Good morning from Lake of the Woods—Artificial Lure here with your June 20, 2025, fishing report, right from the heart of walleye country.
Sunrise lit up the lake at 5:16 AM, and with sunset not until 9:16 PM, we’re blessed with plenty of daylight to chase those legendary catches. The weather’s classic early summer—mild, with highs expected in the mid-70s, a gentle southwest breeze, and partly cloudy skies, making for perfect conditions to be on the water.
Fishing remains red-hot throughout the system, with anglers reporting consistent action across the south shore and up at the Northwest Angle. Walleyes and saugers are the stars right now, and the reports from Outdoor News and LakeoftheWoodsMN.com both confirm that 23 to 28 feet of water on the main lake is especially productive, while at the Angle, anywhere from 12 to 24 feet around shoreline structure, underwater points, and shallow reefs is putting fish in the boat. The jig and minnow bite is still on fire—anchoring or spot-locking is the way to go when you find a school of roamers. Pulling spinners with a crawler or trolling crankbaits along shallow structure is also producing, especially if the wind picks up a touch during the day.
Numbers-wise, there’s no shortage of keeper walleyes in the 13–16 inch range thanks to those strong 2018, 2021, and 2022 year classes, as confirmed by the Minnesota DNR. Anglers are also seeing good numbers of smaller 9–11 inch walleyes, and don’t be surprised if you hook into a 25-plus inch trophy—this lake is famous for them. Jumbo perch, smallmouth bass, and healthy pike are making regular appearances in the livewell too.
For baits, you can’t go wrong with a pink or gold jig tipped with a live minnow or fathead. If the bite slows, switch over to a spinner rig with a nightcrawler or add a slow-death hook for some extra roll. Crankbaits like Rapalas and Shad Raps in firetiger or perch patterns are moving fish when trolled at 2–2.5 mph along those classic rock-to-sand transitions. Smallmouth bass are active along rocky points and rubble—tubes, ned rigs, and jerkbaits will get their attention along the shallows.
A couple of hot spots to check out today: at the south end, the Lighthouse Gap out from Four Mile Bay continues to be a top producer, and over at the Angle, Little Oak Island and the reefs near Oak Island are red-hot for both numbers and size.
Tides aren’t a factor here, but weather movement will sometimes stir up the bite, especially with that breeze we’ve got today. Remember, sturgeon season is closed until July 1st, but muskie opens tomorrow—so plan accordingly if you’re looking to tangle with something even bigger.
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