Lake of the Woods fishing report for 10/22/2012

The final week for the summer - fall Lake of the Woods fishing report is finally here. This years fishing in the Northwest Angle was nothing short of spectacular with numbers of trophy fish caught and released. Not only was the fishing extremely good throughout the entire season, several folks caught their personal best fish, ever! Guests caught their largest Walleye, Muskie, Crappie, and even Perch on several occasions; week-in and week-out. Staff members and guides were also rewarded with some of the largest fish ever caught in their boat. This Canadian shield lake is one of the top fishing destinations in the world for many species of game-fish. Flag Island Resort will not hold back when it comes to getting you on the water, putting you on fish, and on the big fish!

Did you know Lake of the Woods is home to the elusive Black Crappie? Ice fishing is very popular in the Northwest Angle. Hundreds of Crappies can be caught in a single day with fish in the 14-inch-plus-range on the average. But, did you know... Crappie can be caught with consistency during the warm water months? Of course you do! Ontario Crappie fishing is not something most set out for on their annual trip to Lake of the Woods during the open water season, however, there are times when the bite is on and one cant resist. During the "off-season," we will help you prepare for these relatively rare fish during the warmer months.

Lake of the Woods is known throughout the entire world as one of the best Canadian Walleye fishing lakes and is in fact, "The Walleye Capitol of the World." If you enjoy jigging, trolling, fishing big water, or areas of current, The Northwest Angle is a place every Walleye angler should visit. Throughout the entire open water fishing season, Walleye over 26-inches are caught on a regular basis with several over the 30-inch-mark caught, photographed, and released by our guest. Our Lake of the Woods resort is located in a perfect location to set out and target Walleye. This winter, we will help you prepare yourself so that everyone can go home with pictures to share with family and friends.

The Northern Pike is a close relative to the Muskellunge (Muskie, Musky.) Both fish can grow as long as 50-inches, sport razor sharp teeth, and readily hit lures larger than some of the fish we catch. They appear to be very similar when it comes to characteristics, attitude, and seasonal locations, however, there are several differences in how to target these two species and how they react to different fishing methods. You don't want to get caught using light line and soft gear when fishing for either of the two! Stay tuned to the Lake of the Woods Fishing Report blog for tips, tricks, and gear selection to go after these monsters!

What to expect for 2013? Now is the time to start thinking about next years highly anticipated fishing trip. With all the different types of fish to target, so much water, so much fishing tackle, and what may seem to be so little time, being prepared to go after specie after specie is quite simple. Throughout the season, we shared many different tactics and ways to approach Lake of the Woods to help you be successful, however, this winter we will share even more! What to bring, how to use it, and where to go? Keep in touch with our fishing report blog for Lake of the Woods throughout the "off-season." Thank you for your visit!

Lake of the Woods fishing report for 10/15/2012

More winter weather and snow dropped the water temperatures on Lake of the Woods into the lower forties. For those that battled the high winds and the cold came excellent fishing for all species. Crappie, Walleye, Muskie, and big Smallmouth Bass were caught in both numbers and size while fishing the Northwest Angle.

We have to talk a little bit about the fantastic Crappie fishing Lake of the Woods has to offer in the Fall. Colder water temperatures really turn these fish on. Areas near water in the thirty to fifty foot range with main lake points and shallow bays nearby are a good place to start the search. Once you catch one Crappie, that is usually a sign that even more are present. Fish the area very well, covering all depths. One day they may be over thirty feet of water and the next over fifty. Warmer weather and rising water temperatures can slow the bite down, but big Crappies can still be caught. This week, Crappie fishing started off fairly slow, with only a few fish caught by our guests, however, the last couple days have been some of the best Crappie fishing we have experienced all year. Most of the Crappies in the Northwest Angle are in the fourteen inch range with some fish pushing sixteen inches. It will  be interesting to see if the Crappie bite continues to be strong in the upcoming weeks with some consistent, cooler weather.

Jigging for Walleye is a common method that is productive year round. Most areas where Walleyes are caught by jigging will produce fish from ice out til' ice up. Rock reefs, main lake points, and current areas are the areas you want to target. This year, 30 feet of water seemed to be the best depth overall. Although the Walleye fishing on Lake of the Woods is some of the best in the world with great spots all over the place, there are still a lot of small honey holes where Walleyes gather by the hundreds.

 Pictured above is Scott holding his very first Muskie.

The Muskie trolling bite has been fairly good as of late. Lots of Pike were being caught casting areas that were holding Muskies earlier this fall, so trolling was tried, tested, and very successful. Some large fish were caught trolling large crankbaits thirty to fifty feet behind the boat over twenty to forty feet of water. Steep shorelines with schools of baitfish high in the water column were the areas targeted with success. With the colder air temperatures at night, the trolling bite should only get better.

Lake of the Woods fishing report for 10/8/2012

High winds, rain, and a winter storm have really mixed things up here in the Northwest Angle of Lake of the Woods. Water temperatures were dropping two weeks ago only to come back up last week. The water is cooling quickly once again and the fishing has picked up since last week. With the nice weather coming through later in the week, we can bet there will be some great fishing ahead of us. Water temperatures were back up to the high 50’s last week and are now back down into the lower 50’s and upper 40’s.

Walleyes have gone from scattered to really tight schools with the cooling water temperatures. Throughout the season, most have preferred to jig for Walleye rather than troll. While trolling is very convenient and a successful tactic to catch trophy Walleye throughout lake of the woods, especially while fishing mud flats and around reefs, jigging is always a sure way to catch numbers of quality fish with some big fish thrown in the mix. Jigging typically works best in water as deep as 45 feet up to 20 feet. Heaiver jigs work best during wind or in current areas while lighter jigs are preferred during calm days. Natural colors such as white and gold were very popular this year with the standard chartreuse and orange also being very productive. Tipped with a minnow, leech, or crawler and you are surely going to catch a limit of Walleye in no time. Berkley Gulp products are also a very good choice. Big Smallmouth Bass are being caught along with the Walleyes. These fish have some fight to them, so hang on!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muskies and Pike are starting to roam and are being caught in random areas throughout the lake. If the area looks good, more than likely there is going to be a spot with a couple active fish. Jerkbaits and large crankbaits ripped erratically with long pauses in between are enticing aggressive strikes near the boat, before the figure 8. Rocky areas adjacent to deep water with small or large weedy bays are great areas to target as the water temperatures plummet. Areas with gravel and sand should start to show more fish in the upcoming weeks. The trolling bite should also pick up, especially if the water temperature gets down into the lower 40’s.

 

 

The open water season on Lake of the Woods will be coming to a close shortly. Big fish are being caught and the fishing pressure is almost nonexistent. With over 14,000 islands and endless miles of shoreline, there are thousands of spots each and every angler can roam. This season was nothing short of fantastic. We enjoyed fishing with each and every one of you and looking forward to next season. Thank you for visiting our Lake of the Woods fishing report out of Flag Island Resort in the beautiful Northwest Angle.

Lake of the Woods fishing report for 10/1/2012

The final month of the open water season at Flag Island Resort on Lake of the Woods in the Northwest Angle is here. September fishing did not disappoint a single angler. Numbers of fish and large fish were caught with good consistency. Not only was the fishing very good, the weather and water quality was great. Despite a few extremely windy days, September brought lots of sun and some of the nicest days we have experienced all year.

Walleye fishing continues to be great. Multiple fish over 25 inches were reported with one in the low 30 inch range reported. Bright colored jigs tipped with a Fathead Minnow or Emerald Shiner are hard to beat if you want to catch fish all day long. Walleyes on Lake of the Woods are spreading out more and more as Fall progresses. Fish are being caught as deep as 40 feet in the main lake while some are being caught in less than 10 in the backs of bays. Spots that seem to always hold fish are neckdown areas with current.

Muskie fishing was also fair this week with several nice fish caught. A 49 inch fish was reported yesterday, but a lot of fish in the 40 inch range are being seen. Rock walls adjacent to sand beaches have been a consistent area to move fish. Long, broken rock shorelines are always a good bet in the Northwest Angle. Jerkbaits such as the Suick and crankbaits like the Bucher Shallow Raider have been excellent lures this week. Those targeting fish in deeper water have had good success on big Bulldawgs, with no Muskie reported by trolling. The warmer weather the last few days have really brought the water temperatures up, so the trolling bite may take a little longer to happen. 

Crappie fishing on Lake of the Woods has slowed down a tad, but some fish are still being caught. One group of anglers reported to catch over 20 Crappie in a short time fishing in the back of a shallow bay. White or gold jigs tipped with a Fathead Minnow was their bat of choice. Crappies have moved shallower than the previous week, with most fish being caught in 20 to 25 foot of water.

The cold days of October will be here soon. Fish will start to put on the feed bag and put on some weight too. Thank you for keeping up with our weekly, Lake of the Woods fishing report this season. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please send Flag Island Resort an email at flagislandresort@wiktel.com. Thanks again!

Lake of the Woods fishing report for 9/24/2012

The Fall season is here. Dropping air and water temperatures are really turning the fish activity up a notch. Once again, Lake of the Woods proves to be a top, multi-species fishing destination. Flag Island Resort is in the perfect location in the Northwest Angle with quick access to some of the best fishing Minnesota and Canada have to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

Walleye are gorging themselves on large Minnows, Perch, and even other Walleyes up to 8 inches long. Jigs tipped with plastics or Minnows over water as deep as fifty feet is still the best way to put not only numbers of Walleye in the boat, but big fish too. Nice Walleye are being caught in neckdown areas and steep shorelines near shallow bays. Main lake points are also holding lots of fish. While fish were in tight schools last week, this week was different, with fish spread out throughout the structure. Do not be surprised if you hook into a Walleye pushing eight pounds on Lake of the Woods.

Muskie fishing continues to be very good on Lake of the Woods. Classic, fall spots and areas are starting to show more and more fish. Steep shorelines and main lake rocks near deep, open water are the best areas to target Muskies in the Northwest Angle right now. With the dropping water temperatures, Muskies are relating tight to boulders, steep breaks, and open water. Depths anywhere from just a couple feet to depths of over twenty feet are showing fish. Big crankbaits, jerkbaits, and large plastics are putting big, fat Muskies in the net. Good, solid action can be had during all times of the day. Feeding windows and daylight hours are shortening as the year progresses, but if you are on the water when the fish decide to turn on, action can be fast and furious.

Big Northern Pike are being caught in the same areas as the Muskies. Long shorelines near weedy bays are producing some nice Pike as well as main lake, rocky points. Large crankbaits are putting the largest Pike in the boat with some being taken on jerkbaits and large plastics. Casting and trolling can put numbers of big Pike in the boat throughout the Fall.

 

 

 

Big Crappies are still being caught, with anglers focusing in water as deep as thirty-five feet over a rock bottom. Areas near shallow, weedy, and sandy bays seem to be the best areas. Most of the Crappie being caught on Lake of the Woods are usually in the thirteen to fourteen inch range with some fifteen inchers being caught as well. Natural colored jigs tipped with a minnow slowly jigged near the bottom off main lake points and rock reefs are a great place to start your search.

Give Flag Island Resort a call for cabin information on a Lake of the Woods fishing experience.

Lake of the Woods fishing report for 9/16/2012

Fall is a fantastic opportunity to catch many species of gamefish that call Lake of the Woods home. Walleye, Muskie, and Crappie are some of the most popular fish species in the Northwest Angle. It is hard to beat the trophy fishing both Minnesota and Canada offer during this time. With falling water levels, fish are locating near the deepest water near the biggest, open areas of the lake. Wind and current can be a big factor when it comes to fish location. While many anglers seek areas out of the wind, those who fight it are seeing a huge benefit.

Walleye fishing has been nothing short of outstanding as of late. Not only are one-hundred fish days being had, very large fish are being boated. Vertical jigging is one of the best, most consistent ways of targeting Walleye on Lake of the Woods. With a 1/8^th ounce jig tipped with a fathead minnow, one can catch Walleye anywhere between eighteen and thirty inches regularly. The late fall spots are starting to stack up with Walleyes. Fish are spread out in all depth ranges for the most part, but at times, each spot can hold a tight school of big fish. There honey holes are typically the size of a small fishing boat and usually located on a steep drop off near a main lake point or main channel area.  Several Walleyes over twenty inches are being caught by Flag Island Resort guests lately. It looks like September may take the trophy as far as big Walleyes being caught for the year.

Muskie anglers are starting to catch big Muskies with heavy, fat bellies. The trolling pattern is starting to produce numbers of Muskies, while the casting bite still remains strong. It won’t be long until the majority of the fish move out to the breaklines, however, the Tullibee will be up on the sand before we know it and the Muskies will be right behind them. Large baits such as ten-inch Jakes and Suicks are favored by Muskie fishermen this time of the year. It’s hard to beat something that looks like a wounded Tullibee. When it comes to Muskie fishing in the Northwest Angle in late fall, trolling is the way to go!

The Crappie fishing is starting to heat up more and more with several anglers reporting twenty fish days. While it is common to catch several dozen Crappies on Lake of the Woods, a handful of Crappies in the fifteen inch range can make anyone’s day. Vertical jigging steep shorelines off main lake points and islands near shallow, weedy bays are excellent places to start your search for Crappies in the Northwest Angle. White or gold jigs tipped with a minnow fished near the bottom is an easy, yet proven, fish catching method that works year round.

Please visit the Flag Island Resort homepage for more information about our resort on Lake of the Woods.