First time for LOW

I plan a icefishing trip every year for my buddies and I. We have been to URL the last few trips and want to go somewere new ,and the talk is LOW. Never been there and don’t know were to go out of . Not planning on renting a sleeper shack,but will be a 2-3 day adventure. So there are alot of options.I would like to keep the cost down, since many are not working at the time. We want to go the first week of Feb.,but what is the best time?Any info would help. I like to plan ahead.
thanks,SS

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I plan a icefishing trip every year for my buddies and I. We have been to URL the last few trips and want to go somewere new ,and the talk is LOW. Never been there and don’t know were to go out of . Not planning on renting a sleeper shack,but will be a 2-3 day adventure. So there are alot of options.I would like to keep the cost down, since many are not working at the time. We want to go the first week of Feb.,but what is the best time?Any info would help. I like to plan ahead.

thanks,SS

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If I only got to hit LOTW one time each winter the first week of February would be a tough choice for planning a trip to LOTW for me. I cannot stress enough how much better your trip would be if you waited until mid – late march. The weather will be better, the fish bigger (your shot at atrophy walleye goes WAY up that time of year) and you’ll be fishing much closer to the resorts along the southern shore versus february when you’ll likely be way-WAY out into the big lake.

Here’s a tv show we did up there 3 week in March, 2007 that should give you a good feel for the game plan that time of year.

See more IDO Fishing Videos!

Thanks bro, that was pretty sweet. I enjoyed that, but probably not as much as you!

It was definitely a good time. Do you have any flexibility with the timing of your trip? If not February is a good time for “action” on LOTW with an outside chance at a biggie. You’ll see a good mix of sauger, walleye and maybe even a big perch or two depending on where you end up.

There are a lot of resorts that will rent you an ice house. Two problems, you have to have a place to stay over night and you have to know where the border is way out on the ice in February. Beyond that, your probably going to catch some fish. Maybe not lunkers, but something to put on the plate.

Canadian customs does patrol the ice, but I have never seen anyone from the USA.

I’ve been enjoying Lake of the Woods for a long time, and always make the trip. I started with the motel stay, then to a sleeper for the past 10 years, but we’ve always brought our snowmobiles and Otters for mobility. Two good friends and I have been doing this trip every year in mid-January and it has mostly been mighty cold for us, but good fishing. We enjoy exploring and finding a good bite away from the crowds, and the south shore can be crowded.

I have found that February fishing is so-so. Although, lately, we’ve found that January fishing has been so-so too. It really isn’t anything like it used to be just 6+ years ago, IMO.

I do agree that late March would be a fantastic choice, but it doesn’t fly with my schedule with so much going on in March and April.

This year my group is giving up the sleeper and snowmobiling to the NW Angle for a change of scenery, and hopefully, much better fishing from the sounds of it.

CDN -Horray! I finally got you sold on the Angle?!

I have been going to the Angle since the mid 90’s. It started with staying on the mainland and taking bombers out to rented houses.

It evolved to bringing sleds and portables, and then to staying on Oak Island and running with sleds and portables.

The time frame I like best is the first to second week of March. We get walleye, sauger, perch, and pout. Every year a few of the walleyes will be in that 25-29 inch range. You also have a shot at some big pike on occasion.

We will fish reef edges, and some time tops in the morning, and perhaps some mud flats too.

In the late afternoon, we look for current. The bite window there is short, but it can be amazing.

You sold me on the Angle long ago, but I just couldn’t make your trips in March. The guys weren’t ready for change in the past, but they are now.

We took the snowmobile trail up from Rainy River and stayed at Sportsmans Oak Island a couple years ago.

It’s got to be my all time favorite ice trip.

Great snowmobile trails. It didn’t take long to get anywhere around the islands.

Lots of reefs and spots to fish around the islands with few to no people around you.