Lake of the Woods

Physical Description Lake of the Woods straddles the Canada-United States border and is shared between the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Water level is directly controlled through three hydroelectric dams located at the head of the Winnipeg River in Kenora, Ontario. The Rainy River provides 75% of the inflow to the lake. The lake is comprised of several distinct basins. The Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods (just over 300,000 acres) lies within Muskeg Bay, Big Traverse Bay and Little Traverse Bay. Big Traverse Bay and Muskeg Bay are largely devoid of bottom structure and islands. Little Traverse Bay is more characteristic of the Ontario portion of Lake of the Woods, with numerous islands and reefs. These three basins do not stratify and in most years have widespread, dense, blue-green algae blooms that are first evident in July and continue through October. Fisheries Management In December of 2023, MNDNR Fisheries in Baudette began a management plan review/revision for Lake of the Woods and solicited input from the public and a Fisheries Input Group. Stated within the fisheries management plan is a brief background of management history, series of management goals and objectives and management actions. The updated Lake of the Woods management plan is available at https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakeofthewoods/index.html. The largest and most important lakes in Minnesota are sampled every year, to closely monitor their fish populations. Lake of the Woods is one of the large lakes included in this Large Lake Sampling Program. These lakes are at least 15,000 acres in size, and typically support the best Walleye fisheries in the state. Anglers fish the Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods for a variety of species, including Walleye, Sauger, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike and Lake Sturgeon. Due to the importance of Walleye and Sauger, a great deal of population monitoring effort is focused on them. Overviews of the sampling programs conducted on Lake of the Woods are located on the Lake of the Woods page: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakeofthewoods/index.html The primary assessment used to monitor fish populations is fall gillnet assessment. This assessment has been conducted annually since 1981, but a comparable assessment was conducted from 1968 through 1970. From 1968 through 2001, the fall gillnet assessment sampled the nearshore waters of Lake of the Woods, from 6 to 25 feet in depth. In 2002 offshore nets were added to the assessment. The offshore nets sample water from 32 to 35 feet deep. There are differences in the size structure and abundance of fish species in the nearshore and offshore samples. Walleye Since 2002, the average Walleye catch rate or catch per unit effort (CPUE) is 16.4 fish/net (both near and offshore nets combined). The 2025 CPUE was 15.5 fish/net, down from 2024 (17.5 fish/net). The current 3-year average for CPUE is 18.0 fish/net which meets the 2025-2035 management goal of 14 fish/net. Gillnet sampled Walleye ranged in length from 4.5 to 27.9 inches with an average length of 14.4 inches. Small Walleye (~ 7-10 inches) were below average while Walleyes 11 to 25 inches were above average. Lastly, gillnet catch rate for large Walleye (> 20 inches) was 1.5 fish/net in 2025 up from 0.5 fish/net in 2024 which was the lowest observed catch since 2005. Sauger In 2025, Sauger gillnet CPUE was 17.1 fish/net with a current 3-year average (18.5 fish/net) meeting the 2025-2035 management goal of 16 fish/net. Average to above-average Sauger abundance experienced the past decade is the result of several strong year-classes being produced. Sauger sampled in 2025 ranged in length from 6.9 to 18.7 inches with an average length of 11.6 inches. Northern Pike Lake of the Woods is managed for a high-quality Northern Pike population, with a significant component of "trophy" Northern Pike over 40 inches long. To monitor the size structure of the Northern Pike population, it is sampled every five years using trap nets at known spawning sites. Trap netting conducted over the past few years revealed a high-quality size structure for sampled tributaries to Lake of the Woods and Rainy River. Fall gillnetting in 2025 sampled Northern Pike from 18.6 to 42.4 inches with an average length of 26.2 inches. Yellow Perch Yellow Perch are often not targeted by anglers fishing Lake of the Woods but are caught incidentally fishing for Walleye and Sauger. Under the current fisheries management plan for 2025-2032, no population level goals are set for Yellow Perch, but they are of management interest. Results from 2025 indicate that perch nearshore abundance was above the historical average. Catch rates for Yellow Perch are highly variable but have slightly declined since the early 1990s. Yellow Perch ranged in length from 5.3 to 13.8 inches with an average length of 9.1 inches. Nearly 50% of the catch were fish from the 2020 and 2021 year-classes (9 to 11 inches) and should provide anglers with an additional opportunity over the next couple of years. Lake Sturgeon Since 2004, spawning Lake Sturgeon have been sampled annually at known spawning locations. Over the past 15 years there has been an overall increase in mean length and greater proportion of "large" sturgeon in the sampled population. In addition to obtaining lengths, sampled Lake Sturgeon are tagged with a unique number at the base of the dorsal fin. This information has revealed that males typically spawn every 2 to 3 years (in some cases annually) and females spawn every 4 to 9 years. In total over 2,000 fish have been tagged at the Rapid River and over 10,000 have been tagged system-wide since the inception of the tagging program. In addition to MNDNR sampling, nearly 250 tag returns are reported annually by anglers. This data provides information on movement patterns, spawning occurrence, growth, and harvest metrics. To harvest a Lake Sturgeon, anglers must purchase a harvest tag. However, no tag is required to catch-and-release angle for Lake Sturgeon. Anglers may harvest one Lake Sturgeon per calendar year. A sturgeon must be between 45 and 50 inches (inclusive) or longer than 75 inches to be legal to harvest; harvested sturgeon must be registered per guidance in regulation synopsis (https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing_regs.pdf?v=20250505-35&view=fit&view=fit&pagemode=bookmarks&v=2025.04.17-17.02.18) . All other sturgeon must be immediately released. The Lake Sturgeon harvest season is from April 24 to May 7, and from July 1 to September 30. The catch and release only season is from May 8 to May 15, and from October 1 through April 23. You may not fish for Lake Sturgeon during the closed season (May 16 to June 30). For more information about Lake Sturgeon angling please see: Lake Sturgeon Angler Advice To report a tagged Lake Sturgeon please see: Tagged fish reporting | Minnesota DNR Infested Waters Designation Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River have received an infested waters designation due to the presence of Spiny Water Fleas and Zebra Mussels. Spiny Water Fleas were first documented in the late 2000s in the Minnesota waters of Lake of the Woods. Zebra Mussel veligers (larvae) were first sampled by fisheries staff in Muskeg Bay in 2019. No adult Zebra Mussels were observed in 2025. The most immediate impact of Spiny Water Fleas has been to human users of the lake and river. Emerald Shiner is a popular baitfish on Lake of the Woods. There are locally commercially significant bait harvest operations within the system. There is concern that Spiny Water Flea eggs may be ingested by baits fish and subsequently spread through the baitfish distribution. To deal with this potential issue, a prohibition against bait collection, by non-permitted individuals, has been enacted. Trained and licensed bait dealers may still collect baitfish from infested waters, but the collected bait must be handled to allow the fish to purge any eggs they may have ingested. Rusty Crayfish, a native of the Ohio River system, have been established in parts of the Ontario portion of Lake of the Woods since the late 1960s.They have been present in the Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods since 2006. At this point, Rusty Crayfish are present in low densities but are continuing to expand south. Last fall they were found from the Northwest Angle, south to Pine Island in addition to the Rainy River. Densities of Rusty Crayfish decline substantially from the Northwest Angle south. Rusty Crayfish can displace native crayfish within 2 years of colonizing an area and have been associated with declines in aquatic vegetation when they become established.

Physical Description Lake of the Woods straddles the Canada-United States border and is shared between the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, and the U. S. state of Minnesota. Water level is directly controlled through three hydroelectric dams located at the head of the Winnipeg River in Kenora, Ontario. The Rainy River provides 75% of the inflow to the lake. The lake is comprised of several distinct basins. The Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods (just over 300,000 acres) lies within Muskeg Bay, Big Traverse Bay and Little Traverse Bay. Big Traverse Bay and Muskeg Bay are largely devoid of bottom structure and islands. Little Traverse Bay is more characteristic of the Ontario portion of Lake of the Woods, with numerous islands and reefs. These three basins do not stratify and in most years have widespread, dense, blue-green algae blooms that are first evident in July and continue through October. Fisheries Management In December of 2023, DNR Fisheries in Baudette began a management plan review/revision for Lake of the Woods and solicited input from the public and a Fisheries Input Group. Stated within the fisheries management plan is a brief background of management history, series of management goals and objectives and management actions An update of the current Lake of the Woods management plan is in development. When the plan update is finalized, a copy of the updated plan will be available at https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakeofthewoods/index.html. The largest and most important lakes in Minnesota are sampled every year, to closely monitor their fish populations. Lake of the Woods is one of the large lakes included in this Large Lake Sampling Program. These lakes are at least 15,000 acres in size, and typically support the best Walleye fisheries in the state. Anglers fish the Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods for a variety of species, including Walleye, Sauger, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike and Lake Sturgeon. Due to the importance of Walleye and Sauger, a great deal of population monitoring effort is focused on them. Overviews of the sampling programs conducted on Lake of the Woods are located on the Lake of the Woods page: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakeofthewoods/index.html The primary assessment used to monitor fish populations is fall gill net assessment. This assessment has been annual since 1981, but a comparable assessment was conducted from 1968 through 1970. From 1968 through 2001, the fall gill net assessment sampled the near-shore waters of Lake of the Woods, from 6 to 25 feet in depth. In 2002 offshore nets were added to the assessment. The offshore nets sample water from 32 to 35 feet deep. There are differences in the size structure and abundance of fish species in the near-shore and off-shore samples. Walleye Since 2002, the average Walleye catch rate or catch per unit effort (CPUE) is 16.7 fish/net (both near and offshore nets combined). The 2024 CPUE was 17.5 fish/net, down from 2023 (21.8 fish/net). The current 3-year average for CPUE is 17.1 fish/net which meets the 2025-2035 management goal of 14 fish/net. Gill net sampled Walleye ranged in length from 5.7 to 29.8 inches with an average length of 12.7 inches. Small Walleye (~ 7-8 inches) were below average, Walleyes 9 to 16 inches were above average and Walleyes 17 to 20 inches were at historic average. Walleye 13 to 16 inches were above historic levels, the result of the strong year-classes being produced in 2021. Lastly, gill net catch rate for large Walleye (> 20 inches) was 0.55 fish/net in 2024 the lowest observed since 2005. Sauger In 2024, Sauger gill net CPUE was 22.8 fish/net with a current 3-year average (18.5 fish/net) meeting the 2025-2035 management goal of 16 fish/net. Average to above-average Sauger abundance experienced the past decade is the result of several strong year-classes being produced. High gill net catches of eater sized Sauger (13-16 inches) in 2024 suggests a stronger than predicted year-class for 2022. Sauger sampled in 2024, ranged in length from 3.1 to 17.4 inches with an average length of 11.4 inches. Sauger CPUE greater than 12 inches was well above the historical average. Northern Pike Lake of the Woods is managed for a high-quality Northern Pike population, with a significant component of "trophy" Northern Pike over 40 inches long. To monitor the size structure of the Northern Pike population, it is sampled every five years using trap nets at known spawning sites. Trap netting conducted over the past few years revealed a high-quality size structure for sampled tributaries to Lake of the Woods and Rainy River. Fall gill netting in 2024 sampled Northern Pike from 17.2 to 41.9 inches with an average length of 25.7 inches. Yellow Perch Yellow Perch are often not targeted by anglers fishing Lake of the Woods but are caught incidentally fishing for Walleye and Sauger. Under the current fisheries management plan for 2025-2032 no population level goals are set for Yellow Perch, but they are of management interest. Results from 2024 indicate perch near-shore abundance was above the historical average. Catch rates for Yellow Perch are highly variable but have slightly declined since the early 1990s. Yellow Perch ranged in length from 4.0 to 13.7 inches with an average length of 9.0 inches. Approximately 50% of the catch were fish from the 2021 year-class (7 to 9 inches) and should hopefully provide anglers an additional opportunity in the next couple of years. Lake Sturgeon Since 2004, spawning Lake Sturgeon have been sampled annually on the Rapid River (a tributary to the Rainy River). Over the past 15 years there has been an overall increase in mean length and greater proportion of "large" sturgeon in the sampled population. In addition to obtaining lengths, sampled Lake Sturgeon are tagged with a unique number at the base of the dorsal fin. This information has revealed that males typically spawn every 2 to 3 years (in some cases annually) and females spawn every 4 to 9 years. In total over 2,000 fish have been tagged at the Rapid River and over 10,000 have been tagged system-wide since the inception of the tagging program. In addition to MNDNR sampling, nearly 250 tag returns are reported annually by anglers. This information provides information on movement patterns, spawning occurrence, growth, and harvest metrics. To harvest a Lake Sturgeon, anglers must purchase a harvest tag. However, no tag is required to fish catch-and-release for Lake Sturgeon. Anglers may harvest one Lake Sturgeon per calendar year. A sturgeon must be between 45 and 50 inches (inclusive) or longer than 75 inches to be legal to harvest; harvested sturgeon must be registered per guidance in regulation synopsis (https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing_regs.pdf?v=20250505-35&view=fit&view=fit&pagemode=bookmarks&v=2025.04.17-17.02.18) . All other sturgeon must be immediately released. The Lake Sturgeon harvest season is from April 24 to May 7, and from July 1 to September 30. The catch and release only season is from May 8 to May 15, and from October 1 through April 23. You may not fish for Lake Sturgeon during the closed season (May 16 to June 30). For more information about Lake Sturgeon angling please see: Lake Sturgeon Angler Advice To report a tagged Lake Sturgeon please see: Tagged fish reporting | Minnesota DNR Infested Waters Designation Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River have received an infested waters designation due to the presence of Spiny Water Flea and Zebra Mussel. Spiny Water Flea was first documented in the late 2000s in the Minnesota waters of Lake of the Woods. Zebra Mussel veligers (lavae) were first sampled by fisheries staff in Muskeg Bay in 2019. No adult Zebra Mussels were observed in 2024. The most immediate impact of Spiny Water Flea has been to human users of the lake and river. Emerald Shiner is a popular bait fish on Lake of the Woods. Local bait shops and resorts have had significant businesses harvesting bait within the system. There is concern that Spiny Water Flea eggs may be ingested by small fish, and that Spiny Water Flea may then be spread through the bait fish distribution. To deal with this potential issue, a prohibition against bait collection, by non-permitted individuals, has been enacted. Trained and licensed bait dealers may still collect bait fish from infested waters, but the collected bait must be handled to allow the fish to purge any eggs they may have ingested. Rusty Crayfish, a native of the Ohio River system, have been established in parts of the Ontario portion of Lake of the Woods since the late 1960s, but have been present in the Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods only since 2006. At this point Rusty Crayfish are present in low densities but are continuing to expand south. Last fall they were found from the Northwest Angle, south to Pine Island in addition to the Rainy River. Densities of Rusty Crayfish decline substantially from the Northwest Angle south. Rusty Crayfish can displace native crayfish within 2 years of colonizing an area and have been associated with declines in aquatic vegetation when they become established.

Physical Description Lake of the Woods straddles the Canada-United States border and is shared between the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, and the U. S. state of Minnesota. Water level is directly controlled through three hydroelectric dams located at the head of the Winnipeg River in Kenora, Ontario. The Rainy River provides 75% of the inflow to the lake. The lake is comprised of several distinct basins. The Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods (just over 300,000 acres) lies within Muskeg Bay, Big Traverse Bay and Little Traverse Bay. Big Traverse Bay and Muskeg Bay are largely devoid of bottom structure and islands. Little Traverse Bay is more characteristic of the Ontario portion of Lake of the Woods, with numerous islands and reefs. These three basins do not stratify and in most years have widespread, dense, blue-green algae blooms that are first evident in July and continue through October. Fisheries Management In December of 2017, DNR Fisheries in Baudette began a management plan review/revision for Lake of the Woods and solicited input from the public and a Fisheries Input Group. Stated within the fisheries management plan is a brief background of management history, series of management goals and objectives and management actions An update of the current Lake of the Woods management plan is in development. To get more information about the planning process or to view the current plan, please visit https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakeofthewoods/index.html. The largest and most important lakes in Minnesota are sampled every year, in order to closely monitor their fish populations. Lake of the Woods is one of the large lakes included in this Large Lake Sampling Program. These lakes are at least 15,000 acres in size, and typically support the best Walleye fisheries in the state. Anglers fish the Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods for a variety of species, including Walleye, Sauger, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike and Lake Sturgeon. Due to the importance of Walleye and Sauger, a great deal of population monitoring effort is focused on them. Overviews of the sampling programs conducted on Lake of the Woods are located on the Baudette Area Fisheries web page, on the MN-DNR web site, at www.mndnr.gov/areas/fisheries/baudette. The primary assessment used to monitor fish populations is fall gill net assessment. This assessment has been annual since 1981, but a comparable assessment was conducted from 1968 through 1970. From 1968 through 2001, the fall gill net assessment sampled the near-shore waters of Lake of the Woods, from 6 to 25 feet in depth. In 2002 off-shore nets were added to the assessment. The off-shore nets sample water from 32 to 35 feet deep. There are differences in the size structure and abundance of fish species in the near-shore and off-shore samples. Walleye Since 2002, the average Walleye catch rate or catch per unit effort (CPUE) is 16.4 fish/net (both near and off-shore nets combined). The 2023 CPUE was 21.8 fish/net and up from 2022 (12.8 fish/net). The current 3-year average for CPUE is 15.1 fish/net and meets the 2018-2023 management goal ~ 14 fish/net. Gill net sampled Walleye ranged in length from 5.5 to 29.7 inches with an average length of 11.6 inches. Small Walleye (~ 7-8 inches) were above average, while keeper-sized Walleye (14 to 19 inches) were at the historic average. Walleye 10 to 13 inches were at or above historic levels, the result of the strong year-classes being produced in 2021. Lastly, gill net catch rate for large Walleye (> 20 inches) was 0.77 fish/net in 2023 with a stable trend the past decade (0.77 to 2.2 fish per net) but the lowest observed since 2008. Sauger In 2023, Sauger gill net CPUE was 16.5 fish/net and the current 3-year average (18.4 fish/net) meeting the 2018-2023 management goal of ~ 16 fish/net. Average to above-average Sauger abundance experienced the past decade is the result of several strong year-classes being produced. High gill net catches of small Sauger (> 8-9 inches) in 2023 suggests a stronger than predicted year-class for 2022. However, below average catches of Sauger 10 to 12 inches and confirms the below average year-classes in 2020 and 2021. Sauger sampled in 2023, ranged in length from 3.1 to 17.2 inches with an average length of 11.2 inches. Sauger CPUE greater than 12 inches was well above the historical average. Northern Pike Lake of the Woods is managed for a high-quality Northern Pike population, with a significant component of "trophy" Northern Pike over 40 inches long. To monitor the size structure of the Northern Pike population, it is sampled every five years using trap nets at known spawning sites. Trap netting conducted over the past few years revealed a high-quality size structure for sampled tributaries to Lake of the Woods and Rainy River. Fall gill netting in 2023 sampled Northern Pike from 14.5 to 41.4 inches with an average length of 24.4 inches. Yellow Perch Yellow Perch are often not targeted by anglers fishing Lake of the Woods but are caught incidentally fishing for Walleye and Sauger. Under the current fisheries management plan for 2018-2023 no population level goals are set for Yellow Perch, but they are of management interest. Results from 2023 indicate perch near-shore abundance was above the historical average. Catch rates for Yellow Perch are highly variable but have slightly declined since the early 1990s. Yellow Perch ranged in length from 2.3 to 13.7 inches with an average length of 8.3 inches. Approximately 50% of the catch were fish from the 2021 year-class (6 to 8 inches) and should hopefully provide anglers an additional opportunity in the next couple of years. Lake Sturgeon Since 2004, spawning Lake Sturgeon have been sampled annually on the Rapid River (a tributary to the Rainy River). Over the past 15 years there has been an overall increase in mean length and greater proportion of "large" sturgeon in the sampled population. In addition to obtaining lengths, sampled Lake Sturgeon are tagged with a unique number at the base of the dorsal fin. This information has revealed that males typically spawn every 2 to 3 years (in some cases annually) and females spawn every 4 to 9 years. In total over 2,000 fish have been tagged at the Rapid River and over 10,000 have been tagged system-wide since the inception of the tagging program. In addition to natural resource sampling, nearly 250 tag returns are reported annually by anglers. This information provides information on movement patterns, spawning occurrence, growth, and harvest metrics. In order to harvest a Lake Sturgeon, anglers must purchase a harvest tag. However no tag is required to fish catch-and-release for Lake Sturgeon. Anglers may harvest one Lake Sturgeon per calendar year. A sturgeon must be between 45 and 50 inches (inclusive) or longer than 75 inches to be legal to harvest; harvested sturgeon must be registered per guidance in regulation book. All other sturgeon must be immediately released. The Lake Sturgeon harvest season is from April 24 to May 7, and from July 1 to September 30. The catch and release only season is from May 8 to May 15, and from October 1 through April 23. You may not fish for Lake Sturgeon during the closed season (May 16 to June 30). For more information about Lake Sturgeon angling please see: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/baudette/lowregs.html To report a tagged Lake Sturgeon please see: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries/tagged_fish_reporting/index.html Infested Waters Designation Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River have received an infested waters designation due to the presence of Spiny Water Flea and Zebra Mussel. Spiny Water Flea was first documented in the late 2000s in the Minnesota waters of Lake of the Woods. Zebra Mussel veligers (lavae) were first sampled by fisheries staff in Muskeg Bay in 2019. No adult Zebra Mussel were observed in 2023. At this date, the most immediate impact of Spiny Water Flea has been to human users of the lake and river. Emerald Shiner is a popular bait fish on Lake of the Woods. Local bait shops and resorts have had significant businesses harvesting bait within the system. There is concern that Spiny Water Flea eggs may be ingested by small fish, and that Spiny Water Flea may then be spread through the bait fish distribution. To deal with this potential issue, a prohibition against bait collection, by non-permitted individuals, has been enacted. Trained and licensed bait dealers may still collect bait fish from infested waters, but the collected bait must be handled to allow the fish to purge any eggs they may have ingested. Rusty Crayfish, a native of the Ohio River system, have been established in parts of the Ontario portion of Lake of the Woods since the late 1960s, but have been present in the Minnesota portion of Lake of the Woods only since 2006. At this point Rusty Crayfish are present in fairly low densities but are continuing to expand south. Last fall they were found from the Northwest Angle, south to Pine Island in addition to the Rainy River. Densities of Rusty Crayfish decline substantially from the Northwest Angle south. Rusty Crayfish have displaced the native crayfish within 2 years of colonizing an area and have been associated with declines in aquatic vegetation when they become established.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Muskellunge, Walleye, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch in Lake of the Woods. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Lake of the Woods. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Lake of the Woods has a maximum depth of 210 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Lake of the Woods is from 2025.

Yes — Lake of the Woods has confirmed spiny waterflea and zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.