Walleye fishing on Rainy has gone gangbusters since the DNR introduced a 17- to 28-inch protected slot.

Winter guiding and lodging are offered by Woody’s Fairly Reliable Guide Service and Resort. Contact him at 1-866-410-5001 or www.fairlyreliable.com.

LAKE OF THE WOODS

Final mention goes to the most obvious candidate, Lake of the Woods.

Well, as a Minnesotan carrying a Minnesota license, there’s nearly 1 million acres of water at your disposal. That should keep you busy. As a bonus, the south shore — Big Traverse Bay — is dotted with resorts that keep their lights on for ice-anglers. Call one and rent an outfitted shack, and fishing is as easy as watching Monday Night Football.

Do-it-your-selfers have it pretty good, too. Walleyes and saugers travel in invasion-sized swarms, moving from depth range to depth range. Get a tip, find the right depth, and walleyes and/or saugers are nearly a given.

The sullied waters of Lake of the Woods afford hot fishing between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., leaving you plenty of time in the morning. In late winter, breaklines in 25 to 35 feet are dependable. It’s mostly saugers, though. Walleyes are more of an early-morning and pre-sundown event in 12 to 18 feet. And one can easily travel between zones.

Contact the Lake of the Woods Tourism at 1-800-382-3474 for details, or go to www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com.

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So even though you may not be a banker, get out there and enjoy these daytime-bite walleye lakes.  

Most of Minnewaska’s floor is composed of sand. So with that in mind, Smith searches for deviations in the sand, be they weeds, rocks or in the case of the deeper flats, where sand turns to mud or what Smith calls “sub-sand.” Sub-sand is a rich mixture of sand and clay. Edible invertebrates are partial to sub-sand.

Genz motors for the mud. Mille Lacs’ miles of mudflats offer infinite possibilities, and they hold fish from first ice through the end of the season. By day, Genz drills along the breaklines where the mud’s 20- to 25-foot crests cascade to depths of 30 to 35 feet. Stick to the slope, he says.

In middle to late winter, Woody searches for walleyes on reefs and sharp breaks in 20 to 50 feet, as well as areas with both moving water and useable ice. Reefs are rampant along the Minnesota side.