Early Ice Action Steady on Lake of the Woods - Walleye, Sauger and Jumbo Perch Biting

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake of the Woods fishing report. We’re on **early to mid-ice** now and things are shaping up nicely on Big Traverse. According to Minnesota Outdoor News’ December 9 Lake of the Woods report, early-ice action has been solid with **walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch** showing up in good numbers in 17–24 feet, with a few fish sliding deeper as traffic pushes them off the first breaks. Weather-wise, we’re sitting in classic winter pattern: cold overnights locking in ice, daytime highs moderating just enough for decent comfort if you tuck out of the wind. Skies have been mixed clouds and sun, with a fairly steady barometer—good news after that recent high-pressure lull that slowed the bite. Light to moderate northwest winds are keeping things crisp but manageable if you’re set up right. Sunrise is around **8 a.m. local** with sunset just before **4:20 p.m.**, so that **first two hours of daylight and the last hour of evening** are your prime walleye windows. Solunar forecasts for northern Minnesota show better activity around the midday major, roughly early afternoon, which lines up with that steady sauger grind out on the flats. Recent reports from resorts along the south shore note mixed bags: a dozen to two dozen fish per shack is pretty common, with keepers running **14–18 inches** on walleyes, plenty of **10–13 inch saugers**, and the odd slot walleye mixed in. Jumbo perch have been more hit-or-miss but when you land on them you’ll pull several **11–13 inch** fish in a hurry. On **presentation**, it’s a two-rod game right now: - For the **active rod**, work a **1/8–1/4 oz glow spoon** or slender spoon in gold, glow red, or glow white tipped with a minnow head. Rattle spoons are pulling fish when they’re aggressive; when the bite gets finicky, knock down the noise and go to a plain glow spoon. - On the **deadstick**, a plain red or glow hook or small jig with a **live fathead or rainbow shiner** 6–12 inches off bottom is key. That’s where most of the neutral walleyes and saugers are getting picked off. Best **bait** has been: - Live **fatheads and rainbows** on the deadstick. - **Shiner heads** on the jigging spoon. - For perch, a small spoon or tungsten jig with a **single waxworm** or a tiny minnow tail will clean up the look and boost hookups. Couple of **hot spots** to keep in mind: - The **south shore out of Morris Point and Pine Island**, in 18–22 feet, has been giving steady walleye–sauger action with a few nicer walleyes at low light. - The **Long Point to Zippel Bay** stretch has been good for mixed bags a touch deeper, 22–26 feet, especially for folks willing to get a bit away from the main crowds. If you’re chasing a **bigger walleye**, set up early or stay late closer to structure on the **Knight–Bridges reef complex** or off **Garden Island**, but make sure you’re working with current resort road intel—ice thickness and cracks can change quickly this time of year. No real “tide” to worry abo This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.