Lake of the Woods, Minnesota Fishing Report - Daily

Early Spring Fishing on Lake of the Woods: Pike, Sturgeon, and More


Listen Later

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake of the Woods fishing report for Friday, May 2nd, 2025.

We’re right in the heart of early spring fishing on Lake of the Woods, so here’s what’s happening out on the water. Today’s sunrise was around 5:54 am and sunset will be about 8:35 pm, giving anglers a long day to get after it. The weather is mild, with temps in the upper 40s to mid-50s, light winds, and mostly cloudy skies – perfect for a day in the boat or along the shore.

With the Minnesota Fishing Opener not until May 10th, most folks are targeting northern pike in the bays and monster sturgeon on the Rainy River. Walleye season is still closed in Minnesota waters, so keep that in mind if you’re planning a trip.

The action for pike has been excellent, with big fish moving shallow into the bays and ditches getting ready to spawn. Four Mile Bay, Bostic Bay, and Zippel Bay are your top picks right now. These bays are opening up nicely, and pike are staging in the warmest, shallow water available. Anglers are catching good numbers and some real trophy-sized fish. The best techniques have been dead bait under a bobber, tossing out spoons, or slowly trolling shallow-diving crankbaits. Sucker minnows and frozen smelt have also been hot baits for dead-sticking.

On the Rainy River, the sturgeon bite is still on fire. Anglers anchored up with heavy rigs, using nightcrawlers and frozen shiners, are hooking plenty of these prehistoric giants. Reports of multiple fish per day are common, and some real big ones in the 50+ inch range have been landed just this week.

Perch and crappie are still showing up for those targeting them, especially around structure in the bays and river mouth. Jumbo perch are being caught on jig and minnow combos, while crappies are hitting small plastics.

If you’re looking for a hotspot, Four Mile Bay and Bostic Bay are loaded with pike in shallow water. For sturgeon, head up the Rainy River and try areas near the airport or Timber Mill Park. These spots have been producing some great fish this week.

The pike limit on the Minnesota side is three per day, with all fish between 30 and 40 inches released, and one over 40 inches allowed. Most folks are letting the big girls go after a quick photo.

That wraps up the report for today. Good luck, and remember to check current regulations before heading out. Tight lines from Artificial Lure!
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Lake of the Woods, Minnesota Fishing Report - DailyBy Quiet. Please