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.

Lake of the Woods fishing report for 9/10/2012

The weather has made a huge change in the Northwest Angle of Lake of the Woods. Last week we saw temperatures in the eighties and water temperatures in the low seventies. In the last few days, the air temperature has dropped considerably quick with water temperatures dipping below seventy degrees and winds up to twenty-five or more miles per hour. The fishing, however, has been nothing short of outstanding for the guests of Flag Island Resort.

Walleye fishing was excellent this last week. With the high winds, Walleye were stacked in predictable locations, however, the spot on the spot was more crucial than it has been all year. Walleyes were schooled up in bunches in single spots throughout an entire area. Rather than pulling up to a reef or main lake point and catching fish throughout the area, fish were schooled up tight in current breaks, sharp turns, or steep drop-offs and breaks adjacent to deeper water. Depth was not a factor throughout the lake, but more-so depending on the area or spot you were fishing. Jigging 1/8^th ounce jigs with Berkley Gulp minnow imitators proved to be one of the best ways to catch Walleye on Lake of the Woods during a cold front. The larger Walleyes are feeding with a twenty-eight inch fish along with several in the twenty-two to twenty-five inch range being caught.

With the fall-like weather, the Muskies are moving shallow onto spots adjacent to late-fall locations. Classic Muskie spots near steep shorelines produced well for our guests with large bucktails being the go-to lure of choice. This was the best week of the year for trophy Muskie on Lake of the Woods. A fifty-three inch Muskie was caught along with several in the upper and mid forty inch range. While the figure eight was a tremendous, fish catching technique all summer long, fish were crushing lure out from the boat this last week. If you are looking to make a trip up to the Northwest Angle, do not overlook the potential of the month of September.

The Crappies are still being caught regularly with a dozen or so caught while targeting Walleyes by one group. Areas near shallow bays are great places to start your search. Jigs tipped with minnows are hard to beat, but artificials can put fish in the boat too. Giant Perch are always biting on Lake of the Woods. You can catch numbers of big Perch in and around the schools of Walleye to make for an excellent shore lunch. Sauger and Pike are also being caught in with the Walleyes, which makes the Northwest Angle one of the best, multi-species fishing lakes in the world.

The weather looks fantastic next week. October is approaching quickly. Big Muskies and Walleyes will be caught both casting and trolling this time of the year. Prepare to see more pictures of big fish!

Lake of the Woods fishing report for 9/03/2012

The leaves are starting to turn and the wildlife is on the move! Water clarity is getting better and better each day and the water temperatures are staying pretty consistent in the sixty-eight to seventy-two degree range. September is one of the best months for fishing on Lake of the Woods, especially for fish with teeth! For those looking for something a little less aggressive, the Crappie fishing in the Northwest Angle is quite exceptional. We are looking forward to what the month of September has in store for us. So far, things seem to me moving along quickly and as expected. Good fishing is here now!

Walleyes are in transition mode and seem to be in every location that seems attractive to us. Main lake humps are still putting out good numbers of fish, but it seems the steeper drop offs along main lake points are holding the larger fish as well as great numbers. Rocky, windblown shorelines are producing well. It seems the shorelines with the wind blowing parallel to the shoreline rather than direct can put out a great number of fish. Jigging is the best way to put fish in the boat. Twenty-five to forty-five foot depths with a 1/8th ounce jig in white and gold or chartreuse are the hot colors as of late for many of our guests and guides. Lake of the Woods is the Walleye capital of the world.

Have you every been to a place where every area and every spot looks like it could hold a trophy Muskie? Lake of the Woods is that place and if you are a serious Muskie angler, the trip has to be made. There are plenty of words that can describe how amazing this large, natural fishery is, but one needs to experience it to believe it and to be able to accept that there is no place on earth that offers what Lake of the Woods has to offer. This is no sales pitch, this is the truth. While most lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illlinois, and others all over the country are being stocked and spots are loading up with anglers, LOTW has a natural, self sustaining Muskie fishery with thousands and thousands of areas for anglers to explorer without having to take a number to fish a spot for your entire stay. Bucktails and jerkbaits have been the go-to lures for out guests as well as guides. Double-tens and Suicks are catching numbers and large fish. There is no such thing as too shallow right now and fish are not following too often... they are hungry and stacking up on classic Muskie spots.

The Crappie fishing in the Northwest Angle should get better and better from here on out. Steep shorelines close to bays and mud flats are the best areas to target right now. Areas near good Walleye spots are a good place to start. A simple jig and minnow combo is all you need to get them to bite, but getting them to bite is the tough part. The Crappies are here, and if you find them the fishing can be outstanding. 

While the fishing on Lake of the Woods in the Northwest Angle is some of the best in the world, the scenery and wildlife IS the best. Thousands of islands and hundreds of trails make Lake of the Woods the ultimate, outdoorsman get-a-way. Our resort on Lake of the Woods is located in the southern portion of the Northwest Angle on the northwest corner of Flag Island.