What you need to know about fishing Lake of the Woods

At nearly 1700 square miles of surface area and 25,000 miles of shoreline, Lake of the Woods is a giant freshwater lake that straddles the border of the United States and Canada. Anglers fish Lake of the Woods year-round while targeting a number of species including perch, crappie, walleye, northern pike, and muskie. The lake supports both high numbers of each of these species as well as trophy sizes by any standard. While fish are spawning in shallower depths near one of the 14,552 islands they can be caught with slow presentations and simple jig and minnow techniques in the cold water. When targeting walleyes in the spring we recommend the Mack’s Smile Blade back trolled behind a bottom bouncer with lead core. The shape of this unique blade will activate at slower speeds than other blades. Walleye will move to deeper depths and suspend on mid-lake humps in the summer months. Muskie and pike can also be found on the rocky bottom near points and island drop offs and you can find a great selection of muskie baits here. Lake of the Woods is also an excellent fishery for smallmouth bass, crappie, and lake trout. Look for crappies schooler up in deeper bays near fell trees and other structures.