Lake of the Muskies
If there is a freshwater angling paradise, Lake of the Woods is it. The multi-species options on the lake are second to none. The scenery is incredible and throughout the year, no matter the season, something is always biting.
Walleyes, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, crappies, lake trout and perch all exist in huge numbers and offer trophy fishing opportunities. Further options exist for the less popular whitefish, burbot, especially during winter.
The 14,000 islands on the lake give visitors a good chance of viewing wildlife like deer, moose, bears, wolves or one of the many bird species that inhabit the lake area.
Spring, summer, fall and winter all offer world-class fishing options and the many resorts and guides around the lake can put you on fish in short order no matter which section you visit.
Then there’s the musky. The pinnacle of freshwater, the fish of 10,000 casts, the waterwolf. Musky thrive in the massive Lake of the Woods and can be caught by anglers throughout the open-water season. Let’s take a look at how to catch a musky on Lake of the Woods.
The first thing that musky anglers need to know if they come to Lake of the Woods is an understanding of the seasonal movements of the fish. Far more important than the choice of lure is putting that lure in front of some fish. Musky are opportunistic feeders and if they are in the mood to bite, a variety of lures can generally tempt them. Throughout the season, there are general rules to follow for catching muskies on Lake of the Woods. With any form of fishing, there are always exceptions to the rules and the angler that gets creative and explores new opportunities often scores. Use these general rules as a starting point for your trip this year.
Annually, the musky season in Sunset Country opens every year on the third Saturday in June. Musky are a spring spawning fish and they move into shallow bays and coves to spawn in late May and early June. By the time the season opens, muskies have typically moved out from their spawning areas but many fish are still located in shallow water. That is where you want to start your search.
Many anglers actually plan their trip to Lake of the Woods to coincide with the June opener and this is never a bad idea. Muskies are green and have not seen a lure in months. They are also active and foraging in an effort to recover from the rigors of the spawn.
Locationally, anglers should keep a few things in mind early in the season, June through July. Focus efforts around large, shallow bays. Rock reefs in these bays, large pencil reed areas or large weed beds in 6 – 12 feet of water are my top three choices. Lure options should include some in-line spinners (bucktails) and topwater baits, which can shine this time of year, especially early and late in the day.
As summer progresses, anglers should start thinking more about getting out of the weeds and onto the rocks. Throughout August and early September, rock reefs, especially the large complexes of reefs attract fish that are focusing their feeding efforts more on larger prey like cisco, baby walleye and smallmouth bass. Anglers are wise to take a run-and-gun approach to their days on the water throughout the summer. Hitting as many high-percentage spots as possible in a day; main lake points, island saddles and large reef structures, is the best way to connect with fish. Some anglers that are new to Lake of the Woods have been known to have success by following one of the many extensive buoy systems (routes) and hitting as many marked reefs as they can in a day.
Lure options and fishing techniques during the summer can vary widely because the window is wide open as far as where fish could be located. It is best to have options; in-line spinners, topwaters, jerkbaits and glidebaits can all put fish in the boat. In all my years of guiding, experience has taught me that in-line bucktail style baits are the best fish catchers. They seem to trigger more fish to bite and hook up better than any other style of bait. Summertime is casting time in my opinion, you can put your bait in front of more fish and cover a higher percentage of water than you can by trolling.
As the fall approaches and water starts to cool, muskies on Lake of the Woods begin to change their attitudes. A nearly dormant fish under the ice, muskies put on the feedbag big time in the fall in order to bulk up for the long winter. Now is the time to bust out the big baits and start trolling. Locationally, muskies can be found in predictable locations. It’s all about following the bait, specifically the plentiful cisco that spawns in the fall. Ciscos spawn on rocks, and it seems like many of the major neck-down areas of the lake that have some current moving through them are the most high-percentage spots. Most experienced anglers spend their time trolling large cisco imitating crankbaits through these areas at speeds of 2.5 – 4.5 mph. Windblown rocky shorelines can be a good place to troll your baits as well. Hardcore anglers catch fish until the bitter end of the open water season, sometimes fishing right into December. I know a handful of anglers that have even broken ice to get out on the lake for that last outing of the year.
Anglers that have never fished on Lake of the Woods can understandably be intimidated by the massive size of this body of water. As big as it is, navigation is easy thanks to the great mapping available both on paper and on chips that can be used in GPS units. The unique thing about the lake is that is basically like 5 lakes in one with all of the different basins that have different water clarities and average depths. If you like clear water, the Whitefish and Clearwater Bay areas have extremely clear water. If you like darker water (muskies do) the south end of the lake from Sabaskong Bay all the way up to Kenora at the north end offers great musky fishing. There are great resorts located in all corners of the lake that have knowledgeable people available to give you information on the musky bite as well as other fish that can be caught. These guys can also arrange your dream fishing trip. If you want to catch a musky, Lake of the Woods is the place to go this year!
Jeff, a young professional guide who grew up on the shores of Lake of the Woods obtained his first guide job at age 14. He makes his living through all season guiding (both hunting and fishing), tournament fishing and promotion. His credits include twice winning the Kenora Bass International tourney on Lake of the Woods; appearing on several TV shows including Lindner’s Angling Edge, In Fisherman, Bob Izumi’s Real Fishing, Dave Mercer’s Facts of Fishing; author of numerous articles for In Fisherman and Ontario Out of Doors. Contact Jeff at www.gussyoutdoors.com
By, Jeff Gustafson
