Early-Ice Action on Lake of the Woods with Artificial Lure

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from Lake of the Woods, talking early‑ice action around Baudette and the Angle. We don’t worry about tides up here, just ice and weather. The National Weather Service out of Grand Forks is calling for single‑digit temps with a light northwest breeze and high teens by afternoon, perfect for building ice and keeping the bite steady. Sunrise is right around 8:00 a.m., with sunset just before 4:30 p.m., so your primetime windows are short and sweet: that first hour of light and the last hour before dark. According to the Lake of the Woods Tourism fishing report posted December 16, ice fishing off the south shore is “about as good as it gets.” Resorts have houses out in 18–24 feet, and folks are putting nice mixed bags on the ice: solid eater walleyes, plenty of saugers, some jumbo perch, a few pike and eelpout, and even the odd sturgeon showing up in the holes. OutdoorsFIRST echoes the same story: early ice, strong bite, and good numbers for anyone staying on the resort roads. Best setups are the classic Lake of the Woods one‑two punch. On your jigging rod, run a spoon tipped with a minnow head or tail, or a noisy bait like a Rippin’ Rap to call fish in. On the deadstick, keep it simple: plain red or glow hook or a small ice jig with a live shiner, set 6–12 inches off bottom. The stained water really makes color matter—gold, glow red, pink, glow white, orange, and chartreuse have all been hot, and the resorts along the south shore are selling exactly what’s working. Shiners and fatheads are the go‑to bait right now. Most houses are seeing the better walleyes during low light, with sauger and perch keeping you busy through the day. Expect a dozen to a couple dozen fish per angler on a good sit, with enough keepers for a fry and a few slot fish to send back down. The Rainy River is locking up but still has current, so use resort access only. Reports from river houses show nicer walleyes mixed with sturgeon for those soaking bigger baits on the bottom. Up at the Northwest Angle, the early‑ice bite has been excellent as well, mirroring the south shore with good walleye and sauger action, and snowmobile trails are already marked. A couple local hot spots to circle: – Out of Four Mile Bay, that 19–22‑foot band just off the resort roads has been lights‑out for eater walleyes and saugers. – Up at the Angle, the reefs near Little Oak and north toward Garden have been kicking out steady fish for folks running snowmobiles on the marked trail. Travel smart. Resorts are reporting good, but still early, ice—plenty for ATV, sleds, and side‑by‑sides to day houses, and they’re moving houses daily to stay on fish and on safe ice. Stay on their roads and let them do the checking. That’s the word from Lake of the Woods. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https:// This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.