Lake of the Woods (Minnesota) ice fishing

The Minnesota side of Lake of the Woods sits right on the Canadian border, about 312 miles from Minneapolis-St. Paul, or four and a half to five hours on the road. Fargo is about 232 miles away and Duluth about 211. It's a long drive, but once the ice season gets going, resorts here run heated fish houses across the lake from December into March.

This page covers the Minnesota side. The Canadian side, around Kenora, Sioux Narrows, and Nestor Falls, is covered on IceFishingCanada.ca.

Where people stay

Baudette is the main gateway. It sits on the south shore near the mouth of the Rainy River, with restaurants, shops, and a border crossing. The Baudette and Williams area is the most popular stretch of the lake, with easy access and lots of resorts and ice roads heading out onto Big Traverse Bay. Zippel Bay, with its state park, is along the same shore.

Warroad sits farther west, and it's the jumping-off point for some trips to the Northwest Angle. The Angle is the piece of Minnesota that's cut off from the rest of the state by the lake and Canada. In winter you can reach it by bombardier, by groomed snowmobile trail, or by a guest ice road. In 2022 a plowed ice road ran about 37 miles across the lake from Warroad to the Angle. Driving around by land means a short crossing through Manitoba with a passport or other border documents.

What you're fishing for

Walleye and sauger are the main event, and there are millions of them. Northern pike, perch, and eelpout (burbot) are all part of a normal day, and the odd sturgeon comes up through the ice.

The border waters have their own seasons, which is a big part of the draw. Fish houses can stay on the ice overnight later than on most Minnesota lakes, walleye and sauger season runs into April, and the pike season never closes. Early ice pike spearing usually starts in late November or early December.

Kinds of trips

Lake of the Woods runs on plowed ice roads. Resorts build and maintain their own roads out to their houses, mark them, and set a 15 mph speed limit. Where you use a public ice road, expect a small daily fee at the resort access. Drilling holes in a plowed road is not allowed. Snowmobile trails are groomed and staked across the lake too.

On a day house trip, the resort drives you out in a track vehicle or, early in the season, a light rig towing a heated trailer, drops you at a house kept around 70°F with the holes already drilled, and picks you up at the end of the day. Day houses usually go out around mid-December, depending on the year.

Sleeper houses usually go out later, from about January on. They have bunks for up to eight people, propane heat, and cooking setups, so a group can fish the evening and morning bites without leaving the ice.

Guides will check on you through the day, move your house to stay on fish, and clean your catch.

Licenses and rules

On the Minnesota side you need a Minnesota fishing license if you're 16 or older, or at any age if you're a nonresident. Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River have their own border water regulations. As of the 2025-26 regulations, the walleye and sauger combined limit was six with no more than four walleye, walleye from 19.5 through 28 inches had to be released, and only one walleye over 28 inches could be kept. Pike from 30 through 40 inches had to be released, and the perch limit was 20 a day. From March 1 to the April close, walleye and sauger were catch and release only. The DNR publishes a Lake of the Woods and Rainy River winter summary. Check the current version before you go.

It's illegal to dump fish carcasses on or under the ice, and if you move a house, everything has to come with it, including blocking.

Minnesota's shelter rules apply. Houses on Minnesota-Canada border waters, including Lake of the Woods, have the latest removal date in the state. As of the current regulations it was March 31 for 2026.

Fishing the Canadian side

Ice counts as land for customs on both sides of the border. If you cross into Ontario waters, you have to report to Canadian customs first and check back in with US customs when you return. At the Angle, some resorts and kiosks handle US check-ins, and a Remote Area Border Crossing permit can simplify things if everyone in your group has one. You'll also need an Ontario fishing license, and Ontario's rules apply once you're on their side. The Lake of the Woods tourism office has a good border crossing rundown.

Before you go

• Book early, especially sleepers. Ask what's included with your house and your ride out.
• Ask your resort about ice road conditions before and during your trip. They check the ice every day, and roads open, close, and move with conditions.
• Weather won't tell you what the ice is doing. Ask the people who are out on it.
• Bring a passport or other approved document if there's any chance you'll cross the border, by road or on the ice.
• Check the current Lake of the Woods regulations. The slot and the March catch-and-release period are easy to get wrong.