Late Fall Walleye Bonanza on Lake of the Woods

Artificial Lure here with your Lake of the Woods fishing report for Tuesday, November 11, 2025. The fall bite is hanging on strong as we push deeper into November, and the lake’s showing exactly why this time of year is prized for hardy anglers. Weather’s running crisp and classic for mid-November—overnight lows dropped below freezing, and we’re topping out in the mid-30s today with a gentle northwest breeze. No tide to worry about inland, but your daylight is at a premium: sunrise checked in at 7:11 a.m. and sunset’s right around 4:43 p.m., so don’t burn those morning hours with a slow coffee—get out while the bite is hot. Surface water temps have slid into the upper 30s. According to Outdoor News, that’s pushed the bulk of walleye out of shallow water and down to 15–25 feet, right along the classic late fall haunts: from Pine Island stretching all the way to the Morris Point Gap. Zippel Bay, Long Point, and over toward the Twin Islands are producing steady action, with fewer crowds but plenty of active fish. The best presentation lately? Vertical jigging is king. Orange/chartreuse or gold jigs, sometimes combined with pink or glow-white, are absolutely turning heads. Drop ‘em tipped with frozen or live emerald shiners and keep your movement slow and vertical right over those deeper pods. Some folks are still quietly pulling walleyes slow-trolling crankbaits, and perch-pattern or firetiger colors are picking up aggressive fish even as water continues to chill. Most walleye caught this week have been the bread-and-butter eaters in the 15–20 inch range, but multiple reports mentioned trophy fish breaking 25 inches. That’s a bit of November gold, if you ask me. Northern pike are still patrolling weed edges and current points, especially if you upsized to large golden shiners. A few bonus jumbo perch have come topside, mostly by anglers jigging deeper for walleye—keep an eye out if you’re looking to round out a mixed bag for a fish fry. Smallmouth bass action has tapered off with the cold, but deep rock piles might still kick up a straggler or two if you’re dedicated. If you’re gearing up, top baits right now are: - Frozen or live emerald shiners for jigging - Large golden shiners for targeting pike - Crankbaits in perch or firetiger for aggressive walleye and incidental pike - Chartreuse, orange, or gold jigs in 1/8 to 3/8 oz, depending on conditions Hot spots this week: - Pine Island to Morris Point Gap is still the late-season staple, especially as baitfish and hungry walleyes concentrate before freeze-up. - Zippel Bay and Long Point are seeing good numbers of keepers move deeper—work those transitions from shallow to mid-depths. - Twin Islands also gets the nod, particularly when that northwest wind stirs things up. Don’t let the dropping temps keep you off the water. Bring your warm layers, fish slow, and keep your bait right in those walleyes’ strike zone—this time of year, it’s less about numbers and more about quality fish with some This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.