Lake of the Woods Fishing Report, August 29th, 2023
At the southern area of Lake of the Woods MN, an impressive quantity of walleyes and saugers were hooked this week. Towards the end of summer, most catches were made via spinners with crawlers and crankbait trolling – popular tactics for “Lake of the Woods Fishing.”
Eater-sized walleyes, specifically those underneath 19.5 inches, are abundant at the lake’s northern extremity. Drifting spinners partnered with a twin hook rig and a crawler are displaying noteworthy success in walleye catches recently. Key colors have been gold, gold/red, gold/orange, and pink spinner blades. Pro tip: snip off the trailing length of the crawler; just about two to three inches off the back hook will yield more catches.
Crankbait trolling in the Big Traverse Bay deep mud or neighboring the mud/rock transition on rocky piles’ deeper fringes continues to reel in commendable catches. Amidst the hot summer months, walleyes tend to show better responses to increased trolling velocities, with 2.5 – 3.5 mph proving to be the most effective.
Keep substituting crankbaits until you discern the walleyes’ preferred variety. Different dimensions, shapes, wobbles, rattles, and shades can all effect a variance. Some considered colors include shiny gold, pink UV firetiger, chrome/blue, and a chartreuse body with a red head.
Informal bug hatches can complicate fishing efforts, yet anglers are maintaining high walleye catches using spinners and crankbaits. Some fishermen try to operate in lake zones that are less threatened by the hatch.
In the Rainy River region, mid-August has brought excellent walleye fishing sessions. Four Mile Bay is retaining a good number of fish, along with different shoreline rifts, bars, and other structural segments throughout the river. Spinner trolling and crankbait trolling are proving efficient.
Large pike and a significant number of smaller eater-sized pike are being landed by casting shorelines and back bays. Spinnerbaits, inline spinners plus bladed jigs with a plastic are yielding good results. Pike catches have been enhanced by crankbait trolling.
The river continues to produce a mixed bag of walleyes, saugers, smallmouth bass, pike, big crappies and lake sturgeon.
