Walleye, Sauger, and Trophy Fish Galore at Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods is serving up a classic late-summer bite that’s got locals and out-of-towners smiling ear to ear. Walleye action is flat-out excellent right now on the South End, especially out across the Big Traverse Bay deep mud basin. Fish are holding at 31–34 feet, and electronics are lighting up across boats throughout the basin. Drifting and trolling crawler harnesses at 1–1.25 mph is the order of the day, with hammered gold blades tipped with a bit of red, pink, orange, or chartreuse standing out as top producers. Plenty of slot walleyes (19.5 to 28 inches) are being caught and released, but good eaters are going into coolers. There’s also been some real trophies caught this week. The best move is staying mobile—these big schools are scattered, so once you mark fish, settle in and work that patch thoroughly.

Saugers are biting just as consistently as the walleyes. Many locals actually prefer their firmer, sweeter meat for evening fish fries. They’re usually hugging bottom, a bit deeper, and just as happy with a jig and minnow, spinner rig, or trolled crankbait. The liberal mixed limits are helping anglers leave with full stringers most days.

Up at the Northwest Angle, fishing is steady on both the Minnesota and Ontario sides. The usual program here: pull spinners with crawlers, troll crankbaits around points and reefs, and jig plastics or minnows in neckdown areas and along rock/mud transitions. The Angle is also delivering on bonus species like smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappies, and even a handful of muskies. Muskie hunters are boating fish over fifty inches, particularly around the islands and main lake rock piles, but lips are sealed about exact locations—no surprise there!

The Rainy River is holding its own, especially when the winds kick up on the big lake. Walleye are along classic river structure: current breaks, holes, and shoreline rocks. In addition to walleyes, sturgeon, pike, bass, and the occasional crappie are finding the net. The usual river tactics—live bait drifting and slow trolling—are producing, though you’ll need to work a bit harder for a limit compared to the main lake. Shoreline emerald shiner action is right around the corner as September approaches, so prepare for things to heat up soon.

Sunrise today comes at 6:12 a.m., sunset at 8:18 p.m., which sets up a nice long window for both early bites and evening action. Weather is holding stable, with calm winds and a light haze this morning, building toward a sunny afternoon with highs near 78°F. Lake surface temps are at around 69°F, about perfect for late summer. Tidal change isn’t a factor up here, but wave height data from Lake of the Woods Tourism’s new buoys shows it’s smooth sailing unless a storm rolls through.

For anglers wanting a tight local recommendation, here’s two hotspots worth your time:
- Big Traverse Bay deep mud basin: Scan for big schools, set up with crawler harnesses (hammered gold with bright accents), and don’t be afraid to drift across a wide area.
- South shore reefs and rock-to-mud transition zones near Morris Point and Zippel Bay: perfect for jigging walleyes, and you’ll hook bonus saugers and the odd crappie.

For bait, bring nightcrawlers and minnows, but don’t skip crankbaits in perch or firetiger patterns if you want an aggressive bite or are targeting multi-species. Northland Fishing Tackle’s wire-arm spinner rigs are keeping baits in the zone and above snags, so it’s hard to beat this combo.

That’s the word from Lake of the Woods, Minnesota—hot action, big fish, and plenty of stories being made on the water. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lake of the Woods is serving up a classic late
summer bite that's got locals and out of town are
smiling ear to ear. Walley action is flat out excellent
right now on the south end, especially out across the
big Traverse Bay deep mud basin. Fisher holding it thirty
one to thirty four feet and electronics are lighting up
across boats throughout the basin. Drifting and trolling crawler harnesses

(00:22):
at one to one point twenty five miles per hour
is the order of the day, with hammered gold blades
tipped with a bit of red, pink, orange or chartreuse
standing out as top producers. Plenty of slot walleyes nineteen
point five to twenty eight inches are being caught and released,
but good eaters are going into coolers. There's also been
some real trophies caught this week. The best move is

(00:43):
staying mobile. These big schools are scattered, so once you
mark fish, settle in and work that patch thoroughly. Sagers
are biting just as consistently as the walleyes. Many locals
actually prefer their firmer, sweeter meat for evening fish fries.
They're usually hugging bottom a bit deeper and just as
happy with a jig and minnow spinner rig or trolled crankbait.

(01:05):
The liberal mixed limits are helping anglers leave with full
stringers most days. Up at the Northwest Angle, fishing is
steady on both the Minnesota and Ontario sides. The usual
program here pole spinners with crawlers, troll crank baits around
points and reefs, and jig plastics are minnows and neck
down areas and along rock mud transitions. The Angle is

(01:27):
also delivering on bonus species like smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappies,
and even a handful of muskies. Musky hunters are boating
fish over fifty inches, particularly around the islands and main
lake rock piles, but lips are sealed about exact locations.
No surprise there. The rainy river is holding its own,
especially when the winds kick up on the big Lake.

(01:50):
Walleye are along classic river structure, current breaks, holes and
shoreline rocks. In addition to walleyes, sturgeon, pike, bass, and
the occasional crappie are finding the net. The usual river tactics,
live bait, drifting and slow trolling are producing, though you'll
need to work a bit harder for a limit compared

(02:10):
to the main lake shoreline. Emerald Chiner action is right
around the corner as September approaches, so prepare for things
to heat up soon. Sunrise today comes at six twelve
a m. Sunset at eight eighteen pm, which sets up
a nice long window for both early bites and evening action.
Weather is holding stable with calm winds and a light

(02:30):
haze this morning, building toward a sunny afternoon with highs
near seventy eight degrees fahrenheit. Lake surface temps are at
around sixty nine degrees fahrenheit, about perfect for late summer.
Tidal change is in the factor up here, but wave
height data from Lake of the Woods Tourism's new booy
shows its smooth sailing unless a storm rolls through. For
anglers wanting a tight local recommendation, here's two hot spots

(02:54):
worth your time. Big Travers Bay, deep mud basin scan
for big schools. Set up with crawl harnesses, hammered gold
with bright accents, and don't be afraid to drift across
a wide area. South Shore reefs and rock to mud
transition zones near Morris Point and Zipple Bay perfect for
jigging walleyes and you'll hook bonus saugers and the odd

(03:14):
crappy for bait. Bring night crawlers and minnows, but don't
skip crank baits and perch your fire tiger patterns if
you want an aggressive bite or a targeting multi species.
Northland fishing tackles, wire arms, spinner rigs are keeping baits
in the zone and above snags, so it's hard to
beat this combo. That's the word from Lake of the Woods, Minnesota,

(03:35):
Hot Action big Fish and plenty of stories being made
on the water. Thanks for tuning in and don't forget
to subscribe for more. This has been a Quiet Please production.
For more check out Quiet Please dot ai