Lake of the Woods (US)
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Species
Season
Lake of the Woods (US) Overview
Top Techniques Reported for Walleye + Spring
- Vertical Jigging Mid Depth (10-19')2
- Vertical Jigging Deep (20'+)1
- Northern Pike5 Reports
- Walleye3 Reports
- Sturgeon2 Reports
Top Products
Most Reported Baits for Walleye + Spring
Create a Lake of the Woods (US) Kit
Target Walleye During Spring
Lake of the Woods (US) Fishing Reports
38 Reports on Lake of the Woods (US)
Austin Williams
Bronze Ambassador
4/8/23
Species
Walleye
Season
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Vertical Jigging 10-19'
Structure
River Channels
Water Temperature
34°
Species
Walleye
Season
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Vertical Jigging 10-19'
Structure
River Channels
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
33°
Fishing the Rainy River. Ice had skimmed over the river and it took a while to clear up but we were able to hop around and try a few different styles of fishing. With the cold water and falling water some of the fish we caught were in deeper pockets from 12-18ft adjacent to shallow flats on the edge of current seams, We spot locked and vertically jigged 1/2oz jigs with plastics, rainbows, small suckers and frozen shiners along with hair jigs. We fished shallower flats upstream from deeper holes with the 1/4 to 3/8oz jigs again and hair jigs in the 8-12ft range. Using spotlock vertical jigging, pitching jigs to the side or slightly cornering back downstream let the jig roll and hop in the current until it straightens out behind the boat downstream. Most bites would happen right away as our lines straightened out or on the fall jigging. 1/2oz also worked for more aggressive snapping. Dragging jigs upstream at 0.3 mph on shallower flats in 8-12ft worked well too. 1/4-1/2oz jigs pitched back behind the boat and jigged just enough to touch bottom when dropping the rod tip back a couple feet was key. Jigs with plastics like the rage simmer and keitech fat swing or BfishN moxie or pulseR worked the best. Pulling shallow diving minnow crank baits upstream at 1mph to 1.5mph on 3 way rigs with 2 or 3oz weights 12-16" down on lighter mono with 5-6ft leaders of 12lb flourocarbon back to the lure worked well for bigger fish
Species
Walleye
Season
Ice
Technique
Ice Fishing Spoons
Structure
Open Water/Basin
Forage
Minnows
Winter fishing Lake of the Woods is a great destination walleye Hot Spot all winter long. Drill out your area and drop your Glow Spoon down to the bottom and bounce it on the bottom a few times and pull it up about 2 feet and start jigging. Watch your electronics for fish coming in when they come in keep jigging, you can slow down but don't stop, if they don't hit it reel up slow playing keep away. Good Luck!
Top Fishing Techniques
for Walleye + SpringChoose from techniques based on Lake of the Woods (US) fishing reports.