On the South End… A very similar report to last week with another great week of walleye fishing on Big Traverse Bay. Strong numbers of walleyes are set up in traditional ...more fall locations across the south shore of the lake. In front of Pine Island, Morris Point Gap, in front of Zippel Bay, Long Point over to Twin Islands. This is also setting up nicely for ice fishing! The bite is very good and will even get better as water temps decrease. From the Lake of the Woods Wave Buoys, the water temp last week was 55 degrees. It is down to 53 degrees this week. The best bite this week is in 17 - 25 feet. Vertical jigging with a frozen or live emerald shiner is definitely the goto presentation, however, some anglers are still trolling crankbaits with good success. Hot jig colors this week were orange / chartreuse, gold / orange or gold, pink, and glow white. When hooking the minnow on a jig, place the hook of the jig through the mouth and out the gill of the minnow, pushing the minnow as far up towards the jig head as possible, and then hook the minnow about half or 2/3 of the way back on the minnow. In the stained waters, the walleyes aren't as picky and your hookups will increase. Expect a mixed bag of walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch and an occasional crappie or pike in the mix. Rainy River… Emerald shiners are in the river but not in big numbers yet. There are decent numbers of walleyes with some good reports this week. A jig and frozen or live shiner along current breaks, deeper holes, and weed edges, while others were covering water trolling crankbaits. Normally, emerald shiners are the go to bait. Fall is when bait dealers net, freeze and package emerald shiners which are used all year long. Consequently, some live shiners are currently available. Sturgeon anglers are reporting some nice fish, and in many cases, good numbers. A classic sturgeon rig with crawlers (optionally tipped with some shiners) has been effective. The sturgeon catch-and-release season is upon us and continues through April 23, 2026. Northwest Angle… Walleye fishing continues to be excellent on both sides of the border. Again, a jig and minnow on points, over reefs, neck-down areas, and mud-to-rock transitions is catching good numbers of walleyes with saugers, jumbo perch, crappies, smallmouth bass and pike. Muskie anglers are reporting good activity with cooling water temps. Fall is one of the best times of the year to pursue trophy fish over that 50 inch mark in these parts. With a mild weather forecast for this time of year, some great fall fishing is still available. Charter boats and guides are still available through October, or bring up your own boat. You don't have to travel far to find good numbers of walleyes this time of year. For fishing info, guides, fall hot deals and resort packages, visit https://lakeofthewoodsmn.com/fall-fishing-rainy-river-boat-ramps/
