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"Lake of the Woods Walleye & Sauger Bite Heats Up for Memorial Day"
This is Artificial Lure with your May 31, 2025, Lake of the Woods fishing report.
We’re off to a classic northland morning—sunrise at 5:24 a.m. and sunset coming at 9:07 p.m., giving you a long day on the water to chase those linesides. Expect a comfortable high in the upper 60s, partly cloudy skies, and light west winds around 7 knots—pretty ideal conditions for staying on anchor or spot-lock. Remember, Lake of the Woods has no tidal movement; it’s all about wind-driven currents and weather shifts.
The bite’s been hot right across the south shore. According to the latest from LakeoftheWoodsMN.com, anglers are boating walleyes and saugers in depths from as shallow as 8 feet all the way out to 31 feet, but that sweet spot has been 23 to 28 feet. Fish are relating to all types of structure—sand bars, muddy flats, and rocky edges—so don’t be afraid to move until you mark them. Walleyes are chasing forage, so location shifts can be day to day, but the mid-depths are holding strong right now.
Jigging a minnow remains the go-to method. A 3/8 to 1/2 ounce jig, especially those in gold, chartreuse, pink, orange, or any kind of glow finish, has been turning heads in that tannin-stained water. Frozen emerald shiners are top dog for bait, but don’t overlook lively fatheads or rainbows—sometimes mixing them up with your group helps dial in what’s hot. According to OutdoorsFIRST, anchoring up or hitting spot-lock and working jigs vertically is producing steady catches. Try switching out jig colors if the bite gets finicky.
You’ll find a mixed bag out there. Most boats are boxing a nice mix of eaters: walleyes in that classic 15–17 inch slot are most common, thanks to strong 2021 and 2022 year classes as noted by the Minnesota DNR and local fishing outlooks. There’s also some keeper-size sauger in the mix, and from recent reports on YouTube’s River Bend Resort, even bonus jumbo perch and the occasional pike coming up as bycatch around the same structure. Trophy walleye are absolutely a possibility—fish up to and over 25 inches are getting landed, so be sure your net’s handy!
For hot spots, try the mud flats off Pine Island or the sand edges around Zippel Bay. If you’re looking for a change of pace, the islands near Morris Point and Garden Island have been great for smallmouth bass, and pike are lurking in the shallows all along the southern bays.
That’s your Lake of the Woods report for today. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure—be sure to subscribe for your next fishing update. This has been a Quiet Please production; for more, check out quietplease.ai.
We’re off to a classic northland morning—sunrise at 5:24 a.m. and sunset coming at 9:07 p.m., giving you a long day on the water to chase those linesides. Expect a comfortable high in the upper 60s, partly cloudy skies, and light west winds around 7 knots—pretty ideal conditions for staying on anchor or spot-lock. Remember, Lake of the Woods has no tidal movement; it’s all about wind-driven currents and weather shifts.
The bite’s been hot right across the south shore. According to the latest from LakeoftheWoodsMN.com, anglers are boating walleyes and saugers in depths from as shallow as 8 feet all the way out to 31 feet, but that sweet spot has been 23 to 28 feet. Fish are relating to all types of structure—sand bars, muddy flats, and rocky edges—so don’t be afraid to move until you mark them. Walleyes are chasing forage, so location shifts can be day to day, but the mid-depths are holding strong right now.
Jigging a minnow remains the go-to method. A 3/8 to 1/2 ounce jig, especially those in gold, chartreuse, pink, orange, or any kind of glow finish, has been turning heads in that tannin-stained water. Frozen emerald shiners are top dog for bait, but don’t overlook lively fatheads or rainbows—sometimes mixing them up with your group helps dial in what’s hot. According to OutdoorsFIRST, anchoring up or hitting spot-lock and working jigs vertically is producing steady catches. Try switching out jig colors if the bite gets finicky.
You’ll find a mixed bag out there. Most boats are boxing a nice mix of eaters: walleyes in that classic 15–17 inch slot are most common, thanks to strong 2021 and 2022 year classes as noted by the Minnesota DNR and local fishing outlooks. There’s also some keeper-size sauger in the mix, and from recent reports on YouTube’s River Bend Resort, even bonus jumbo perch and the occasional pike coming up as bycatch around the same structure. Trophy walleye are absolutely a possibility—fish up to and over 25 inches are getting landed, so be sure your net’s handy!
For hot spots, try the mud flats off Pine Island or the sand edges around Zippel Bay. If you’re looking for a change of pace, the islands near Morris Point and Garden Island have been great for smallmouth bass, and pike are lurking in the shallows all along the southern bays.
That’s your Lake of the Woods report for today. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure—be sure to subscribe for your next fishing update. This has been a Quiet Please production; for more, check out quietplease.ai.
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By Quiet. PleaseThis is Artificial Lure with your May 31, 2025, Lake of the Woods fishing report.
We’re off to a classic northland morning—sunrise at 5:24 a.m. and sunset coming at 9:07 p.m., giving you a long day on the water to chase those linesides. Expect a comfortable high in the upper 60s, partly cloudy skies, and light west winds around 7 knots—pretty ideal conditions for staying on anchor or spot-lock. Remember, Lake of the Woods has no tidal movement; it’s all about wind-driven currents and weather shifts.
The bite’s been hot right across the south shore. According to the latest from LakeoftheWoodsMN.com, anglers are boating walleyes and saugers in depths from as shallow as 8 feet all the way out to 31 feet, but that sweet spot has been 23 to 28 feet. Fish are relating to all types of structure—sand bars, muddy flats, and rocky edges—so don’t be afraid to move until you mark them. Walleyes are chasing forage, so location shifts can be day to day, but the mid-depths are holding strong right now.
Jigging a minnow remains the go-to method. A 3/8 to 1/2 ounce jig, especially those in gold, chartreuse, pink, orange, or any kind of glow finish, has been turning heads in that tannin-stained water. Frozen emerald shiners are top dog for bait, but don’t overlook lively fatheads or rainbows—sometimes mixing them up with your group helps dial in what’s hot. According to OutdoorsFIRST, anchoring up or hitting spot-lock and working jigs vertically is producing steady catches. Try switching out jig colors if the bite gets finicky.
You’ll find a mixed bag out there. Most boats are boxing a nice mix of eaters: walleyes in that classic 15–17 inch slot are most common, thanks to strong 2021 and 2022 year classes as noted by the Minnesota DNR and local fishing outlooks. There’s also some keeper-size sauger in the mix, and from recent reports on YouTube’s River Bend Resort, even bonus jumbo perch and the occasional pike coming up as bycatch around the same structure. Trophy walleye are absolutely a possibility—fish up to and over 25 inches are getting landed, so be sure your net’s handy!
For hot spots, try the mud flats off Pine Island or the sand edges around Zippel Bay. If you’re looking for a change of pace, the islands near Morris Point and Garden Island have been great for smallmouth bass, and pike are lurking in the shallows all along the southern bays.
That’s your Lake of the Woods report for today. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure—be sure to subscribe for your next fishing update. This has been a Quiet Please production; for more, check out quietplease.ai.
We’re off to a classic northland morning—sunrise at 5:24 a.m. and sunset coming at 9:07 p.m., giving you a long day on the water to chase those linesides. Expect a comfortable high in the upper 60s, partly cloudy skies, and light west winds around 7 knots—pretty ideal conditions for staying on anchor or spot-lock. Remember, Lake of the Woods has no tidal movement; it’s all about wind-driven currents and weather shifts.
The bite’s been hot right across the south shore. According to the latest from LakeoftheWoodsMN.com, anglers are boating walleyes and saugers in depths from as shallow as 8 feet all the way out to 31 feet, but that sweet spot has been 23 to 28 feet. Fish are relating to all types of structure—sand bars, muddy flats, and rocky edges—so don’t be afraid to move until you mark them. Walleyes are chasing forage, so location shifts can be day to day, but the mid-depths are holding strong right now.
Jigging a minnow remains the go-to method. A 3/8 to 1/2 ounce jig, especially those in gold, chartreuse, pink, orange, or any kind of glow finish, has been turning heads in that tannin-stained water. Frozen emerald shiners are top dog for bait, but don’t overlook lively fatheads or rainbows—sometimes mixing them up with your group helps dial in what’s hot. According to OutdoorsFIRST, anchoring up or hitting spot-lock and working jigs vertically is producing steady catches. Try switching out jig colors if the bite gets finicky.
You’ll find a mixed bag out there. Most boats are boxing a nice mix of eaters: walleyes in that classic 15–17 inch slot are most common, thanks to strong 2021 and 2022 year classes as noted by the Minnesota DNR and local fishing outlooks. There’s also some keeper-size sauger in the mix, and from recent reports on YouTube’s River Bend Resort, even bonus jumbo perch and the occasional pike coming up as bycatch around the same structure. Trophy walleye are absolutely a possibility—fish up to and over 25 inches are getting landed, so be sure your net’s handy!
For hot spots, try the mud flats off Pine Island or the sand edges around Zippel Bay. If you’re looking for a change of pace, the islands near Morris Point and Garden Island have been great for smallmouth bass, and pike are lurking in the shallows all along the southern bays.
That’s your Lake of the Woods report for today. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure—be sure to subscribe for your next fishing update. This has been a Quiet Please production; for more, check out quietplease.ai.