FISHING GUIDE · NORTHERN MINNESOTA

Lake of the Woods Fishing Guide

Lake of the Woods is called the Walleye Capital of the World, with huge numbers of walleye and sauger and one of the longest ice seasons in Minnesota. The Rainy River flows into the south end near Baudette and holds big spring walleyes and lake sturgeon. Northern pike, muskie, perch and smallmouth round out the fishing.

📍 Northern Minnesota (U.S. side), on the Canada border with Ontario and Manitoba. Main towns: Baudette and Warroad, Minnesota; the Northwest Angle sits across the lake.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Upper Midwest Lakes map →

Quick facts

The whole lake covers about 1,680 square miles and is up to about 210 feet deep.
It has more than 14,500 islands and about 65,000 miles of shoreline counting the islands.
The Northwest Angle is the northernmost part of the lower 48 states.
The Minnesota state-record burbot (eelpout), 19 lb 10 oz, came from Lake of the Woods.
Minnesota DNR estimates over 100,000 lake sturgeon longer than 40 inches live in the Rainy River system.

What you can catch

Walleye
The star fish; protected slot 19.5-28 inches must go back.
Sauger
Common in deeper water; counts in the walleye/sauger limit.
Northern pike
Open all year; 30-40 inch fish must be released.
Lake sturgeon
Giants of the Rainy River; mostly catch-and-release.
Muskellunge
Best around the Northwest Angle; 50-inch minimum.
Yellow perch
Common bonus catch, active in summer.
Smallmouth bass
Active in summer; the lake has good numbers.

Month by month

January	Ice fishing for walleye and sauger, often from heated fish houses run by resorts on Big Traverse Bay.
February	Peak ice season; guides move houses to follow walleye schools. Feb 28 is the last day to keep walleye on the Rainy River and Four Mile Bay.
March	Late ice on the main lake; shelters must be off by March 31. Rainy River and Four Mile Bay are catch-and-release only for walleye and sauger from March 1.
April	Rainy River catch-and-release walleye through April 14, often some of the biggest fish of the year. Walleye season then closes until the May opener; sturgeon harvest season opens April 24.
May	Minnesota fishing opener (May 9, 2026). Walleye on jig and minnow; sturgeon closed to all fishing from May 16.
June	Walleyes spread out over the deep mud flats. Muskie season opens June 20.
July	Summer walleye: troll spinner rigs and crankbaits at about 1 to 1.5 mph over the mud flats. Sturgeon harvest reopens July 1.
August	Same summer pattern; charters run daily. Pike, perch and smallmouth also active.
September	Fall starts; many locals call it the best fishing of the year.
October	Emerald shiners move up the Rainy River and walleyes follow; jig and minnow in the current. Sturgeon go catch-and-release from Oct 1.
November	Late-fall walleye and sauger in 15-25 feet on the south shore, vertical jigging a frozen emerald shiner or live minnow. Ice starts forming.
December	Ice fishing usually starts around December 10 on average, once resorts say the ice is safe.

Tips

Ice safety (Minnesota DNR): stay off ice under 4 inches; 4 inches for walking, 5-7 inches for a snowmobile or small ATV, 9-10 inches for a small car or SUV. Double these for white or snow ice.
Ice is never the same thickness everywhere. The DNR does not measure lake ice; check it yourself or go with a resort that maintains ice roads.
A Minnesota license only covers Minnesota waters. To fish the Canadian side you need a Canadian license and must follow border crossing rules.
No gaffs allowed while fishing the Rainy River.
Sauger without the head and tail still on are counted as walleye.

Rules and license

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) · Official rules page ↗

Walleye/sauger season on Lake of the Woods: May 9, 2026 - April 14, 2027.
Limit: 6 walleye and sauger combined, no more than 4 walleye; walleye 19.5-28 inches must be released right away; only 1 walleye over 28 inches.
Rainy River (mouth to the International Falls dam) and Four Mile Bay: catch-and-release only for walleye and sauger March 1 - April 14; harvest season May 9, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027 with the same 6/4 limit and slot.
Northern pike: open all year, limit 3; all pike 30-40 inches must be released; only 1 over 40 inches.
Lake sturgeon: harvest April 24-May 7 and July 1-Sept 30, 1 per calendar year (45-50 inches or over 75 inches) with a tag; catch-and-release May 8-15 and Oct 1-April 23; closed May 16-June 30.
Muskie: June 20 - Nov 30, 1 fish, 50-inch minimum.
One line per angler, two lines allowed when ice fishing. Shelters on Minnesota-Canada border waters must be off the ice by March 31.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 12 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.