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2.9.21 Sunset Lodge Fishing & Ice Report! We are finding quality walleye and sauger in 20-24 ft, with the best method being to acctract them in with a rattle bait such as a rippin rap or buckshot. Our houses with the best numbers have been ones in 28 ft. or deeper. When no fish are being marked, it is important to aggressively rip baits 3-4 feet, then slow the action as fish appear on screen. The attitude of a walleye can change from house to house, where one shack has all the action on a deadstick, the next house can get most bites by jigging. Angles who reasses their presentaion daily will put more fish in the pail. Pike from 22-44 inches are being caught on live or dead sucker minnows. Bring up some suckers and place tip ups on or near rock structure and watch flags fly! The Ice Road from Warroad is open and in great shape. https://www.facebook.com/nwaiceroad Join this weekend on a SPECIAL Valentine's Day day pass for only $75 round trip per vehicle. https://www.facebook.com/events/1041895192998473 Snowmobile trails are being groomed consistently and are also in good shape. https://www.facebook.com/NorthwestAngleEdgeRiders Come visit us on the 27th of February for the Edge Rider’s 20th Annual Snowmobile Rally! https://www.facebook.com/events/1200488093686092 To check availability or Book Now, please visit our website: www.minnesotafishingresorts.com See you soon!

7.6.20 Sunset Lodge Fishing Report Minnesota Lake of the Woods Walleye action continues in less than 10’ casting Rapala’s, floating leeches or pulling crawlers in rocks and sand bays. Walleye are also showing back up on classic structure including points and main lake reefs. Trolling deep diving Rapala’s has been producing very large pike and slot walleye in 12 to 18 ft. of water. Lake of the Woods Musky opener was successful in shallow, weeded areas. With one over 50” boated and the rare 49.5” as well as many mid 40” fish. With water temps increasing into the high 70’s this week, Rock areas are heating up. Smaller bass sized baits and blades have been favored by these toothy critters. Current musky anglers are seeing up to 10 fish a day!

Rock Creek Lake Crappie - Good: Crappie are being caught drifting panfish jigs or minnows mid-lake on the lower portion of the lake. Big Creek Lake Walleye - Fair: Walleye are being caught in good numbers with more fish over 15 inches. Concentrate on the upper half of the lake in less than 20 feet of water trolling crankbaits or spinner rigs with crawlers or minnows. Shore anglers can pick up walleye as well fishing minnows under slip bobbers off the jetties. Bluegill - Fair: Fish the outside edges of vegetation beds in shallow water with small hooks, crawler pieces and a bobber. Lake Ahquabi Bluegill - Good: Good size bluegills are being caught fishing crawlers or small panfish jigs 2 to 6 feet deep on the lower portions of the lake where the vegetation is less dense. Red Rock Reservoir White Bass - Good: White bass action is good right now. Find areas where gizzard shad are concentrated and busting on the surface. Cast or troll spoons and shad imitating crankbaits. Shallow diving chrome or firetiger colored baits work well. Saylorville Reservoir Channel Catfish - Good: Good summer channel catfishing can be found drifting cut bait above the mile long bridge. White Bass - Good: White bass are in their summer pattern and being caught trolling spoons and crankbaits. Good areas to start searching are out from Sandpiper beach and the Oak Grove Recreation Area. Des Moines River (Stratford to Saylorville Lake) Channel Catfish - Good: Good catches of channel catfish are coming out of the Des Moines River above Saylorville using stink baits. Bluegill and crappie are being caught drift fishing in many lakes while hot weather has white bass fishing picking up in Red Rock and Saylorville. For information on central Iowa lakes and rivers, contact Andy Otting or Ben Dodd at 515-432-2823. Greenfield Lake Fish surveys indicate a large crappie population in Greenfield. Panfish can be caught drifting. Greenfield also has good largemouth bass and catfish numbers. Crappie - Fair: Crappies averaging 9 inches can be caught drifting twister tails. Bluegill - Fair: Drift with black jigs tipped with a night crawler or power bait. Fish will average 8 inches. Channel Catfish - Fair: Channel catfish can be caught around the jetties and close to rock with shrimp. Fish will average 2 pounds. Nodaway Lake Anglers can expect to catch 8 inch bluegills and 9 inch crappie. Crappie - Fair: Drift with white twister tails and cast to sunken trees to catch crappie up to 12 inches. Bluegill - Slow: Drift or slow troll small jigs tipped with a crawler. Fish are 6 feet deep. Channel Catfish - Fair: Catfish are being caught with cut bait in the upper end of the lake. Fish will average 18 to 20 inches. Orient Lake Catfishing is good at Orient. Channel Catfish - Good: Anglers are having success using shrimp or crawdads. Average size catfish is 18 to 20 inches. Lake Anita Anglers are catching panfish drifting mid lake. Largemouth bass fishing is good along vegetation edges. Largemouth Bass - Good: Bass anglers are catching good numbers of bass casting the edges of vegetation and vertical jigging the roadbeds for larger fish. Black Crappie - Fair: Drift around the roadbeds and cast along vegetation edges to catch crappie up to 12 inches. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill can be caught drifting small jigs tipped with a crawler or power bait. Fish are in 6 to 8 feet of water. Viking Lake Viking has a good largemouth bass population. A few crappies can be caught drifting. Channel catfishing has been good this week. Largemouth Bass - Good: Largemouth of all sizes are being caught casting small spinnerbaits with a slow retrieve or plastics around the shoreline and jetties. Channel Catfish - Good: Catfish can be caught in the campground arm of the lake and south of the beach using cut bait. Fish average 2 pounds. Crappie - Fair: Drift open water areas of the lake with small jigs or twister tails. Fish will average 9 inches. Prairie Rose Lake The fishery at Prairie Rose is doing well. Bluegill growth has been very good with fish over nine inches being caught this spring and summer. The crappie fishing is still a couple of years away as they were just stocked last fall. Largemouth bass are growing quickly with many 8 to 10 inch fish in the lake at this time. The initial stocking of catfish are in the 14 to 16 inch range. Bluegill - Fair: Anglers are catching quality size bluegill off the ends of the jetties with night crawler and bobber. Boat anglers are drifting or slow trolling black jigs in open water areas. Largemouth Bass - Good: Many 8 to 10 inch bass are being caught in the lake at this time. Channel Catfish - No Report: Channel catfish are in the 14 to 16 inch range at this time. Lake Manawa The catfish bite is good in the canals and on the main lake in the evenings. Channel Catfish - Good: Catfishing has been good this week. The night bite has been best using Sonny’s dip bait or cut bait. Hacklebarney East Hacklebarney has good water clarity with a nice ring of aquatic vegetation. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills can be caught drifting or slow trolling the lake with black jigs tipped with a crawler. Fish average 8 inches. Black Crappie - No Report: Try fishing early morning or late afternoon for crappies averaging 10 inches. Cold Springs District Farm Ponds Panfish are in deeper water during the summer. Bass fishing has been good this week early morning and in the afternoon. Catfish are close to structure. Always get permission to fish privately owned ponds. . Largemouth Bass - Good: Cast along vegetation and around structure to catch bass in their summer pattern. Bluegill - Good: Anglers have reported catching bluegills with small jigs and crawler 4 feet under a bobber with a very slow retrieve. Crappie - Fair: Crappie will be in 4 to 6 feet of water around structure. Cast jigs or minnows under a bobber to catch crappie in the summer. Channel Catfish - Good: Channel catfish will associate themselves around sunken logs and along vegetation edges. Fish with cut bait around these habitat types for good summer catfishing. Water temperatures remain around 80 degrees in the southwest district. Bluegills and crappie can be caught drifting open water. For more information, call the Cold Springs District Office at 712-769-2587 Lake Icaria Crappie - Fair: Crappies up to 10 inches have been caught with minnows and jigs fished near the cedar tree piles. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills up to 8 inches have been caught with worms and small jigs fished near the fish mounds. Channel Catfish - Good: Catfish up to 20 inches have been caught with worms and liver fished near the fish mounds. Largemouth Bass - Good: Bass up to 19 inches have been caught on crankbaits fished near cedar tree piles and rock structure. West Lake (Osceola) The marina is closed for improvements. Little River Watershed Lake Channel Catfish - Fair: Catfish up to 22 inches have been caught with worms and cut bait fished along the jetties. Walleye - Fair: Walleye up to 19 inches have been caught trolling crankbaits along the weed lines. Bluegill - Fair: Bluegill up to 8 inches have been caught with worms fished near the cedar tree piles. Largemouth Bass - Good: Bass up to 17 inches have been caught with crankbaits fished along weed lines and near rock reefs. Lake of Three Fires Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass up to 18 inches have been caught with crankbaits and jigs fished along the dam and near cedar tree piles in the mornings. Sands Timber Lake (Blockton Reservoir) Sands Timber Lake has been drained for the construction of a wetland structure in the west arm. Green Valley Lake Bluegill - Slow: Bluegills up to 8 inches have been caught with worms fished along weed lines and near cedar tree piles. Largemouth Bass - Fair: Bass up to 18 inches have been caught with crankbaits and jigs fished near cedar tree piles and along rock structure. Summit Lake Bluegill - Fair: Bluegills up to 8 inches have been caught with worms fished along the weed lines. Yellow Perch - Fair: Perch up to 10 inches have been caught with worms and jigs fished along the weed lines. Twelve Mile Creek Lake Yellow Perch - Fair: Perch up to 11 inches have been caught on worms and jigs fished in 14 feet of water near the channel. Walleye - Fair: Walleye up to 19 inches have been caught trolling crankbaits along the weed lines. Crappie - Slow: Crappies up to 12 inches have been caught trolling crankbaits along the weed lines. Walnut Creek Marsh Walnut Creek Marsh has been drained for in-lake improvements. Water temperature in most Mount Ayr District lakes is in the mid-80's. The district includes Page, Taylor, Adams, Union, Ringgold, Decatur, Clarke and Madison counties. For more information, call 641-464-3108. Missouri River (Sioux City to Little Sioux) Channel Catfish - Good: Anglers are catching channel catfish with worms, cut bait, and dip baits. Anglers have had success in the mouths of incoming rivers, creeks, around brush piles, and below wing dikes. Flathead Catfish - Good: Flathead catfishing is good on trotlines/rod and reel using chubs, bullheads, and green sunfish. Blue Catfish - Fair: A few blue cats have been caught in this stretch. Fresh cut bait works well. Missouri River (Little Sioux to Council Bluffs) Channel Catfish - Good: Anglers are having the best success on stinkbait; for larger fish try cut bait. Fish below wing dikes and in slower portions of the Missouri. Catfish are also being caught in the mouth of tributary streams and rivers. Flathead Catfish - Good: Flathead catfish continue to be caught on trotlines and rod and reel using chubs and live baits. Blue Catfish - Good: blue catfish are being caught on fresh cut bait. Missouri River (Council Bluffs to Missouri State Line) Channel Catfish - Good: Anglers continue to have success on dead shad, worms, cut bait, and stink bait/dip bait. Flathead Catfish - Good: Anglers are having success on trotlines/rod and reel catching flatheads with chubs, bullheads, goldfish, and green sunfish. Blue Catfish - Good: Anglers are catching blue catfish on trotlines and rod and reel using cut bait and live baits. The Missouri River at Decatur, Nebraska is at 21.10 ft. /30,700 cfs./78 degrees Fahrenheit. The Missouri River is down 0.58 feet from last week. Fishing is good overall on the Missouri.

When do the crappie/ sunny start to move shallow?

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SEASON IT HAS BEEN SO FAR, AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED! Now, certainly hitting some of the best fishing of the season for ALL species!!! Walleyes have been on the chow on most of the midsized bodies of water along the weed edges, sunken humps and bars anywhere from 12” to 28” of water. Keep an eye on the primary transition areas such as sand to muck, boulders to gravel, weeds to sand (etc.) These areas are key right now. Leech Lake does have a bug hatch going on currently, but the fish are still active and hitting. Slowing down your troll, and using simpler presentations like a Lindy Rig, Slip Bobber, or Spinner or Slow Death Rig tipped with Crawlers, Leeches, or Chubs have all been producing exceptional numbers. The Bass have been extremely aggressive! Smallmouth can be found off the rock bars and sunken humps, hitting both Drop Shots and Swim Baits. Likewise, Largemouth Bass, can be found along the pencil reeds, out from docks and various surface structure, as well as in the cabbage beds. Spinner baits, Drop Shots, and Jerk Baits have all been effective in targeting the “bucket mouths”. Crappies and Bluegills can be found within the cabbage. As cabbage is just starting to peak, find the tallest and greenest cabbage which is close to deeper drops and you will find the fish! Small jigs tipped with Crappie Minnows or a Small Leech, or even rigging slowly over the cabbage has proven to be successful! We certainly hope you all have been out enjoying this terrific weather we have been having and been able to keep your lines tight! Cheers! -Alice Wiese Wheezy Outdoors

Anyone know the ice conditions on Nebagamon? Is it possible to get around with a 4 wheeler or 4x4 truck? Thanks

I now live about an hour north of the twin cities, are there any places to fish for stream trout? I am thinking my best bet might be to drive up to the Duluth/ Superior area. Are any trout caught in the stream that comes of Grindstone?

Happy New Year from all of us here at Sunset Lodge! You can now follow the signs on the ice road right to our front door. Drive the center of the road as ice is thinner on the edges. We continue to fish shallower (16-20’) houses early and late in the day with good success. Shacks at the bottom of the break are producing a more consistent bite through out the day. It has been a great two weeks for big fish with many Walleyes over 26”, a couple of 29” and a massive 31”. Rippin Raps and Buckshot are being used to attract active fish to the houses. Gold is a staple up here on a sunny day, glow red, pink or white work better for an overcast day. Strong currents and mild weather make it important to stay to marked trails. The forecast looks good for ice making ? Sunset Lodge

Up in the Northwest Angle we are throwing back the 16s to keep the 18s! We have our houses in 16-24 feet, mostly on the bottom of the break. Twilight bites are fast and furious with some aggressive jigging. The ice road is not quite to us, currently ends on the North end of Flag island where we have a staked snowmobile trail and groomed runway straight to us. Happy Holidays!!

Hello from Sunset Lodge! Water temps in the Northwest Angle are varying between 55 degrees and 59 in shallower areas. In Minnesota, the bite has been very good. Big fish have been caught trolling crank baits in less than 15 feet of water. Keeper size walleye are being found in 18-22 feet with orange and parakeet jigs and a minnow being the most preferred combo. We saw multiple fish over 28 inches this week! The fish in Canada have been smacking pink and white, and parakeet jigs tipped with a shiner or minnow in 22-26 feet of water. Aggressiveness has picked up with the rising temperatures. Anglers are reporting a good number of multi specie catches including crappie, perch, walleye, sauger, bass and pike. Open water season is just getting started and will only improve! We hope to see you soon! Sunset Lodge

Up here in the Northwest Angle lines are tight and fish are biting! Water temps are warmer in the shallows at 50-52 degrees to upper 40’s in the main lake. Recent weather was not great but the fishing was. Some of the best action has been within a few miles of the lodge. Walleyes have been found anywhere from 3 to 30ft. 22-30ft with a jig and minnow is best during daylight hours. Multiple trophy walleye were caught this week including a couple 28’s and one 31 inch. The bite off of the dock late evening is really heating up and will produce limits. Come up soon to take advantage of great spring fishing! Sunset Lodge

We're still OPEN & fishing up at the NW Angle! Fishing on the Minnesota side continues to be best early morning and from sundown to dusk. Work deeper edges of the break line in the morning and afternoon, moving up to the flats and points for an evening flurry. With low pressure coming for the weekend expect fishing to be excellent. On the Ontario side, Crappie action was really good this past weekend in 30+ feet of water. Lots of fish over 14." Lake conditions have drastically improved as water making slush has receded below the ice or has frozen over in most areas. Caution should be used in areas of high current or between islands. Hard water fishing ends April 15th! Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Areas of slush on trails in Minnesota are refreezing overnight and are still in good condition if well-traveled. Walleye action is getting better every day, with mornings and late evening being best. Rippin’ raps and buckshots are enticing violent strikes; 18-22 ft of water is key. Big northern pike are hitting jiggin’ spoons and tip ups with large baits. Anglers venturing into Canada continue to find schooled Crappies and big walleye deeper into 30+ feet. A slow presentation is most effective for catching crappies. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Minnesota snowmobile trail conditions are in good shape. The Baudette trail is great north of Knight Island. Walleye action heats up in periods of stable weather. The best catching is happening in 21-25ft, with the most productive method being a dead-stick beside an actively jigged rattle bait such as a buckshot or rippin’ rap. Glow white/pink is out producing other colors. The late ice bite can be phenomenal on Lake of the Woods, ice permitting we will have houses out through the end of the month! Canadian fishing is recommended via snowmobile as they are light enough not to drop into the slush as easy as other track vehicles. Crappies are still filling buckets and walleye are actively feeding on reef break lines and points. Walleye season is open through April 14th. Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! On the Minnesota side, we are finding Perch, Walleye and Sauger, with 23-25 ft in the gravel being the most succesful. A lot of fish pulled from these areas were found to be preying on crawfish and spitting them up upon surfacing. Pink and white has been the top producing color combo once again. It is equally important to keep charging your glow lures. During periods of extreme cold the Dead-stick was most effective. Very nice Saugers are still being caught out of 28-29 ft. The best action has been early and late in the day. Canada has been providing mixed bags, seeing Perch, Crappie, Walleye and big Northerns. A couple of limits of big crappies again this week, 30-33ft being the most successful depth. Big walleye and northern found in Little Traverse on rock reefs. We received 8+ inches of snow within the past few days, trails have large drifts that are hard to see, take caution in low light conditions until trail can be groomed. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Minnesota walleye are being caught at a variety of depths with 24-27’ being the most consistent. Glow red with gold has been a hot combo this week. Rattle baits continue to draw active fish to our houses. Sauger activity has been very strong, providing Anglers the opportunity for full limits before new regulations take effect on March 1st. New limit regulations give a combination of six walleye/sauger with no more than 4 walleye. The slot of 19.5”-28 must be immediately release with one walleye over 28’ to be allowed in possession. Canadian crappies are still filling buckets and freezers, they can be found near the bottom in 32-35ft. Super light tackle and willingness to keep trying different jig combinations is producing the most fish. Many tulibee are being seen this week, which make for a tasty treat out of the smoker. Walleye fishing continues to be very good in traditional areas, depth at 23-28ft. Snow depth in our areas is between 2 and 2.5 ft. Trails are in great condition after last weeks snow and wind conditions. Until next week, Sunset Lodge

Hi from the NW Angle! In Minnesota, Sauger action remains strong. Houses in 26-29ft continue to produce throughout recent cold snap. The Walleye harvest was good during the last period of stable weather. Recently the dead-stick has out produced jigging, however rattle baits are still effective. Canadian crappie fishing was good last week with multiple groups limiting out while fishing holes 30-34 ft. Stay warm! Sunset Lodge

1.21.19 Sunset Lodge Fishing Report, NW Angle of LOW, Hello from the NW Angle! We are making ice up here at Sunset Lodge and with fresh snow coming the trails should be in great shape. In Minnesota, we are seeing really nice saugers mixed in with walleye in 26-29ft. Rippin raps and rattle baits are calling fish to the house during slower portions of the day. Pink and white remains the favored color combo. Work these baits aggresively as they will attract fish, mellow out as fish appear on electronics, then finesse them with a more subtle presentation to seal the deal. Crappies continue to come in from Canada. Electronics are key with a small presentation such as a tungsten jig with a small piece of minnow. Walleye action is hot off points and reefs on flats between 24-28 ft. Until next week! Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Fishing remains consistently strong on the Minnesota side this week. Many species are quick to bite leaving anglers with a very mixed bag at the end of the day. We saw multiple 40+ inch Northern, many Perch, even a Lake Trout among an already strong Walleye bite. 22-24 ft on gravel bottom surrounded by mud has been our best spots. Be sure to charge up any Glow tackle in use, with the increasing snow cover, glow or lighted lures have been hot. Pink/white and gold are also very effective on sunny days. The Canadian bite just keeps getting better! Crappies can be found in 30 foot holes while 22-26 ft flats on break lines have been hot for a Sauger/Walleye mix. Remember to stick to well-traveled trails as most have not been staked/marked as of yet. Until next week! Sunset Lodge

1.8.19 Sunset Lodge Fishing Report Hello from the NW Angle! Fishing on the Minnesota side has remained strong for the first couple of weeks of ice fishing season. We are seeing a lot of Walleye in the slot being caught off of structure as well of plenty of keepers (Sauger and Walleye) deeper out in the mud. Currently our houses are between 17 and 24ft, hot colors have been pink and white, hammered gold and anything that glows. Ice is developing quickly on the big lake with up to two feet in some places despite the mild temperatures we are experiencing. On the North to Northwest side of Oak Island, conditions aren’t as favorable as previous years, use caution and stay to marked trails and plowed roads. The pressure is still low on the Canadian side. We are seeing limits of Crappies being brought in, however it is still a mixed bag with good walleye action. The usual 30 feet is where crappies are being caught on wax worms and minnow heads, the smaller lure the better. The current between islands does slow down the ice making process, so keep aware of your surrounding and use caution. Sunset Lodge

Hi I was wondering if anyone has fished Yellow Lake, near Webster. My wife's uncle has a cabin there, and we will be going there over the weekend. I'm not looking for anyone's hotspot, just some general tips as to what might work, and what kind of fish I could catch. I'm most interested in panfish and northerns, but will go after anything. Thanks

Hello from the NW Angle! Water temperatures are holding in the low 50's but expect them to continue to drop this week with temperatures in the high 30's and even snow in the forecast. Both Minnesota and Canadian walleye fishing are on fire with only a jig and shiner or minnow needed. Look for Walleye in areas of current, pinch points between islands or rocky bays. Fish are currently shiner dependent in 17-25 feet. Crappies are being found away from the rocks suspended over mud bottoms in 24-28 feet. Perch can be found on deeper reefs topping out at 28 feet. Muskie trolling is off to a great start and will only continue to get better as the water temperature reaches into the high 40's. We will be closing down for ice in October 22nd - we hope to see you before then for some late fall fantastic fishing! Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle where our water temps are in the low to mid 60's. Minnesota fishing has been great this last week. Crank baits and bottom bouncers/spinner rigs provide a lot of quality action. Fish are still being found in mud away from structure. However, expect that to change as water temperatures are falling daily. This will lead to fish schooling on structure and outside shallow bays. Fishing is great and will only improve as fall progresses. Canadian fishing is producing more and more crappies every week; fish deeper water points where fish are suspended. Walleye continue to hit bait rigs behind bottom bouncers in the mud. Jig and minnow/shiner is becoming more effective every day. Deeper holes in gaps between islands are beginning to load up with hungry walleye. Fishing pressure is down on Muskies, making it a great time to target them on classic spots where they haven’t been seeing much action. See you soon! Sunset Lodge

Hello from the NW Angle! Lake of the Woods water temps are steadily falling into the mid to low 50’s. This past week cold fronts and strong winds have fish schooling up and feeding heavily. In Minnesota, look to rocky bays and adjacent reefs in 15-22ft. of water. A jig and minnow is all that is needed to catch a limit in a short period of time. Bottle necks between islands in the NW Angle are also worth fishing in the evenings. In Canada, the fishing has been excellent. Crappie, walleye and perch are all schooling up and taking a jig and minnow. With the water temperatures dropping, expect to see the muskie bite increase while trolling. We will be closing October 22nd for ice in! Contact us for availability for your fall fishing trip! We hope to see you soon, Sunset Lodge