Lake of the Woods is perhaps Minnesota’s number one fishing destination.
Being known as the walleye capital of the world, this lake attracts thousands and thousands of anglers who come to fish the lake during all four seasons.
But despite its immense popularity, Lake of the Woods only has a few really good fishing reports, which many anglers rely on before heading out to fish this fantastic lake. And the ones that are out there are challenging to find, so I decided to write this comprehensive guide on the best Lake of the Woods fishing reports.
It includes information and links about every report and lists the most important aspects of each.
Rest assured that you will find everything you need for your next LOTW fishing adventure! Tight lines, and let’s get started!
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Lake of the Woods Tourism Fishing Reports
Lake of the Woods Tourism publishes the best and most detailed LOTW fishing report on the web!
I have read and written about dozens of fishing reports over the years, and this is one of the most detailed and informative ones out there.
The most impressive thing about this fishing report is that it gets published every week, year after year, like clockwork.
This gives anglers a complete picture of the lake during winter, spring, summer, and fall.
It’s an incredibly useful and helpful resource that gives you valuable insights and information year-round.
Every report includes updates and advice on the following topics:
- fishing depths
- amount of caught fish
- average fish sizes
- hot spots
- best lures, baits, and colors
- most successful fishing methods
- current regulations and limits
- a list of lodges, fishing guides, packages, ice houses, and more
Additionally, each report includes a nice fishing picture and detailed information about the current fishing on Rainy River and the NW angle, which is information that’s otherwise hard to find. Especially during the ice fishing season.
Again, one of the most helpful and well-written Lake of the Woods fishing reports out there!
Rating: 5/5 Rods
River Bend Resort Lake of the Woods Fishing Report
The River Bend Resort also publishes a very decent year-round Lake of the Woods fishing report that comes out once a week.
These guys publish regularly and include a ton of valuable information in every report.
They also have first-hand fishing experience from the lake, which is a huge plus and shows in the way they write their reports.
Their fishing reports usually include the following:
- fishing depths
- water temperatures
- best hot spots and shorelines
- best lures and baits
- successful fishing techniques
- ice thickness
The only minus I could find is that their reports are mostly plain long-form text. There’s not much structure, and the long paragraphs can make the reading a little demanding (especially on mobile).
They also promote their resort. But that’s both understandable, natural, and acceptable if you ask me.
All in all, a solid LOTW fishing report that you can count on!
Rating: 4/5 Rods
Lake of the Woods Fishing (Facebook Group)
Now we move over to Facebook, where you can find a couple of really decent Lake of the Woods fishing groups.
There aren’t any more good LOTW fishing reports on the web, so I decided to include some FB groups instead.
And while most of those groups are mixed and don’t always contain informative quality content, they can often be helpful if you know where to find them.
Lake of the Woods Fishing is a perfect example of that!
This FB group has over 40k members. Many fish the lake frequently and aren’t shy to post reports, fishing pics, updates, and tips and tricks.
There are local anglers, fishing guides, lodges and resorts, and out-of-state visitors, and many of these guys like to use the group to help others experience an amazing Lake of the Woods fishing adventure.
And from what I’ve seen, there are plenty of helpful posts and comments in there, so it’s definitely worth checking out!
Rating: 3.5/5 Rods
PRO TIP: You can use the group function “search this group” to find specific topics and posts!
Explore Minnesota Weekly Fishing Update
Explore Minnesota’s weekly fishing update primarily contains general information about the fishing and ice conditions in the state, but it sure has some good pointers.
The ice thickness and safety information, especially, are super important parts that this update includes during winter.
Among other things, they link out to the Minnesota DNR’s Ice Safety pages, which is a very admirable thing to do, I find.
If you want to check out the MN DNR’s ice safety guides, you can find them here.
Furthermore, the Explore Minnesota Weekly Fishing Update also includes valuable information about ice fishing in general and up-to-date state fishing regulations and rules.
To conclude, a very informative, if not super specific guide that can be extremely helpful for out-of-state anglers especially.
Rating: 3.5/5 Rods
Lake of the Woods Reel Fishing Reports (Facebook Group)
LOTW Reel Fishing Reports is another Facebook group containing information about fishing on Lake of the Woods.
While not as big or active as LOTW Fishing, it does contain some helpful information and tips for both open and hard water fishing.
Unfortunately, members do not post very frequently, so it is a good idea to post a question yourself and wait for some responses from other members.
One thing I like about this FB group is the many fishing videos members post. These give a nice visual touch and often include some excellent fishing action from the lake!
Rating: 3/5 Rods