Walleye Bite Strong on Lake of the Woods - Fall Fishing Report 2025

Artificial Lure here with the Lake of the Woods, Minnesota fishing report for Sunday, October 26th, 2025. Sunrise today came at 7:43 AM, with sunset expected at 6:15 PM, giving anglers a solid window of daylight to work with. We’re sitting in the heart of fall weather, starting cool in the low 40s this morning, warming up near 69 degrees by mid-afternoon—classic conditions for a hot late-season bite according to Solunar Forecast. The past week saw some strong winds, limiting time on open water, but those who got out found the **walleye bite holding strong**, especially in that 17 to 25 foot range. According to Outdoor News, vertical jigging with frozen or live emerald shiners is the best ticket—there’s a big run of shiners in the river right now and the walleyes are following them in. A few folks are still having luck trolling crankbaits along the edges, but more are switching to jigs as water temps continue to drop. Recent reports note that **good numbers of walleyes** have been boated, including some slots and a mixed bag of eater-size fish. You can expect to connect with a few chunky saugers, too. Bluegills have shown up in respectable numbers on the back bays and marinas, hitting both live and plastic baits. According to Outdoor News, those perch bags are filling up steadily, though you’ll have to work a bit harder for the true jumbos as they start schooling a bit deeper. Hotspots to focus on today: - **Rainy River mouth**—as the emerald shiners school up, walleyes stack in. Drift and drag a jig with a frozen shiner or work the current seams for best results. - **Four Mile Bay**—stick to the channel edges and inside turns. Target 18–23 feet, with a slow vertical presentation. - *If you’re southbound,* the reefs off Knight and Bridges are still holding eater-size walleye as well as perch on the breaks. Best times to fish are midday, with a major solunar window from **12:02 PM to 2:02 PM**, but don’t sleep on the first light window—the minor activity bump around **5:48 AM to 6:48 AM** could get you your new personal best if you’re set up early. **Top lures and baits:** - **Frozen or live emerald shiners on a 3/8 oz jig.** Try gold, pink, or glow colors—these have all put fish in the boat this week. - As the wind lays down, you can switch to lighter jigs, but don’t be afraid to bump it up if you’re battling a breeze. - For perch and bluegill, a small fathead or soft plastic on a 1/16 oz jig, fished just off the bottom, does the trick. A couple reminders as activity shifts into late fall: boat traffic is thinning out, but safety is still key—water’s chilly, wear your PFD. Ice is probably a month off, but if these cold snaps keep coming, we’ll be carving through slush before long. Thanks for tuning in to today’s update. Be sure to subscribe, and never miss a bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.