (80 to 140 ft) which is normal for this time of year. Jigging with Buzz Bombs, Sonars and Zingers is starting to be very productive. We are just getting over the yearly May fly hatch (in July) so things should be good when you get here. posted by Mike
  • Lake Trout are still in transition from shallow to deep water, but people are starting to report that they are finding them in their deep water areas with more consistancy. Did great jigging for Trout in 60 to 90 feet of water, good Lake Trout fishing using downriggers. Found the fish anywhere from 30 to 90 feet on Flutter spoons and Doctor spoons. I expect that we will start seeing more Trout caught in the deeper locations with greater regularity as the water warms and we progress into the season. I have found that the bigger Lake Trout are caught jigging deep with Buzz Bombs or Sonars. Over the years this has proven to be true as we have had many lakers in the 12 to 20 lb range caught using this method. It is a very effective way to catch Lakers, but it will be the fight that these fish put up that you will remember!! posted by Mike
    August Report
  • Lake Trout fishing has been erratic but we have had some nice catches reported. Boated some good numbers of Trout jigging deep with Buzz Bombs. Found the Lake Trout in about 90 ft of water over 110ft downrigging with Sutton spoons. I have found that most of the bigger lake Trout are caught jigging deep while you can get greater numbers downrigging. The lake Trout seem to be somewhat scattered for this time of year. Normally we will find these fish stacked up in specific areas at 80 to 150 ft of water. This may be because we had such a cold and extended spring. Hopefully we will start to see some consistancy soon. posted by Mike
    September Report
  • Lake Trout fishing has been good overall but has really picked up in the last couple of weeks. Buzz Bombs, Sonars and Zingers in Chrome finish worked in 100 plus feet of water have produced the most fish. The lake Trout season closes September 30th. posted by Mike

    » Crappie
    June Report
  • Crappie fishing has come to almost a complete stop due to the weather!! The weather is lousy!! Numerous fronts with cold, windy and rainy conditions really put a damper on Musky opener week (June 19th). On Saturday the 19th the wind was howling at up to 40 MPH out of the west posted by Mike
    July Report

  • August Report

  • September Report
  • There are some serious slab Crappies and Black Crappies to be caught at this time of year. In September we see some of the best Crappie fishing you can find anywhere on Stevens Bay.

    » Muskies
    June Report
  • There have been lots of Musky sightings and they appear to be spawning right now which should be good for the Musky opener on June 19th. The guys fishing Bass have reported lots of bite offs and seeing some very big fish cruising the shallow, warmer bays. I expect that the Muskies will still be in the bays for opener and as a result it should be a "normal" opening day. The water temps warmed too quickly the last couple of years and the Muskies had already moved to the "main" lake by opener. For the Musky guys and gals coming this week, bring smaller Bucktails of various colors. Work the shallow bays on the north side of Crow Lake ie; Penninsula, Bass bay, Cedar tree bay, Deer Head bay etc. Muskies will be holding just off the Bass beds and working pockets of bait fish. Areas that have warmer water running in can be very productive also. Look for "blow downs" extending out into deeper water and work your bucktails right next to this structure. This has been a proven method for early season Muskies on Crow Lake in the past. I also like to look for sandy areas with old or emerging weed growth in those shallow bays, these areas hold Musky as well. posted by Mike
    July Report
  • Musky have been back in the shallow mud bottom bays. The ones that are being caught are hitting on topwater as well as bucktails. In a few weeks time they will probably begin to move out to the rockpiles and deeper ledges.
  • The Musky fishing has been good, but not spectacular. Most Muskies are still being seen in shallow bays which is unusual for this time of year. The water temps have not come up yet and as a result the patterns are about 2 to 4 weeks behind including the Musky. Normaly we would have started to see Muskies on main lake structure (islands, points, spines etc.) by this time, but most fish are being caught in the bays or the mouths of bays. There does not seem to be a consistant color/bait pattern as yet, but red/yellow bucktails and perch pattern crankbaits and glide baits seem to be the most effective at this point. We have even had some nice fish caught trolling 10"Jakes. posted by Mike
    August Report
  • We are seeing lots of Muskies off points and reefs near deep water especially if there is some weed in the area. There doesn't seem to be any specific color at this time. Bucktails, Bulldawgs, crankbaits and top water are all moving fish. There have also been some very big fish well in excess of 50 inches seen in these areas. Trolling with big baits is starting to produce some big fish as well. Look for mid lake humps, around reefs and even over open water. Watch for schools of bait fish clustered in 12 to 40 feet. This will produce more and more Muskies as the water cools. posted by Mike

    » Northern Pike
    June Report
  • Big pike are deep, use a 1/2 oz white spinner with a gold willow blade, in 12 feet of water casting in shallow, they are there, just have to get below the young ones. We caught over 20 over 10 and 4 over 15. But not until we went deeper and bigger in baits. posted by Paul
    July Report
  • Northern's have been a bit deeper lately and are hanging along rocky points and the mouth's of shallow bays. Using deep diving crankbaits or spoons have been working pretty well. Are also finding some of the smaller ones up in the shallows along the fresh weed beds. posted by Scott
  • We found larger pike in deeper water next to weed beds, using 1/2 to 3/4 ounce white spinner baits and buzz baits at dawn and at sunset. If you can find a drop off that goes from 7 - 8 feet to really deep, fish from shallow to deep and hold on! posted by Paul
    August Report




    • Sport Fishing Licence Regulations Sioux Narrows ( View Full Regulations )
    species open seasons catch, possession & size limits
    Walleye Jan.1-Apr.14
    May 18-Dec.31    		 2 per day with total possession 4
    only 1 greater than 46cm/18.1"
    Largemouth &
    Smallmouth Bass    		 Dec.1-June 30 = 2 per day less than 35cm/13.8"
    July 1-Nov.30 = 4 per day no size limit
    Northern Pike all year 4 per day, none between 70-90cm / 27.5-35.4"
    and only 1 over 90cm/35.4"
    Muskellunge June 15-Nov.30 1 per day minimum 102cm/40"
    Yellow Perch all year 50 per day
    Crappie all year 15 per day
    Lake Trout Jan.1-Oct.31 2 per day
    Fishing Reports for 2003
    » Walleye
    July Report
  • The walleyes have been hitting great and are now moving up onto the mid-lake humps. Mainly looking for humps that top out at 15 to 20 feet and then drop into 50 feet. Have been catching them on top of the humps, as well as on the edge of the dropoffs. They are still picking up a few along the shorelines, but they seem to be in the transition out to their summer locations. The depths have been varying anywhere from about 18' to 30', and using either minnows or leeches. The bait of choice varies from day to day, and styles of presentation. The humps have been producing some big fish with a lot in the mid 20" range and a few 29's and 30's. Also catching the prime eaters of 14"-17" mixed right in with the larger fish, as well some nice perch out of the same area. posted by Scott
  • The water is still down about 3 1/2 ft on Lake of the Woods. Walleye have slowed with the algae bloom on Lake of the Woods but that will pick back up in early fall.
    August Report

  • » Muskie
    July Report
  • Just got back from a successful fishing trip to Lake of the Woods. The lake is at a 100 year low, but the muskies were still very active. We boated 12 Muskies, 8 over 40", the biggest being a fat 48" monster. We usually go up in June for opening day but decided to go in July this year and will probably do so for years to come. The fish were caught on florescent green suicks and bucktails. We were primarily fishing 7-10 ft of water, near heavy cover. The weather was clear and sunny. posted by G
  • Things have been improving over the last week or so with some 40 plus inch Muskies caught and some big fish lost. Brian Smith lost a 50 plus while throwing a big Bucktail in "Little Musky Bay". That seems to be the pattern right now. Lots of Muskies, and some big ones, raised on bigger multi colored Bucktails and BullDawgs in weeds and rocky areas. I will be guiding for Musky on Monday and plan on working these areas but will also do some trolling because I believe that the many Muskies are suspended near schools of Cisos and can be caught on bigger baits right now. I guess we'll find out on Monday. posted by Mike
    August Report
  • Musky fishing has been pretty good overall with some nice fish being reported. Purple bucktails seem to be very effective recently. Orange and black is a close second as the color of choice. Most Muskies are being found off main lake stucture at this time. I will be looking for rock, weed, deep water combinations to locate Muskies. These fish will move up and down in the water column depending on conditions and water temps. One of the most important keys to Musky fishing is to work your way into a spot. By that I mean, to start casting into the deeper water approaching an area that looks like it will hold Musky instead of starting right at the spot. The Muskies may be staged in deeper water adjacent to the area that you want to fish and if you go right into the spot you may have put your boat right over the deeper water area that the fish are in. A good technique is to have 2 rods set up to work an area. The first will have something that will run deeper (8 - 12 ft) like a BullDawg or deep running crankbait. The second rod will have a bucktail or top water bait. Work your way into the spot using the deep baits and switch to the shallower running baits as you get closer to shore and shallower water. This is a very effective way of thoroughly covering a specific area for Musky. posted by Mike

    » Northern Pike
    July Report
  • Pike - on drop offs, fishing spinner baits from shallow to deep during any time of the day. Late night in secluded bays look for the feeding biggie and cast to him with a spinner bait with gold willow blades and cotton candy skirt and hang on. posted by PVanden
    August Report

  • » Smallmouth Bass
    July Report
  • Smallmouth Bass has been consistantly good throughout. The weather has had an effect on the Smallies but on the over all they have been good. Many Bass are still being caught in shallower water (5 to 10 ft) but as usual for this time of year the bigger fish are being found deep (15 to 25 ft). Lots of 2 to 3 pond Bass being caught on tube jigs, twisters and leeches. Chuck Sharber landed a 5 lb 7oz Smallie on a Crayfish colored tube in Penninsula Bay. Jessie lake, one of our portage lakes, has been fantastic for bass and Northern. It seems that everyone that goes there catches literaly hundreds of Bass with a few nice Northern thrown in for fun. posted by Mike
  • We were there week of July 12. We found big smallies on shallow banks with high walls with weeds in front of them. The prefered bait was a shad color chug-bur the second was a bubble gum fluke. The action was hot and wild as the sun was setting each night. posted by PVanden
    August Report

  • » Lake Trout
    July Report
  • Lake Trout fishing has been very hot and cold since mid June. In fact for about a week stretch we couldn't find them at all. They have since moved to the deep holes and are starting to get more consistant near Blueberry island. Things are starting to get back to normal with the weather seeming to stablelize. We have had numerous fronts come through over the last several weeks and that has taken it's toll on fishing. posted by Mike
    August Report

  • » Crappie
    July Report

  • August Report
  • Crappies are just starting to bite on lake of the Woods and we have had reports of some real nice limits taken in the last several days. Stevens Bay, Hay island, Cyclone point and Stoney portage are just a few of the areas that will produce some great Crappie fishing. posted by Mike



    • 2002 July High Lake Warning: Lake of the Woods water level is now 2 feet above normal and rising. Once again this year there's a lot of floating wood, boards, trees, & other junk on the lake, & most of it is floating just below the surface making it very hard to see until it's to late.
    Marina and Government dock photos & info (by Ben J.Haight - Sioux Narrows Marina)
    Fishing Reports for 2002
    » Walleye
    June Report
  • All the rising water this past week hasn't affected the fishing too much, with walleyes being caught off the ledges and dropoff's at 20-25', as well as along some of the shorelines from 12-15'. The best techniques for fishing the ledges has been using a 1/4 oz jig tipped with a minnow or leech, and bouncing it up off the bottom. Look for dropoff's that come up out of 50-60' of water, and top out at 10-15'. Along the shorelines, slow trolling little joe spinners or lindy rigs has been working the best. This allows you to quickly locate the walleyes, and then be able to stop and pitch jigs. Some areas that have been producing well are Yellow Girl Bay, just off Yellow Girl point, and the shelfs and islands around Chisholm island, Bath island, and Deadbroke channel. Good Luck. Scott.
    July Report
  • The walleyes have moved away from the shorelines, and out of the bays and are mainly concentrated on the shelves and humps. Look for humps that top out at 10-15' and then drop down into 50-60' of water. Work the edges of them at about 20-25'. Bumping a jig right on the bottom tipped with a leech or a minnow has been working the best. Scott
  • Walleye on Lake of the Woods have been more consistent with the warmer weather. They are being caught on the deeper reefs with leech jig or minnow jig combos. There have been lots of walleye caught near Hay Island, Lake of the Woods. by Mike
    August Report
  • The walleyes are sitting up on top of the 10-20 ft humps in about 12-20 ft of water. They have also been up real shallow on top of the rockpiles in 3-5 ft. But on average, the high teens to 20 ft has been the consistent depth. Alot of action bouncing jigs tipped with a minnow or leech right on the bottom across the tops of the humps to the edge of the dropoffs. If fishing the shallow rockpiles, casting shallow diving cranks has been pretty good. Also finding some of the larger walleye trolling a bottom bouncer and worm harnesses (lindy rig) along the edge of the edge of the hump and over the top. Scott
  • The Walleye bite has slowed some since the cold front. I have been told that they are still on the reefs but you have to work harder for them. Jig and Leech or Minnow is still the ticket. Mike

    » Muskie
    June Report
  • Muskies have been on a tear, lots of large fish beings released, best to book a guide although there have been many fish taken near Bell Island and Timber island.
    July Report
  • Catching Muskie on main lake structure, islands, spines, saddles, reefs, points, etc. This is very normal for muskies at this time of the year. As usual the hot bait early was smaller bucktails in red, white, black, or natural. I counted 17 muskies boated on red bucktails in the past 2 weeks. by Mike
    August Report
  • Muskies have slowed considerably in the last few days with not as many fish being moved but still some nice fish boated. We had a significant cold front come through on July 28th and it has slowed things down some. It was so hot here prior to the cold front that I will take the trade off as long as it doesn't last too long. Sure is nice sleeping in 50 degree weather!! by Mike

    » Northern Pike
    June Report
  • Good numbers small to medium size, most likely, 15 to 40 feet, larger Northerns are in their deeper locations but are moving up on weedy reefs. Some very big fish are being caught and released. Large spinner baits, Rapalas, and Muskie type baits working well. Large jigs and minnows producing very nice fish. Most fish off the weed lines and on the deeper reefs holding bait fish.
    July Report
  • With the lake levels still very high Pike are being caught very very close to shorelines newly submerged containing brush or small trees/branches. Recently saw 2 huge Pike in water 2 feet deep going after ducklings just off Snake Bay near a creek entrance.
    Tip of the day - anchor and use small spinners to attract Perch, aftering hooking a larger Perch use it as bait on a larger lure and softly cast it out allowing it to swim, this will attract huge monster Pike if you're in a weed bank area. Frank
    August Report
  • Northern's have also been along the rocky points as well as the deeper weed edges. Casting a deep diving crankbait along the points or trolling it or a spoon along the edges of the weeds has been working well. The smaller northerns have been up in the shallower weeds, and the larger ones down in the deeper cool water. Scott

    » Largemouth Bass
    June Report
  • Large fish in weedy locations near shallows is reported. Sparse numbers of bass near the resort and weedy areas of Snake Bay. Early and late best time for larger fish with good midday fishing as well in the deep cabbage weeds. Spinner baits, soft plastic crayfish, plastic worms are getting some results. The fish are moving in the weeds as the water is high. Trying the deep weed edges and moving shallower should be good.
    July Report
  • none as yet, seem to be hiding in the higher water. If you've caught any recently send in your report on time of day and general location thank you. by Local Guy

    » Smallmouth Bass
    June Report
  • Smallmouths have also been quite aggressive and hanging tight to the rocky and boulder shorelines. Casting small jigs with twister tails, mepps spinners, small floating rapalas (twitching them on the surface), and sluggo's has been working the best. Good luck. Scott
    July Report
  • The smallmouth are still quite tight against the bank and have been feeding on crayfish. Casting a small jig with a twister tail right up to the shoreline has been doing well. Scott
  • TONs !! Everywhere we've gone has produced Bass along the shoreline. Use any lure that makes noise, the more noise the better. Our favorites are buzz-baits and top-water-poppers and cast into shadow spots when the sun isn't directly overhead. Blueberry Inlet is absolutly packed with Bass and now BOATs! I wish the Bassin-for-Bucks contest was on now! Frank
  • Small mouth bass are finally up in the shallows and are hitting well. We have had numerous reports of good catches over 100 smallies including some 3 and 3.5 lbs while fishing. Small stick bates, spinners and jigs are what you will need. If the temp stays warm the smallies will go deeper (15 to 30 feet). Weighted tube jigs, countdown repalas, and leech jigs combos will work fine. by Mike
    August Report
  • The smallmouth have been quite active along the boulder points and reefs. They have moved into deeper water and finding them in about 8-12'. Casting a tube jig or a jig with a large twister tail against a rock ledge running off a point has been quite effective. Mike

    » Lake Trout
    June Report
  • Good numbers of trout in depths of apx 60 to 85 feet. Large jigs with twister tails working well. White Fish Bay areas as well as fish in and near the deep water off of Cat Point as well. Down riggers trolling near baitfish schools are working with fish appearing on sonar easily located.
    July Report
  • Not much to report on Lake Trout, other than they are doing their yearly dive and will soon be found in predomently deep water (70 to 150 feet). Deep jigging with buzz bombs and sonars will produce lakers. You haven’t lived until you’ve fought a 10 lb lake trout all the way up from 100feet. by Mike
    August Report
  • Lake Trout fishing has slowed some but still some nice fish being caught jigging Buzz Bombs. Mike

    » Crappie
    June Report
  • Slow reports, medium depth. Nice size, moving from shallows' to deeper water. Very nice fish being caught with small jigs and minnow presentations. The best fishing is now.
    July Report
  • Best spot in late July is still deep in Mist Inlet on Long Bay. This area attracts alot of boats during hot summer days so best time is early morning or mid-day during cool cloudy or raining days. We caught more Crappie on nite-crawlers than plastic jigs but both work well, trick is once you find a school to not bang around in the boat. by Local Guy




    • 2002 Sport Fishing Licence Regulations Sioux Narrows (Download Regulations)
    species open seasons catch, possession & size limits
    Walleye Jan.1-Apr.14
    May 18-Dec.31    		 2 per day with total possession 4
    only 1 greater than 46cm/18.1"
    Largemouth &
    Smallmouth Bass    		 Dec.1-June 30 = 2 per day less than 35cm/13.8"
    July 1-Nov.30 = 4 per day no size limit
    Northern Pike all year 4 per day, none between 70-90cm / 27.5-35.4"
    and only 1 over 90cm/35.4"
    Muskellunge June 15-Nov.30 1 per day minimum 102cm/40"
    Yellow Perch all year 50 per day
    Crappie all year 15 per day
    Lake Trout Jan.1-Oct.31 2 per day

    2001 High Lake Warning: Lake of the Woods water level is now an alarming 3 feet above normal. The excessive mid&late-June rain storms are the cause, hopefully July's weather won't be as wet. This is the 2nd highest water level since in 1940. Many docks and lake front cottages have been flooded. The Kenora area is suffering the most with many businesses flooded. Watch out for rocks and floating logs.
    Check out these photos(by Ben J.Haight - Sioux Narrows Marina)
    Fishing Reports for 2001
    » Walleye
    May Report
  • The fishing for the last week of May has been quite well. The walleyes have been hanging deep on the ledges or drop offs coming off islands. The points of Chisholm island has been producing, as well as inside Martin island. The depths have varied from 25-35 feet. The best baits have been jigs tipped with minnows or leeches. Both baits have been working equally well. Our weather has began to stabilize this past couple of days, with some average temps settling in. Scott
    June Report
  • Mid-June's weather has been very unstable making the longer boat trips near-impossible. We did have excellent results trolling for walleye with little-joe spinners and live minnows in the bay just in front of Misty Inlet on Long Bay. This is definately a June hotspot since many of the bigger Lodge Guide boats frequent the area. The walleye hit early morning while mist was still visible back in the shallow Inlet, and then again just after heavy rains when the surface water was cooler. Tom
  • The walleye fishing June 18th has been quite spectacular so far. The fish have been very shallow and their depths have varied quite a bit. They seemed to be hitting in the 6-18 foot range. The bigger fish were shallower. A lot of 25-28" walleye have been released already this year, with the biggest release at 32" (One released, and one 31.25" kept). The bait of choice has been jigs tipped with leeches or minnows. The best spots have been shorelines with a small shelf and a drop off, as well the mouths of bays with mud bottoms. The NW corner of Chishlom island has been producing, as well as some of the other unnamed islands around it. Deadbroke Channel and Bath Island have also been good producers. Today the fish have seemed to drop deeper after the cool front and high winds we had over the weekend. They were still active, but dropped down to the 25' level. The surface temps have dropped from the high 60's to the low 60's due the lake being churned up after 2 days of 30 mph winds. They may come back up shallower once the weather stabilizes. Good Luck. Scott.
  • Update on Long Bay walleye - after some exploration trolling we hit another hotspot. The surprising part was its a shallow 17-20 foot area on the north side of an island infront of a large bullrush weedy shoreline. Travelling thru Rendezvous Point go east down Long Bay no more than 1 mile and you'll see the larger island and the wedy bay behind it. While trolling the mid section between the island and shore we could actually see the walleye hanging in the deep weeds, enjoy. Tom
    July Report
  • These fish are using reefs for most feeding. With some fish suspending on the deep sides of the reefs during the day and moving up on top as feeding begins. Snake Bay has still been producing some nice one's as well. Larger size fish reported in Snake Bay near resort channel with nightcrawlers, as well as White Fish Bay around Cat Point, Annie Island, Bell Island & Three Sister Islands and Timber Island. Minnows still working well with jigs, trolling Lindy rigs for bottom hugging fish is working too.
  • Walleye fishing this past while has been doing quite well. They have been catching them mainly on the sunken humps and drop offs out in the open bodies of water. The walleyes have been sitting on the edges of these drop offs in depths of 20 to 30 feet, and right tight to the bottom. The most productive humps have been ones that top off at 15-20 feet, and are surrounded by 50-65 feet of water. Working the tops and the edges of these is what has been working the best. Also, 15-20' shelfs protuding off of points of islands has also been producing. The walleyes are holding to these the same way they are on the humps. The bigger walleyes are holding to the humps more than they are to the shelfs. Some of the better humps have been right off Bath island (even the shelf off the very east tip), as well the ones inbetween Chislom island and Ferrier island. Jigs tipped with a leech or a minnow seem to be the bait of choice. Just about every colour seems to be working. The tried and true are the whites, chartreuse, orange, and two-tones of those colours. Scott
    August Report
  • The walleye fishing throughout the last part of July slowed down a bit. There were a few tough days where the fish were hitting very lightly. The bite has improved and people are now doing pretty well out there. The walleyes are still hanging out on the reefs and humps at depths of 20 to 30 feet. They are sitting on the tops of the humps, as well as just off to the sides on the dropoff. Jigs tipped with leeches or minnows have been working the best. The best tactic has been jigging it real slow to almost dragging it on the bottom. Crawler harnesses (Lindy rigs)with bottom bouncers have also been working quite well. Troll these slowly across the tops and around the edges of the hump. The best areas have been up around Yellow Girl point, some humps around Black island, as well as Chisolm. Also beginnig to get a few off the humps in Whitefish Bay during the mornings and evenings. The Perch have also been mixed right in with the walleyes. Scott

    » Muskie
    no reports

    » Northern Pike
    May Report
  • Opening day on the Canadian side of Lake of the Woods was great. All the fish are up in shallow water just waiting for us. Northern Pike fishing with fly rods has been fantastic. Everyone brought in their one over 35.5 inches and the Pike we had for supper last night was delicious. Tom
    June Report
  • Our largest was 36" and we had several more over 22". The northerns were hitting Johnson silver spoons tossed in the bullrushes, we also did well on Rapalas Husky Jerk in rainbow color. Steve

    » Largemouth Bass
    July Report
  • Large fish in weedy locations near shallows is reported. Sparse numbers of bass near the weedy areas of Snake Bay. Early and late best time for larger fish with good midday fishing as well in the deep cabbage weeds. Spinner baits, soft plastic crayfish, plastic worms getting some results. Trying the deep weed edges and moving shallower should be good.

    » Smallmouth Bass
    May Report
  • Smallmouths are up close to the bank, and seem to be hitting jigs tipped with twisters or tubes. Casting the shoreline with these and hopping them back underneath the surface has been working better than using topwater. Scott
    June Report
  • Smallmouths have also been doing quite well. They are right tight to the banks with small rocks as well as shallow points. Casting surface lures (floating rapalas, mepps spinners, or poppers) have been working great, as well as small jigs (1/8   1/4) with twisters. Areas around Fire Island, the points in Regina Bay, and bays in Yellow Girl Bay have been producing well. Good Luck. Scott.
  • Caught alot on surface baits around Fire Island, but also several right in Regina bay. The smallies loved the shad color spit'n image and would blow it clear out of the water. Steve
    July Report
  • Fish are being caught with a variety of techniques. Jig and minnow, small tube jigs and shad raps working best. Crayfish soft plastics also working very well. Expect to fish deeper and move shallower with rock reefs and bait fish near by. Leeches, minnows, and nightcrawlers working well now also at various locations. Fire Island narrows have been the spots of many 30 fish days. With most anglers practicing catch and release this should be a great season.
  • Smallmouths are still holding close to the shorelines. They have began foraging on the crayfish, so are quite active and feeding aggressively. Islands in Lobstick Bay have been holding some good smallies, as well as around Fire Island, Log Bay, Long Bay, and all around Yellow Girl. Using a 1/4 oz jig and twister or a tube jig has been working the best, as well as casting small cranks to the shoreline. Working shorelines that hold some small boulders, as well as rocky points, seem to be the most productive. Over the next couple of weeks, the smallmouths will stay in these spots, but will begin to move into deeper water. Good luck! Scott
    August Report
  • Smallmouths have been hitting quite well. They are now hanging in 5 to 10 feet of water on boulders and dropoffs. Islands that have boulders running out of the points, as well as shallow rockpiles seem to be best areas for holding the smallies. Can pretty much find the smallies anywhere around the lake where this structure exists. Scott.

    » Lake Trout
    May Report
  • The lake trout have also been quite active. They are hittig spoons at depths of 20-45 feet over 35-60 feet of water. Usually long lining a spoon with a 1-1.5 oz weight about 3 feet up the line. Troll these depths were there's a good drop off to some deep water. Scott
  • Lake Trout are biting like flies and size is average 8 lbs. with the upper size hitting all the way to 22 lbs.We're using flatter spoons and wigglers. Tom
    July Report
  • Good numbers of trout in depths of apx 35 to 75 feet. Large jigs with twister tails working well. White Fish Bay areas as well (see hotspots map) as fish in and near the deep water off of Cat Point as well. Some are still using Snake bay deep water area's. Down riggers trolling near baitfish schools are working with fish appearing on sonar easily located.

    » Crappie
    June Report
  • Misty Inlet on Long Bay has non-stop crappie action. Use silent electric trolling motors or drift in from 20 feet to the idea 10 foot depths where you can anchor and cast small spinners or use your favorite worm or minnow rigs. Nightcrawlers cut in half work best throughout the day. The trick is to approach in silence and reduce boat noise as much as possible, once you hit a school the feeding frenzy will keep the crappie nearby. Joseph
    July Report
  • Very nice fish being caught with small jigs and minnow presentations. Best bite still is nearing sunset time of day. The better fishing is approaching with normal summer patterns on the horizon. With lake water levels higher its now easier to get to BlueBerry Inlet which in my opinion is the hottest spot of all for Crappie and other panfish.

    • Fishing Reports for 2000
    » Walleye
    Walleyes are being caught from 16 to 50 feet, Yellow Girl Bay and Red Cliff Bay 40 feet in general. These fish are using reefs for most feeding. With some fish suspending in the deep sides of the reefs during the day and moving up on top as feeding begins. Larger size fish reported in Snake Bay as well as White Fish Bay around Cat Point, Annie Island, Bell Island & Three Sister Islands. Minnows still working well with jigs, trolling Lindy rigs for bottom hugging fish is working too. With leeches working well on jigs as well as Lindy rigs.
    July Report
    The best action was up thru Long Bay to Black River Bay, Yellow Girl and Red Cliff. This requires a bit of a boat ride, but was well worth it. Watch the guide boat armada that leaves Long Bay every morning at 8-9 am. There is a reason why they're leaving Long Bay to fish elsewhere. Follow, watch and learn. Have a good map, an extra tank of gas, a good graph and you'll get em. Leeches with bright colored spinners or jigs worked great. Use any long body blue crankbait preferable a Rapala Magnum 4 inch countdown near dropoffs that has giant boulders the size of a minivan in the Channel Island area.
    August Report
    Did well on walleyes up around Fog Island and west out in the main basin of that area. Fish were caught in 20-24 ft of water on rock reefs early in the week but as a couple of fronts went through, the fish dropped to 30-35 in the same areas. Caught on bottom bouncer with spinner/crawler or powerbait crawler, jig/minnow, live bait rig/leech, crankbaits. When we caught fish on the cranks, the fish were suspended. The baits were diving to 12-14 ft and had to be in perch color. Caught several fish in the 20" range. Limited out easily the 3 days we fished for them. The last day the algae bloom was thick and fish were tough.

    » Muskie
    Muskies are getting active, with some smaller fish being caught and released, (fish in the 40 inch range) Location varies, but most are on rocky reefs containing some vegetation and with deep water nearby. Large Muskie baits are the rule, some anglers are trolling these spots, others are fan casting. The fishing for these fish should get better as fall nears. Locations vary, but Bell Island and area's around Timber Island are seeing good activity. We encourage Catch Photo and release, of these big fish.
    #1 - Astron Bay, its far but excellent for trophy Muskie/Pike.
    #2 - Sunset Channel, also far but very close to Cliff Island.
    #3 - Bell Island East Side, alot closer, look for Guide boats!
    There are other locations but the ones above are consistent producers of Trophy Muskie. Be sure to take some pictures of your catch for entry in our Photo Contest!
    August Report
    Muskies were thin. Saw about 8-10 fish all week. My buddy caught one that was 25" on a Suick. His first so all was good. Had 2 others hit but lost (36 and 40 something). All activity was around Bell Island on the East side. Find the weed/rock areas.

    » Northern Pike
    Good numbers small to medium size, most likely in water 15 to 35 feet, large Northerns are in there normal deeper locations. Some very big fish are being caught and released. Large spinner baits, Rapalas, and Muskie type baits working well. Large jigs and minnows producing very nice fish. Most fish off the weedlines and on the deeper reefs holding baitfish. If you just want to get hammered by Northern pike use a 1/2 oz tan and gold willow blade Titanium Terminator with a slow retriever and hang on to your rod real tight.
    August Report
    Well couldn't get anything over 27". We tried. Lots from 22 to 27 so we had fun. Hit most anything topwater, spinnerbaits, bucktails, crankbaits. Did well in Log Bay trolling jointed rapalas in blk/slvr combo (6") in 20 ft of water. Fish were suspended at 10-12 feeding on clouds of baitfish.

    » Largemouth Bass
    Large fish in weedy locations near shallows is reported. Excellent numbers of bass near the resorts and weedy areas of Snake Bay. Early and late best time for larger fish with good midday fishing as well in the deep cabbage weeds. Spinner baits, soft plastic crayfish, plastic worms getting good results. The fishing are moving in the weeds as the water is at season high temperature, trying the deep weed edges and moving shallower should be good. The biggest fish are typically caught in the fall.

    » Smallmouth Bass
    Good reports, 16 to 35 feet most common. Fish are being caught with a variety of techniques. Jig and minnow, small tube jigs and shad raps working best. Crayfish soft plastics also working very well. Expect to fish deeper and moving shallow with rock reefs and bait fish near by. Leeches minnows and nightcrawlers working well now also at various locations. Fire Island narrows have been the spots of many limits.

    » Lake Trout
    Good numbers of trout in depths of appox 60 to 80 feet. Large jigs with twister tails working well. White Fish Bay areas as well as fish in and near the deep water off of Cat Point as well. Down riggers trolling near baitfish schools are working with fish appearing on sonar easily located.
    May Report
    My brother and I caught several lake trout in May just outside of Misty Inlet; east of the island there. We were trolling large rapalas behind one ounce sinkers. The lake trout seem to be very active all day long. We caught 10 nice 12 to 20 lb. lakers in the two days we fished..

    » Crappie
    Good reports, medium depth. Nice size, moving deeper after spawning. Should continue good fishing. Very nice fish being caught with small jigs and minnow presentations. Best bite still is nearing sunset time of day. The best fishing is approaching with fall on the horizon. By far the best locations are still Misty Inlet on Long Bay and alot farther away the old-time favorite Blueberry Inlet which has hazardous shallow narrow channels to navigate.




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