On the South Shore…  It’s been another excellent week of summer walleye fishing on Lake of the Woods, with anglers catching good numbers of walleyes and saugers using a variety of techniques. Three main methods are producing fish right now: jigging, pulling spinners, and trolling crankbaits.

A notable bite took place this week along Pine Island, with walleyes being caught in 12 to 15 feet of water. Across the south shore, spinners tipped with crawlers are working well in depths ranging from 12 to 35 feet, as anglers target various schools of walleyes across the sand, mud flats and near structure.

The jig bite is still putting fish in the boat for many anglers, especially those anchoring up or using spot-lock over concentrated schools. A frozen emerald shiner or fathead minnow continues to be the go-to bait when jigging. However, as summer progresses and water temps rise, more anglers are shifting toward spinners and crankbaits to cover more water and locate active fish.

Trolling crankbaits is gaining momentum as a productive technique. Cranks not only cover water quickly, but they also offer a chance at bonus fish like pike and perch.

What colors?  With the stained waters of Lake of the Woods, gold or gold combined with pink, orange, chartreuse or glow white are good options.

On the Rainy River…  It’s a great time to fish the Rainy River with multi-species action in full swing. There’s a reliable local population of walleyes and saugers, with fish being caught in deeper holes and along channel edges.

Smallmouth bass are very active and can be found around current breaks, rocky shorelines, and along weed edges. Casting crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics are all productive. Pike are spread throughout the river system, but back bays and areas with slack water near current breaks are reliable ambush points.

A reminder that sturgeon fishing reopens July 1st, and anglers with a sturgeon tag can harvest one fish per year within the slot (45–50 inches or over 75 inches) between July 1 and September 30.

Up at the Northwest Angle…  Fishing continues to be strong amongst the islands. Walleyes are being caught near structure in a variety of depths—12 to 24 feet has been especially productive. Jigging with minnows, pulling spinners with crawlers, and trolling crankbaits are all producing good results.

In addition to walleyes, anglers are catching a nice mix of perch, pike, crappies and smallmouth bass. As we move deeper into June, smallmouth action along rocky shorelines and shallow structure remains excellent.

Muskie season opened this past weekend and initial reports were good.  With 14,552 islands in LOW, there is a lot of habitat and a lot of fish!

For more information on lodging, guides, charter fishing, and planning your next trip, visit LakeoftheWoodsMN.com.